Guidance on getting extra payments to help with the cost of living if you’re entitled to certain benefits or tax credits.
The information below has been extracted from a recently updated government paper which can be found at https://www.gov.uk/guidance/cost-of-living-payment .
Low income benefits and tax credits Cost of Living Payment
You may be entitled to up to 3 Cost of Living Payments of £301, £300 and £299 if you get any of the following benefits or tax credits on certain dates:
- income-based Jobseeker’s Allowance (JSA)
- income-related Employment and Support Allowance (ESA)
- Income Support
- Pension Credit
- Universal Credit
- Child Tax Credit
- Working Tax Credit.
The payment will be made separately from your benefit payments.
You will not get a payment if you are only getting New Style ESA, contributory ESA, or New Style JSA.
If you have a joint claim on the qualifying dates, a single payment of £301, £300 and £299 will be sent using the same payment method used between these dates, if you’re eligible.
If you’re entitled, you will get:
- £301 paid between 25 April 2023 and 17 May 2023 for most people on DWP benefits
- £301 paid between 2 and 9 May 2023 for most people on tax credits and other low income benefits
- £300 paid during autumn 2023 for most people
- £299 paid during spring 2024 for most people
If you’re getting both Child Tax Credit and Working Tax Credit, you will receive a Cost of Living Payment for Child Tax Credit only, which will be paid by HMRC.
If you’re getting tax credits from HMRC and a low income benefit from DWP, you cannot get a Cost of Living Payment from both HMRC and DWP. You will usually be paid by DWP only.
Your payment might come later, for example if you’re awarded a qualifying benefit at a later date or you change the account your benefit or tax credits are paid into. You will still be paid the Cost of Living Payment automatically.
If you have received a Cost of Living Payment, but we later find that you were not eligible for it, you may have to pay it back.
Guidance on payment dates will be updated before each payment starts.
Disability Cost of Living Payment
You may be entitled to a Disability Cost of Living Payment of £150 if you get any of the following benefits on a certain date:
- Attendance Allowance
- Constant Attendance Allowance
- Disability Living Allowance for adults
- Disability Living Allowance for children
- Personal Independence Payment
- Armed Forces Independence Payment
- War Pension Mobility Supplement.
Guidance will be updated with the qualifying date for the payment when it has been announced.
Most people will be paid the £150 Disability Cost of Living Payment during summer 2023.
Your payment might come later, for example if you’re awarded a qualifying benefit at a later date or you change the account your benefit or tax credits are paid into. You will still be paid the Cost of Living Payment automatically.
Pensioner Cost of Living Payment
If you’re entitled to a Winter Fuel Payment for winter 2023 to 2024, you will get an extra £150 or £300 paid with your normal payment from November 2023.
The full amount of Winter Fuel Payment (including the Pensioner Cost of Living Payment) you will get for winter 2023 to 2024 depends on when you were born and your circumstances during the qualifying dates.
You can get a Winter Fuel Payment for winter 2023 to 2024 if you were born before 25 September 1957.
Guidance will be updated with the qualifying dates for the payment when they are published.
You will be sent a letter in October or November telling you how much Winter Fuel Payment you’ll get if you’re eligible.
Please Note: You do not need to apply for any of the cost-of-living payments referenced above. If you’re eligible, you’ll be paid automatically in the same way you usually get your benefit or tax credits. This includes if you’re found to be eligible at a later date.
If you receive a message asking you to apply, or contact someone about any of these payments, this might be a scam. Speak to an accredited independent welfare rights adviser for further support.
These payments are not taxable and will not affect the benefits or tax credits you get.
End.
