HOUSEHOLDS who haven’t received their £301 cost of living payment can use an online portal to claim it – but they need to act quickly.
Over eight million households have already received the first installment of their £900 cost of living payment.
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The first payment should have been with most people by May 17.
If you have not received any payment, you should check a new online portal.
Existing benefits claimants can log a note in their benefits journal to report the missing payment.
However, the portal will only remain open for three weeks from May 18 so you’re better off acting quickly.
The portal is primarily for existing benefits claimants as new claimants should get the payment automatically even after May 17.
If you need to report a missing payment you must input your full name, date of birth, address and National Insurance number into the Gov.uk website.
Most people who are eligible should receive their payment within two weeks of claiming but the Government has warned that it could take longer depending on the volume of claims.
To qualify for the first cost of living payment you need to have been paid or have been eligible for one of the benefits or tax credits listed below between January 26 and February 25, 2023.
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- Child tax credit
- Income support
- Income-based jobseeker’s allowance
- Income-related employment and support allowance
- Pension credit
- Universal Credit
- Working tax credit
What else is part of the cost of living support?
The Government is issuing a £1,350 bumper package to households from this spring – including £900 for those on means-tested benefits, £300 for pensioners and £150 for people on disability benefits.
It’s rare that households will qualify for all three payments but if you do, you’ll get the full £1,350 on offer and you’ll be automatically paid.
For instance, if you claim pension credit and attendance allowance and are eligible for the winter fuel payment you’ll get the full amount.
As part of the £900, a second payment of £300 and a third payment of £299 will be made.
Payment windows for the £1,350 payment will be broadly as follows:
- £301 – First Cost of Living Payment – during Spring 2023
- £150 – 2023 Disability Payment – during Summer 2023
- £300 – Second Cost of Living Payment – during Autumn 2023
- £300 – 2023 Pensioner Payment – during Winter
- £299 – Third Cost of Living Payment – during Spring 2024
What benefits are you entitled to?
The quickest way to see what benefits you may be able to claim is to use one of the three benefit calculators recommended by gov.uk.
Each one is free to use. They are:
- Turn2us
- Policy in Practice
- EntitledTo
Before using the tools, make sure you have key financial information to hand, such as bank and savings statements, and information on pensions and existing benefits.
You will also need the basic financial information of anyone else you live with.
You can then use the contact information on Gov.UK to get the ball rolling and apply for what you’re owed.
The tools only provide an indicator of what benefits you can claim – and usually don’t include means-tested benefits, so you may be entitled to even more.
