MILLIONS on benefits are still in line for up to £600 in free cash this year – we reveal who is in line for payments.
It comes as there are just hours left for a £150 disability cost of living payment to land in eligible Brits’ bank accounts.
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By spring 2024 the Government will have distributed up to £1,350 in cost of living payments to millions of struggling households.
There are three separate payments being made – worth £900, £150 and £150-£300 – and different eligibility criteria applies for each one.
Millions of households are in the process of receiving a £900 payment which has been split into three instalments worth £301, £300 and £299.
The first instalment was made between April 25 and May 17 while the second and third are being made in autumn this year and spring 2024, respectively.
Meanwhile, the £150 disability cost of living payment should have already landed in millions of eligible people’s bank accounts by the end of today.
Plus, the £150-£300 pensioner cost of living payment is set to start being paid from November this year.
That means there are millions who are still set to receive up to £600 in cost of living payments in 2023. Here’s the full breakdown:
Low income benefits and tax credits cost of living payment – £300
The second instalment of the £900 cost of living payment, worth £300, is set to be paid in autumn this year.
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An exact date for when it will be made is yet to be confirmed by the Department for Work and Pensions, which is issuing the payment for the vast majority of eligible people.
If you are eligible for the £300 payment you should have already received the first instalment worth £301 in April and May.
There is a full list of benefits that qualifies you for the tax-free cash, which is:
When the first instalment was paid, the vast majority of payees would have seen a specific code in their bank account denoting it was the cost of living payment – “DWP COLP” plus the person’s National Insurance (NI) number.
But anyone receiving tax credits would have been paid by HMRC and not the DWP, so their code would have been different – “HMRC COLS”.
Neither the DWP or HMRC have confirmed what the code will be for the second £300 payment, but it will likely be something similar.
Pensioner cost of living payment – £150-£300
Millions of pensioners are set for a cost of living payment worth between £150-£300 from November this year.
The money will come as a top-up if you are eligible for the Winter Fuel Payment.
You qualify for this year’s Winter Fuel Payment if you were born on or before September 25, 1957, and were in the UK for the qualifying week.
The qualifying week is the week beginning from the third Monday in September 18.
In most cases, you don’t need to claim the Winter Fuel Payment and will get it automatically if you’re eligible.
For example, if you meet the age threshold and claim any one of the following benefits, you will receive your payment automatically:
- State Pension
- Pension Credit
- Attendance Allowance
- Personal Independence Payment (PIP)
- Carers Allowance
- Disability Living Allowance (DLA)
- Income Support
- income-related Employment and Support Allowance (ESA)
- income-based Jobseeker’s Allowance (JSA)
- awards from the War Pensions Scheme
- Industrial Injuries Disablement Benefit
- Incapacity Benefit
- Industrial Death Benefit
If you don’t receive any of the above benefits, you will need to make a claim if any of the following applies:
- you’ve not got the Winter Fuel Payment before
- you’ve deferred your State Pension since your last Winter Fuel Payment
If you are in line for the Winter Fuel Payment top up you will most likely receive a letter in October and November saying how much you’ll get.
If you don’t receive a letter but think you’re eligible for a claim, you can check about making one on the Government’s website.
What other help can you get?
If you don’t qualify for any of the cost of living payments coming in 2023, you might be able to get help through other means.
Firstly, you can get help via the Household Support Fund, which is worth £842million.
The fund has been shared between local councils in England who then decide who to give it to.
That means it’s a bit of a postcode lottery as to what you can get, although in most cases people on benefits or low incomes are eligible.
Local authorities are distributing their share of the pot differently as well – some are offering cash grants while others are giving residents supermarket vouchers to redeem.
Households in Cheshire East are in line for cash grants worth £160.
Meanwhile, households in Torridge are in line for payments worth up to £1,000.
And thousands of residents in Wokingham can get up to £100 in support from their council.
Households could be in line for extra help this winter via the Warm Home Discount too.
The discount is available to those on the low incomes to help cover the cost of energy bills.
If you live in England or Wales you don’t have to apply to get the discount as it is automatically applied if you receive these benefits:
You may have to apply for the discount if you live in Scotland.
More details on the discount scheme will be announced by the Government from October.
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