The first instalment of the government’s new £900 cost of living support scheme, worth £301, has begun being paid out by the Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) to seven million households.
The DWP is paying the additional support to anyone who was in receipt of means-tested benefits like universal credit, pension credit or child tax credit between its assessment period of Thursday 26 January and Saturday 25 February this year.
The money is paid automatically to those deemed eligible so there is no need to apply, with the £301 payment hitting bank accounts between Tuesday 25 April and Wednesday 17 May.
Further instalments of £300 and £299 respectively are scheduled for autumn 2023 and spring 2024, with exact dates to be announced later.
The DWP said that 99 per cent of households will have received their money by the end of Wednesday but has acknowledged that a “small number” of payments outstanding will continue to be made up to and including 17 May.
If you have not received your money yet, you are advised to wait for that date.
The DWP states on its website: “Your payment might come later, for example, if you’re awarded a qualifying benefit at a later date or you change the account your benefit or tax credits are paid into. You will still be paid the cost of living payment automatically.”
If the money has still not arrived after 17 May and you believe it should have, you can fill out a form on the government website to make a claim, the DWP explains.
A spokesperson for the DWP has told The Independent that the page in question will go live on the government site after the present payment window has elapsed.
Mel Stride, work and pensions secretary, said: “Paying more than seven million households £301 in a little over a week underlines our commitment to ensure those on the lowest income are protected from the worst of rising prices and give them peace of mind.”
Chancellor Jeremy Hunt added: “We know the impact that rising prices are having on families, which is why we are providing significant support to millions through these direct cash payments.”
For more information about the cost of living payouts, please visit the government website.
