More than 7.2 million low-income households have received their first half of the £650 Cost of Living support payment.
Around eight million households qualify for the payment, including 397,000 in the North East of England, according to the Department for Work and Pensions (DWP). "This includes all families entitled to a payment of the following benefits: Universal Credit, Income-based Jobseekers Allowance, Income-related Employment and Support Allowance, Income Support, Working Tax Credit, Child Tax Credit and Pension Credit," it adds.
The £650 payment is split into two instalments. The first £326 payments began arriving in bank accounts from July 14.
