The Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) has responded as the early arrival of some £150 cost of living payments has sparked confusion. The sudden cash boost landed in a number of bank accounts on March 28 - prior to the start of the new financial year when all new cost of living payments were believed to be scheduled.
According to Birmingham Live, five new cost of living payments are set to go into the accounts of eligible people during the next financial year which starts on April 6. DWP announced this week that the first of those, a £301 payment for people on means-tested benefits, will arrive between April 25 and May 17.
The DWP said this first payment will go to those who met the criteria during the qualifying dates of Thursday, January 26 to February 25. During this cut-off period, people must have received a payment of one of the eligible benefits or, in the case of Universal Credit, have had an assessment period ending.
