All of the 400,000 North East families eligible to receive a £301 cost of living payment should have received it by the end of today, Wednesday, May 17.
The Department of Work and Pensions (DWP) has said that the vast majority of payments were made in the first days of the window opening on April 25, but asked anyone who is still waiting to contact the department from tomorrow. Figures released by the DWP earlier this month showed that 99% of eligible households were paid within a week of the start date, with just a tiny few having to wait until May 17 at the latest to get their money.
The £301 payment, the first of three which make up the £900 DWP support package announced by Chancellor Jeremy Hunt during November’s Autumn Statement, was due to be paid to Universal Credit claimants from Tuesday, April 25 until May 17, and to Tax Credits and other non means-tested benefits by Tuesday, May 9.
Read more: Month-by-month guide to when you can expect all of this year's cost of living payments
The DWP had to move to manage expectations last year after many concerned people took to social media when they did not receive their payment on the first day due in the last round of 2022's cost of living payments. However, this time round, a DWP spokesperson said that "the vast, vast majority" of all those eligible should have received their money before May 5 and later confirmed that most received their money within the first eight days of the 23-day window.
The spokesperson said: "The small number of payments outstanding will continue to be made before May 17, and anyone eligible still waiting for a payment does not need to contact the DWP before then. After this date, if someone thinks they may be missing a payment they are entitled to, they should make a claim."
The Government has not released exact dates when the second and third payments will hit people's bank accounts this year, just Autumn 2023 and Spring 2024. But as it has already stated that payments will all be made in the 2023/2024 financial year, the last sum should be paid before April 5, 2024.
There will also be a separate £150 for over 6m disabled people nationwide and £300 for another 8m pensioners on top of their Winter Fuel Payments to help them meet their energy bills coming later this year.
The payment reference for bank accounts is DWP COLP, along with the claimant’s National Insurance number. In a small minority of complex circumstances, some people may be paid after May 17 – for example, if they were deemed unable to claim certain benefits, but won backdated entitlement on appeal, or where payments were rejected due to invalid account details. The DWP says it will seek to contact claimants directly where there are issues or delays.
To be eligible to receive the £301, you need to have been entitled to a payment for one of these benefits between 26 January and 25 February 2023, or payment for an assessment period ending between these dates:
- Universal Credit
- Income-based Jobseekers Allowance
- Income-related Employment and Support Allowance
- Income Support
- Working Tax Credit
- Child Tax Credit
- Pension Credit
A DWP spokesperson said: "In line with previous Cost of Living Payments, the vast majority were made in the first days of our payment window and 99% received their payment by May 3. We continued to make a small number of payments up until May 17, as we have done previously and was planned for this payment window. From tomorrow, May 18, if someone thinks they may be missing a payment they are entitled to, a form can be filled out on the GOV.UK website to make a claim."
Some pensioners can still get the cost of living payment, but there are just hours left to qualify. Pensioners and their families have been urged to check if they can claim pension credit, which will make them eligible to get a £301 cost of living payment as well as give them extra cash every week.
Are you still waiting for your cost of living payment? Join in the conversation here
It is thought that hundreds of thousands of households are not claiming the benefit, which is for retired people on low incomes. As well as being worth on average £3,500 every year, it also allows you to access a whole raft of other benefits, including council tax discounts, warm home discounts and free TV licences.
Provided a claim is made before 19 May, it can be backdated for up to three months so long as the applicant was also eligible to receive it during that time, so the recipient will also get the first £301 cost of living payment.
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