Full £1,350 cost of living payments available for millions of Britons – are you eligible?

Further help for the vulnerable announced

Over eight million Britons eligible for means-tested benefits will receive £900 from spring 2023 as part of the latest cost of living support announced by chancellor Jeremy Hunt during November’s Autumn Statement.

There will also be a separate £150 for over six million disabled people and £300 for another eight million pensioners on top of their Winter Fuel Payments to help them meet their energy bills, all of which adds up to a total of £1,350 in state support this year.

According to the Department for Work and Pensions (DWP), which first announced its plan to issue the £900 on 3 January, the money will go direct to bank accounts in three instalments over the course of the financial year for anyone claiming  any of the following state benefits: Universal Credit, Income-based Jobseekers Allowance, Income-related Employment and Support Allowance, Income Support, Working Tax Credit, Child Tax Credit and Pension Credit.

Individuals already claiming state support will not need to apply, the cash will simply be transferred to their existing accounts.

The new support follows the government’s 2022 cost of living package that handed an additional £650 to benefits claimants, £300 to pensioners and £150 to the disabled plus a £400 energy bill discount to all households and a £150 Council Tax rebate on properties in bands A to D.

The government also froze Ofgem’s energy price cap at £2,500 for average bill payers, originally for two years before rolling that pledge back to April 2023 only, which will nevertheless save households £1,400, Rishi Sunak’s administration claims.

The DWP has yet to confirm exact dates for its latest round of payments but will do so nearer to the time and has issued approximate payment windows as a guide instead.

These are 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 2023/24)
• £299 – Third Cost of Living Payment (during spring 2024)

“I know these are tough times for families across the UK who are struggling to meet rising food and energy costs, driven by the aftershocks of Covid and Putin’s war in Ukraine,” Mr Hunt said.

“That’s why we’re putting a further £900 into the pockets of over eight million low income households next year. These payments are on top of above inflation increases to working-age benefits and the Energy Price Guarantee, which is insulating millions from even higher global gas prices.

“Tackling inflation is this government’s number one priority and is the only way to ease the strain of high prices, drive long term economic growth and improve living standards for everyone.”

Work and pensions secretary Mel Stride added: “We are sticking by our promise to protect the most vulnerable and these payments, worth hundreds of pounds, will provide vital support next year for those on the lowest incomes.

“The government’s wider support package has already helped more than eight million families as we continue to deal with the global consequences of Putin’s illegal war and the aftershocks of the pandemic.”