DWP cost of living warning as vulnerable Brits miss out on £299 payment

08 February 2024 , 12:06

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Not everyone is entitled to the £299 cost of living payment (Image: Getty Images/Maskot)

Millions of benefit claimants have started to receive the third and final £299 cost of living payment - but not everyone is entitled to the extra help.

The payment is being awarded by the Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) and HMRC to those claiming benefits such as Universal Credit and Pension Credit. However, some vulnerable households claiming support including Personal Independence Payment (PIP) and Attendance Allowance are not entitled to the £299.

Those on disability benefits instead received a smaller cost of living payment of £150 last summer. The following benefits were included on the eligibility list for the £150 disability cost of living payment:

• Personal Independence Payment

• Attendance Allowance

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• Scottish Disability Benefits (Adult Disability Payment and Child Disability Payment)

• Armed Forces Independence Payment

• Constant Attendance Allowance

• War Pension Mobility Supplement

This payment was sent out to around six million people between June 20 and July 4, 2023 for those claiming one of those above benefits on April 1, 2023. In comparison, to get the £299 cost of living payment, you have to have been in receipt of one of these benefits:

• Universal Credit
• Income-based Jobseeker's Allowance
• Income-related Employment and Support Allowance
• Income Support
• Working Tax Credit
• Child Tax Credit
• Pension Credit

You need to have been in receipt of one of these benefits between November 13 and December 12 last year. If you claim Universal Credit, you must have been eligible for a payment for an assessment period ending between these dates.

If you start claiming benefits and your claim gets backdated to the timeframe we've mentioned above, then it is possible you might be entitled to the cost of living payment at a later date. For example, you can backdate Pension Credit by three months and the deadline to do this, and be entitled to the £299 cost of living payment, is by March 5.

The payment will be made automatically - so you won't need to apply for it. It will show in your bank account as your National Insurance Number followed by DWP COL. The HMRC payment reference will be HMRC COLS. These payments are not taxable and will not affect the benefits or tax credits you get.

Levi Winchester