123RF

It’s the second of three payments from the government to help with the cost-of-living crisis

 £300 cash

The next cost of living payment is set to be paid out to millions over the coming weeks. The £300 cash will land in accounts as part of three instalments from the government.

The payment is being given to those on means-tested benefits and follows the £301 sent out to millions of people in April and May of this year.

Although the government is yet to confirm exact dates of when the £300 payment will be made, it will be this autumn. Martin Lewis predicted the actual date the payment will land in bank accounts to be October or November.

And the final cost of living payment worth £299 will be paid in spring 2024.

Who is eligible

Who is eligible for the cost-of-living payments?

You may be entitled to the payments 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.

You will not be eligible for the Cost-of-Living payment if your benefit is reduced to £0 for the qualifying period. This is sometimes called a ‘nil award’.

‘nil award’

Reasons your benefit may be reduced to £0 include:

• You got more than one payment of earnings in your universal credit assessment period
• You or your partner’s earnings went up
• You or your partner’s savings went up
• You started getting another benefit
• You got a ‘sanction’ because you did not do something you agreed in your claimant commitment.

Still be eligible

You may still be eligible for a cost-of-living payment if your benefit is reduced to £0 and one of the following applies:

• Money was taken off your benefit for other reasons, such as payments of rent to your landlord or for money that you owe.
• You had a hardship payment because you could not pay for rent, heating, food or hygiene needs.

Cost of living

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.