04 September 2023 , 18:37
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Millions of households could receive up to £900 of payments over the next few months - and here is what you need to know.
The money is being awarded to certain groups of people to help with . The second and third cost of living payments for people claiming certain - worth £300 and £299 respectively - are due to be sent out.
Exact dates for when they'll be issued have yet to be revealed, but the £300 is expected to be sent in autumn 2023, with the £299 to follow in spring 2024. In order to receive these cost of living payments, you need to be in receipt of certain benefits during a qualifying period.
So far this financial year, some for £301 were made in May and June to people in receipt of a qualifying means-tested benefit from the DWP or HM Revenue and Customs (HMRC). At the end of June and beginning of July, a further 6.4m payments for £150 were made to people claiming disability benefits.
Five payments are being made over this financial year:
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£301: First part of the £900 means-tested payment was made over May and June
£150: Disability payment was paid over June and July
£300: Second part of the £900 means-tested payment is due this Autumn
£300: Pensioner payment will be added to 2023/24 Winter Fuel Payment
£299: Third part of the £900 means-tested payment is due in Spring 2024
When is the payment due?
The only information confirmed by the UK Government is that the payment for £300 will be made in the Autumn. This payment will be tax-free, will not count towards the benefit cap, and will not have any impact on existing benefit awards.
When is the qualifying period?
No details have been announced yet.
Who needs to apply?
Nobody needs to apply for any of the cost of living payments, these will be made automatically to eligible claimants in receipt of a qualifying benefit.
Qualifying benefits
The £300 payment will be made to eligible households receiving the following benefits:
Universal Credit
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Income-based Jobseekers Allowance
Income-related Employment and Support Allowance
Income Support
Pension Credit
Working Tax Credit
Child Tax Credit
If you’re getting Tax Credits from HMRC and a low income benefit from DWP, you will be paid by DWP only. If you’re getting both Child Tax Credit and Working Tax Credit, you will receive the £300 for Child Tax Credit only, which will be paid by HMRC.
Benefits which do not qualify for £300 payment
You will not get a payment if you are only getting:
New Style Employment and Support Allowance (ESA)
Contributory ESA
New Style Jobseeker's Allowance (JSA)
Single and joint claims
Payments are made per claim. This means if you have a joint claim on the qualifying dates (yet to be announced), a single payment of £300 will be sent using the same payment method, if you’re eligible.
Guidance on explains: "You will not be eligible for the Cost of Living Payment if your benefit is reduced to £0 for the qualifying period." This is sometimes called a ‘nil award’.
Reasons your benefit may be reduced to £0 include:
you got more than one payment of earnings in your Universal Credit assessment period
your or your partner’s earnings went up
your or your partner’s savings went up
you started getting another benefit
you got a ‘sanction’ because you did not do something you agreed in your claimant commitment
You may still be eligible for a cost of living payment if your benefit is reduced to £0 and one of the following applies:
money was taken off your benefit for other reasons, such as payments of rent to your landlord or for money that you owe
you had a hardship payment because you got a sanction and could not pay for rent, heating, food or hygiene needs.