Exact dates for cost of living payments worth up to £899 – is free cash landing in your bank account soon?

MILLIONS of households have already received hundreds of pounds in support this year and there’s more to come.

It comes as part of the huge £1,350 package of cost of living cash announced earlier this year to help with the cost of living (CoL).

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The next sum set to go out is another instalment of the three-part £900 Cost of Living payment.

The first round went out from April 25 and was worth £301.

A £150 cost of living payment for people with certain disabilities was also paid out over the summer.

From October the second Cost of Living payment will be made, worth £300, before a final sum of £299 in spring 2024.

A separate £300 pensioner CoL payment will follow from November, but an exact date is yet to be announced.

This means some people are yet to receive £899 in direct payments by next April, if they’re eligible.

It’s helpful to log all the key dates in your diary for when you can expect to receive cash.

Below we’ve rounded up all the payments yet to go out this financial year and their dates.

Autumn

In autumn, around 8million households will receive their second chunk of the £900 means-tested benefits CoL cash.

The next instalment will go out to households on benefits between October 31 and November 19.

Households on tax credits will receive their payment from HMRC later to avoid duplication, between November 10 and November 19.

You’ll get the second boost if you were receiving the following benefits between August 18 and September 17:

• Universal Credit
• Income-based Jobseekers Allowance
• Income-related Employment and Support Allowance
• Income Support
• Working Tax Credit
• Child Tax Credit
• Pension credit

If you were later found to be entitled to any of the above benefits between these qualifying dates you are eligible for the payment too.

Winter

A payment worth up to £300 for pensioner s to help with the cost of living will be made this winter.

If you are entitled to a Winter Fuel Payment (WFP) for Winter 2023 to 2024, you will get the extra cash paid with your normal WFP money.

The WFP is worth up to £300 on its own, so if you’re eligible you could be in-line to get £600 in total.

The Winter Fuel Payment is made to households with someone born before a certain date.

This year, it is being made to every household with someone born before September 25, 1957.

In most cases, you won’t have to apply and the payments will be made automatically from November, though the exact date can vary.

Spring 2024

The third instalment of the CoL payment will be made in Spring 2024.

It will be worth a total of £299 and is the last boost of the £900 cash.

The government hasn’t yet revealed the exact date the third payment will be made.

We will update this story when we know exactly when you should expect to see this payment land in your account.

More bill support is available

It’s not just extra cash for the cost of living you might get paid.

Here we round up the other payments that could be coming your way from other schemes, or that you can apply for.

Fuel vouchers – £50

If you’re on a prepayment meter you might be able to get a one-off voucher to top up.

The fuel voucher scheme comes via the Fuel Bank Foundation charity, and it’s offered through a range of organisations, like food banks and Citizens Advice.

The best place to start to find somewhere which can offer you a fuel voucher is by asking your local council.

The voucher should help you cover around two weeks’ worth of electricity use.

Some energy companies may also issue their own vouchers, so ask your supplier directly.

Energy grants – up to £1,500

There are plenty of energy grants and schemes open to help you out if you’re struggling.

British Gas, E.ON, EDF, Scottish Power and Octopus Energy all run their own individual funds.

You should get in touch with your supplier to see what help you can get.

Warm home discount – £150

Millions of households in England, Wales and Scotland can get £150 deducted off their energy bills through the warm home discount.

This winter the money will be taken off your bill between October 16 and March 2024.

You’ll need to be in receipt of one or more of the following benefits to qualify:

Cold weather payment – £25

Cold weather payments are made to hard-up households to help cover the cost of higher energy bills during cold snaps.

Eligible households receive £25 for every seven-day period where temperatures are below zero degrees.

The money is paid by the Department for Work and Pensions.

The scheme runs between November 1 and March 31 but you don’t have to apply and will receive the payments automatically if you are eligible.

Check your eligibility for benefits

Millions of Brits are missing out on benefits they’re entitled to which could go some way to helping with the cost of living.

Benefit calculators can help you check what you could be entitled to.

There are several benefit checker tools you can use – here’s our guide.

You can get free debt advice

If you’re in debt there are plenty of services that offer free advice on how to manage debt.

Most of them can offer you free guidance and help in person, over the telephone or online.

Meanwhile, cold weather is on the way and that means the prospect of forking out more on your energy bills – but there’s help on offer.

Plus, hard-up households can get a whole host of freebies in October on top of their usual payments.

Do you have a money problem that needs sorting? Get in touch by emailing [email protected].

You can also join our new Sun Money Facebook group to share stories and tips and engage with the consumer team and other group members.

This post first appeared on thesun.co.uk