Claimants will get up to £1,350 in cost of living payments in 2023/24, with the timetable for payments now announced by the government.
Over 8 million claimants will get £900 in three payments, whilst 6 million disability benefit will get an additional £150 and 8 million pensioners will get £300 in addition to their winter fuel payments.
The rough timetable for the payments is as follows:
£301 – First Cost of Living Payment – during Spring 2023
£150 – Disability Payment – during Summer 2023
£300 – Second Cost of Living Payment – during Autumn 2023
£300 – Pensioner Payment – during Winter 2023/4
£299 – Third Cost of Living Payment – during Spring 2024
These payments will all be tax-free, will not count towards the benefit cap, and will not have any impact on existing benefit awards.
Households eligible for the £900 cost of living payment will be on one of the following benefits:
- Universal Credit,
- Income-based Jobseekers Allowance,
- Income-related Employment and Support Allowance,
- Income Support,
- Working Tax Credit,
- Child Tax Credit,
- Pension Credit.
If individuals are eligible they will be paid automatically, and there will be no need to apply.
Claimants who are eligible for any of the Cost of Living Payments and receive tax credits, and no other means-tested benefits, will receive payment from HMRC shortly after DWP payments are issued.
Further details of who will be eligible for the disability payment were not given in the latest statement, but is likely to be people in receipt of one of the following benefits on a yet to be announced date:
- disability living allowance,
- personal independence payment,
- attendance allowance,
- Scottish disability benefits,
- armed forces independence payment,
- constant attendance allowance
- war pension mobility supplement.
You can read the full cost of living payments statement on the .gov.uk website
