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.
