Millions of households are set to get a £1, 200 boost by Christmas, the Department for Work and Pensions has confirmed. Homes on certain benefits will be eligible for the extra cash, including Universal Credit, JSA, ESA, Income Support, Pension Credit, Child Tax Credit and Working Tax Credit claimants.
The first instalment of the UK Government's £650 cost of living payment for qualifying low income households in England, Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland will start to hit bank accounts today. The initial automatic instalment will be £326, with a second instalment in the autumn, the Liverpool Echo reports.
All domestic energy customers in the UK will receive a £400 grant to help with energy bills, and those in Council Tax bands A-D in England will get an extra £150, which has already been sent to many households.
This brings support for millions to £1,200 by the end of the year. The government says on top of that, nearly one in ten people will get the £150 disability payment this Autumn, and over eight million pensioner households could get an extra £300 from Winter Fuel Payments in November and December.
Households receiving Universal Credit, income-based Jobseeker’s Allowance (JSA), income-related Employment and Support Allowance (ESA), Income Support, Pension Credit, Child Tax Credit and Working Tax Credit are eligible for the cash boost. To get the first Cost of Living Payment of £326, you must have been entitled to a payment (or later found to be entitled to a payment) of Universal Credit for an assessment period that ended in the period of April 26 2022 to May 25 2022.
Or if you receive tax credits, you can get the first Cost of Living Payment as long as you have received, or later receive a payment of tax credits and an annual award of at least £26 of tax credits for any day in the period of April 26 2022 to May 25 2022.
