Cost of Living Payments during 2023/24

To help ease the financial pressures during the rising cost of living, millions of households across the UK will receive further support from the Government in the form of Cost of Living Payments worth £900 which will be made over 2023/2024.

This will apply to people on means-tested benefits: Universal Credit, Pension Credit, income-based Jobseeker’s Allowance (JSA), income-related Employment and Support Allowance (ESA), Income Support, and tax credits: Child Tax Credit, and Working Tax Credit.

The Cost of Living Payment will be issued automatically, meaning those eligible do not need to apply. It will be paid separately to benefit payments and will appear in accounts with the account holder’s National Insurance number and DWP COLP. For if you claim tax credit, the reference will appear in accounts as 'HMRC COLS', referencing Cost of Living Support.

To be eligible for the first payment, families must have been entitled to a payment (or later found to be entitled to a payment) of either:

• Universal Credit for an assessment period that ended in the period 26 January to 25 February
• income based JSA, income related ESA, Income Support or Pension Credit for any day in the period 26 January 2023 to 25 February 2023.

For tax credit-only customers, you must have received a payment of tax credits any day in the period 26 January to 25 February 2023.

Please don’t contact DWP or HMRC or apply for the payment – it will be made automatically into the accounts of those eligible.

For more information, please go to the Cost of Living Payment page on gov.uk.

Payment schedule:

• First payment of £301 made between 25 April and 17 May 2023
• Second payment of £300 will be made in the Autumn of 2023
• Third payment of £299 will be made in the Spring of 2024