Cost of Living Payments

You do not need to apply. If you are eligible, you will be paid automatically in the same way you usually get your benefit or tax credits.

If you get tax credits, and no other low income benefits, you will get your Cost of Living Payment from HMRC. 

Cost of Living payments 2023/2024

The payment schedule for further cost of living support has been announced. Payments will be made to those who get eligible low income (means tested) and disability benefits. An additional Winter Fuel Payment will also be made.

This page will be updated when more details have been announced, including the qualifying dates and payment dates.

• The first £301 low income (means tested) Cost of Living Payment was paid between 25 April 2023 and 17 May 2023 for most people on Department for Communities / Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) benefits - the £301 payment for people on tax credits and no other low income benefits was paid between 2 and 9 May 2023 for most people
• A £150 Disability Payment is due during Summer 2023
• The second £300 low income means-tested) Cost of Living Payment is due during Autumn 2023
• A £300 additional Winter Fuel Payment is due during Winter 2023/24
• The third £299 low income (means tested) Cost of Living Payment is due during Spring 2024

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.

Eligibility

You may be eligible to get up to five payments to help with the cost of living if you are getting 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 will 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.

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 and tax credits  

You may be entitled to up to three 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
• income-related Employment and Support Allowance
• Income Support
• Pension Credit
• Universal Credit
• Child Tax Credit
• Working Tax Credit

The payment will be made separately from your benefit.

You will not get a payment if you are only getting New Style Employment and Support Allowance, contributory Employment and Support Allowance, or New Style Jobseeker’s Allowance.

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 are eligible.

£301 Cost of Living Payment eligibility

Universal Credit

You are eligible for the first Cost of Living Payment of £301 if you were 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 January 2023 to 25 February 2023.

Income-based JSA, income-based ESA, Income Support and Pension Credit

You are eligible for the first Cost of Living Payment of £301 if you were 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 January 2023 to 25 February 2023.

Tax credits

You are eligible for the first Cost of Living Payment of £301 if you received, or later receive, for any day in the period 26 January 2023 to 25 February 2023 either:

• a payment of tax credits for the tax year 2022 to 2023
• an annual award of at least £26 of tax credits for the tax year 2022 to 2023

Extra information on the low income Cost of Living payment

If you are entitled, you will get:

• £301 paid between 25 April 2023 and 17 May 2023 for most people 
• £300 paid during autumn 2023 for most people
• £299 paid during spring 2024 for most people

Your payment might come later, for example if you are 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 get tax credits, and no other low income benefits, you will get your Cost of Living Payment from HMRC if you are eligible. The £301 payment for people on tax credits and no other low income benefits was paid between 2 and 9 May 2023 for most people.

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.

This page will be updated with the payment dates before each payment starts.

When you will not be eligible: ‘Nil awards’

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’.

For example, if you get Universal Credit, the reasons your benefit may be reduced to £0 include getting more than one payment of earnings, your or your partner’s earnings go up, your or your partner’s savings go up, you start getting another benefit.

If money has 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.

Disability benefits

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

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

Most people will be paid the £150 Disability Cost of Living Payment automatically between 20 June 2023 and 4 July 2023.

You must have received a payment (or later receive a payment) of one of these benefits for 1 April 2023 to get payment.

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 is paid into. You will still be paid automatically.

Pensioner Cost of Living Payment

If you are 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.

This page will be updated with the qualifying dates for the payment when they are published.

You will be sent a letter in October or November 2023 telling you how much Winter Fuel Payment you will get if you are eligible.

Report missing Payment for low income benefit or tax credits

The £301 Cost of Living Payment for people on low income benefits and tax credits was paid between 25 April 2023 and 17 May 2023 for most people.

If you were expecting a £301 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 to report it again.

Report a missing Cost of Living Payment paid in 2022

If you think you should have had the £326 or the £324 low income payment in 2022 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 in 2022 but you cannot see it in your bank, building society or credit union account, you can report a Cost of Living Payment to the office that pays your benefit.

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

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. If you have had a message asking you to apply or contact someone about the payment, this might be a scam.

Find out more about scams in general at ScamwiseNI.