Over 300,000 people in Northern Ireland will receive a £150 disability Cost of Living Payment from today.
The Derry City and Strabane area has the highest rate of the population receiving the payments that are designed to help those on disability benefits with the rising cost of living, with around one in four people receiving the payment.
More than 35,000 people will receive the payment in the Derry City and Strabane area.
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This is followed by Ards and North Down (22%) and Belfast (21%), with the three areas in Northern Ireland having the highest rate in the UK of those receiving disability benefits.
More than six million people across the UK will receive the payment over the next two weeks.
Anyone entitled to the payment will not need to apply, they should receive the money automatically, the DWP said.
The payment reference on bank statements will appear as the person’s national insurance number, followed by “DWP COL”. Those expecting a payment should watch out for scammers, who will use events such as cost-of-living payments to try to trick people into handing over personal details or money.
In total, the payments add up to £1bn that will be used to support disabled people through the cost of living crisis.
The North West will get the biggest share of that cash (13% or £131.7m), followed by the South East (11%), and then London (10%).
Of local authority areas in the UK, more money will be pumped into supporting disabled people in Birmingham than anywhere else, a total of £18.3m.
You can see how many people will benefit in your area by typing your postcode into this interactive map:
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