More than 99% of Universal Credit claimants eligible to receive the Government's second cost of living payment have been paid in the past week, new figures released by the Department of Work and Pensions (DWP) show.
The report shows that 99% - or 7.3 million - people in the UK received the £324 payment since last Tuesday, at a cost of £2.3bn.
More than 397,000 families in the North East were expecting their payment, with the highest numbers in Newcastle, Sunderland and Gateshead. The money is the second part of the Government's £650 cost of living payment, announced by then Chancellor Rishi Sunak in May. The first £326 was paid in the summer.
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A further one million families who are eligible for the payment solely through Working Tax Credit or Child Tax Credit will receive their money from HMRC between 23-30 November, it has been confirmed.
The DWP has advised the remaining 200,000 claimants who have not yet received their payment not to be concerned, as it expects some may take until November 23 to come through. After this date, a gov.uk page for reporting missing cost of living payments will become available and the DWP will begin processing claims to ensure outstanding payments reach those eligible as quickly as possible.
There are also a small number of cases where an automated payment has not been possible, for example Universal Credit cases where benefit payments are split between a couple, or where the emergency payment system cannot recognise their claim details. A dedicated team of agents are currently working through these cases to pay them manually.
Work and Pensions secretary Mel Stride said: "This Government promised to protect those on the lowest incomes, and it is great to be able to confirm today that we have delivered on this commitment with our latest cost of living payment reaching over seven million households in the last week alone. This payment is just part of a wider support package the Government has provided."
Chancellor of the Exchequer, Jeremy Hunt said: “We know families are struggling with the rising prices caused by Putin’s illegal invasion of Ukraine. That is why we’ve delivered over seven million cash payments directly into the bank accounts of the most vulnerable households in just one week and will make over a million more to those on tax credits later this month. This is part of the £1,200 cash support we’re giving to the poorest members of society during this difficult period. At the upcoming Autumn Statement we will continue to prioritise helping the most vulnerable, as we make the tough decisions needed to drive down inflation and fix our public finances.”
To be eligible for the £324 payment, claimants must have been entitled to one of the qualifying benefits between 26 August and 25 September, with the exception of pensioner households, who may be able to have a new Pension Credit claim backdated to the qualifying period, which may allow them to claim the £324 Cost of Living Payment. Anyone can check their eligibility for Pension Credit using the online calculator or by calling the freephone claim line (0800 99 1234).
Those eligible do not need to contact the government or apply for the payment at any stage. Payments will appear on bank statements with a reference including the recipients National Insurance number followed by ‘DWP COL’ for those on DWP means-tested benefits and ‘HMRC COLS’ for those on tax credits only.
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