Millions of people on means-tested benefits are eagerly awaiting an update on the payment date for the second round of cost of living support worth £324, with many online forums and media outlets reporting different dates throughout October for when it will arrive. However, these are just speculative as there has been no confirmed update on the payment window from either the Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) or HM Revenue and Customs (HMRC).
The only confirmed payment period for people eligible for the £324 lump sum is ‘Autumn 2022’ for those in receipt of a qualifying DWP benefit, or, ‘from Winter 2022’ for people only receiving Working Tax Credits or Child Tax Credits.
The confusion may have arisen from the Social Security (Additional Payments) Act 2022 section titled, ‘ Means-tested additional payments: main payments’, which states: “The qualifying day for the second payment will be no later than 31.10.22, to be specified by the Secretary of State in regulations." This is not a payment date and no qualifying period for the second payment has been announced yet.
At the moment, DWP is processing £150 one-off payments for 6 million people claiming disability benefits.
After a few operational issues last week which resulted in only a few payments being made between September 20 and 23, from Monday September 26 staggered payments have been landing in bank accounts across the country, according to members of the Daily Record Money Saving Scotland Facebook group who have been sharing paying in times to help others.
If you are eligible for the £150 payment and it has not arrived yet, it will at some point up until ‘early October’ with the ‘vast majority’ due to receive it by Friday, September 30.
DWP has asked that people do not contact them if a payment has not arrived until the payment window has passed to allow banks time to process them.
Below is a reminder of the eligibility criteria for the £150 and £324 cost of living payments, you can also view the full guidance on GOV.UK here.
£650 means-tested cost of living payment
This is being paid in two instalments of £326 and £324, more than 7.2m DWP claimants received the first payment for £326 in July.
The second payment is for £324 and will be paid in the Autumn by DWP.
It’s worth noting that older people who made a new claim for Pension Credit before August 18, which is later successful - even if they are only awarded one penny in cash support - will qualify for the £650 payment. This is because it is a retrospective benefit which can be claimed three months in arrears, taking it to within the qualifying period in May (outlined below).
Qualifying benefits and Tax Credits
You may be eligible if you are in receipt of any of the following:
- Universal Credit - you must have been entitled to a payment of at least 1p during the assessment period of April 26, 2022 to May 25, 2022
- Income-based Jobseeker’s Allowance (JSA) - received a payment between April 26, 2022 to May 25, 2022
- Income-related Employment and Support Allowance (ESA) - received a payment between April 26, 2022 to May 25, 2022
- Income Support - received a payment between April 26, 2022 to May 25, 2022
- Pension Credit - received a payment between April 26, 2022 to May 25, 2022
- Child Tax Credit
- Working Tax Credit
Special note about Tax Credits
The first cost of living payment of £326 was paid to Tax Credit-only claimants at the start of September. If you did not receive it and think you should have, you can now contact HMRC to query it.
To get the first Cost of Living Payment of £326, you must have been entitled, or later found to be entitled, for any day in the period April 26, 2022 to May 25, 2022 to:
- A payment of Tax Credits
- An annual award of at least £26 of Tax Credits
If you get both Child Tax Credit and Working Tax Credit, you will receive a cost of living payment for Child Tax Credit only.
If you get Tax Credits from HMRC and a low income benefit from DWP, your cost of living payments will be made by DWP.
The second payment date for £324 is sometime from Winter 2022.
Which benefits are not eligible?
You will not be eligible for a payment if you get New Style Employment and Support Allowance, Contributory Employment and Support Allowance or New Style Jobseeker’s Allowance, unless you also get Universal Credit.
£150 disability cost of living payment
Payments for £150 are being staggered until early October for 6 million eligible claimants.
To qualify for the payment, you must have received a payment (or later receive a payment) of one of these benefits on May 25, 2022:
- Attendance Allowance
- Constant Attendance Allowance
- Disability Living Allowance for adults
- Disability Living Allowance for children
- Personal Independence Payment
- Adult Disability Payment
- Child Disability Payment
- Armed Forces Independence Payment
- War Pension Mobility Supplement
If you get a qualifying disability benefit from the Ministry of Defence (MOD) and a qualifying disability benefit from DWP, you will get one £150 payment from DWP only.
We will update this article when the second payment date for the £324 support has been confirmed.
To keep up to date with the latest benefits news, join our Money Saving Scotland Facebook group here, follow Record Money on Twitter here, or subscribe to our twice weekly newsletter here.
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