Cost of Living Payments

Eligibility

You may be eligible for one, or more, of these Cost of Living Support Payments if you get certain benefits or tax credits.

You do not need to do anything to apply. If you are eligible (or if you are found to be eligible at a later date) you’ll be paid automatically in the same way you receive your normal benefit payments or tax credits.

These additional cost of living payments will be made separately from your normal payments. They are not taxable and will not affect any of the benefits or tax credits you get.

You could get up to three different types of payment depending on your circumstances on a particular date or during a particular period:

• a Low Income Cost of Living Payment, if you get a qualifying low income benefit or tax credits
• a Disability Cost of Living Payment, if you get a qualifying disability benefit
• a Pensioner Cost of Living Payment, if you’re entitled to a Winter Fuel Payment for winter 2022 to 2023

If you receive a Cost of Living Payment, but are later found not to have been eligible, you may have to pay it back.

Low income (means tested) benefits

You may get a Low Income Cost of Living Payment of £650, paid in two instalments of £326 and £324.

To be eligible you will need to have been entitled to (or later become entitled to) one of the following benefits 

• Universal Credit
• Income-based Jobseeker’s Allowance (JSA)
• Income-related Employment and Support Allowance (ESA)
• Income Support
• Pension Credit

Income-based JSA or ESA, Income Support and Pension Credit eligibility

To get the first Low Income Cost of Living Payment of £326, you must have been entitled to a payment (or later found to be entitled to a payment) of income-based JSA, income-related ESA, Income Support or Pension Credit for any day in the period 26 April 2022 to 25 May 2022. 

To get the second Cost of Living Payment of £324, you must have been entitled to a payment (or later found to be entitled to a payment) of income-based JSA, income-related ESA, Income Support or Pension Credit for any day in the period 26 August 2022 to 25 September 2022.

If you have a joint claim with a partner, you will get one Cost of Living Payment, paid in two instalments, if eligible.

Universal Credit eligibility

To get the first Low Income Cost of Living Payment of £326, you must have been entitled to a payment (or later found to be entitled to a payment) of Universal Credit for an assessment period that ended in the period 26 April 2022 to 25 May 2022. 

To get the second Cost of Living payment of £324 you must you must have been entitled to a payment (or later found to be entitled) to a payment of Universal Credit for an assessment period that ended in the period 26 August 2022 to 25 September 2022.

You will not be eligible for the Cost of Living Payment if your earnings reduced your Universal Credit to £0 for the qualifying assessment period. This is sometimes called a ‘nil award’. If money has also been taken off for other reasons (such as payments of rent to your landlord or for money that you owe), you might still be eligible.

If you have a joint claim with a partner, you will get one Cost of Living Payment, paid in two instalments, if eligible.

Extra information on Low Income Cost of Living Payment

The first Low Income Cost of Living Payment of £326 has been paid to most eligible people on low income benefits in Northern Ireland from 20 to 30 July 2022.

The second payment of £324 will be made from the 8 November 2022 to the 23 November 2022, if you’re entitled.

This cost of living support payment will appear in your account or on your Payment Exception Service voucher as ‘DWP Cost of Living’.

Your payments might come later, for example if you are awarded a qualifying benefit at a later date, or you change the account your benefit is paid into. You will still be paid the Cost of Living Payment automatically. 

Information on reporting a missing Cost of Living payment is available below.  

If you also receive a qualifying disability benefit, you may have received a Disability Cost of Living Payment in September 2022.

Tax Credits

You may get a Low Income Cost of Living Payment of £650, paid in two instalments of £326 and £324, if you have an award for either of the following:

• Child Tax Credit
• Working Tax Credit

The first payment of £326 was made to most eligible people between 2 - 7 September 2022. 

The second payment of £324 will be made shortly after the payments are made to those receiving the second Low Income Cost of Living Payment (8 - 23 November 2022), if you’re entitled.

Your payment might come later, for example if you are awarded qualifying Tax Credits at a later date or you change the account your Tax Credits are paid into. You will still be paid the Low Income Cost of Living Payment automatically.

To get the first Cost of Living Payment of £326, you must have been entitled, or later found to be entitled, for any day in the period 26 April 2022 to 25 May 2022 to:

• a payment of tax credits
• an annual award of at least £26 of tax credits

To get the second Cost of Living Payment of £324, you must have been entitled, or later found to be entitled, for any day in the period 26 August 2022 to 25 September 2022 to:

• a payment of tax credits
• an annual award of at least £26 of tax credits

If you have a joint claim with a partner, you will get one Low Income Cost of Living Payment, paid in two instalments, if eligible.

If you get both Child Tax Credit and Working Tax Credit, you will receive a Cost of Living Payment for Child Tax Credit only.

You will not get a Cost of Living Payment from HMRC if you have already received a low income (means tested) Cost of Living Payment from the Department for Communities / DWP.

However, if you also receive a qualifying disability benefit, you may have received a Disability Cost of Living Payment in September 2022.

Disability benefits

You may get a lump sum payment of £150 if you get any of the following:

• 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

If you get more than one of these disability benefits, only one Disability Cost of Living Payment is payable.

You will need to have been entitled to (or later become entitled to) one of these qualifying benefits on 25 May 2022 to get the payment.

The £150 Disability Cost of Living Payment was paid automatically from 20 September 2022. Most people received their payment by the beginning of October 2022.

Payments will be made to people who get a qualifying disability benefit from Department for Communities / DWP before payments to people who get a qualifying benefit from the Ministry of Defence.

If you also receive a qualifying low income (means tested) benefit or tax credits, you may get an additional Low Income Cost of Living Payment.

Report a missing Cost of Living Payment

If you think you should have had the £326 low income payment, but you cannot see it in your bank, building society or credit union account, you can report a missing Cost of Living Payment to the office that pays your benefit.

If you think you should have received the £150 Disability Cost of Living Payment but you cannot see it in your bank, building society or credit union account, you can report a missing Cost of Living Payment

If you have already reported a missing payment, you do not need report it again.

Help for pensioners

Pensioner households will receive an extra £300 Pensioner Cost of Living Payment this year to help them cover the rising cost of energy this winter.

If you are entitled to a Winter Fuel Payment for winter 2022 to 2023, you will get this extra £300 paid with your normal payment from November 2022.

You will get this Pensioner Cost of Living Payment as well as any Cost of Living Payment you may receive with your qualifying benefit or tax credits.

People will be eligible for this payment if they are over State Pension age (aged 66 or above) between 19 and 25 September 2022.

The full amount of Winter Fuel Payment you will get for winter 2022 to 2023 will depend on your circumstances. There is more information on the following page:

• Winter Fuel Payment - payments and rates

Not entitled to Cost of Living Support payment

People who get the following benefits only, will not be eligible for a cost of Living Support payment:

• Carers Allowance
• New-Style or contribution based Jobseeker’s Allowance unless you get Universal Credit or a disability benefit as well
• New-Style or contribution based Employment and Support Allowance unless you get Universal Credit or a disability benefit as well
• Incapacity Benefit
• Industrial Injuries Disablement Benefit

Scams about Cost of Living Payments

If you get a suspicious email or text from GOV.UK, the Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) or the Department for Communities asking for bank details, you should report it. 

DWP or the Department for Communities will not ask for bank details by text or email or send a link to click into within a text or email.

Find out more about scams in general at ScamwiseNI.