Cost of Living Payment
Guidance on getting an extra payment to help with the cost of living if you’re entitled to certain benefits or tax credits.
You may be able to get a payment to help with the cost of living if you’re ingetting receipt of certain benefits or tax credits.
You do not need to apply, if you’re eligible, you’ll be paid automatically.
These payments are not taxable and will not affect the benefits or tax credits you get.
Low income benefits
You may get a payment of £650 paid in 2 lump sums if you’re ingetting receipt of any of the following:
- income-based Jobseeker’s Allowance
- income-related Employment and Support Allowance
- Income Support
- Pension Credit
- Universal Credit
You will get one payment from July 2022 and a second payment in autumn 2022, if you’re entitled.
You will need to have been entitled to one of these qualifying benefits on 25 May 2022 to get the first payment.
We will update this guidance when the government has announced the date on which you need to have been entitled to one of these qualifying benefits to get the second payment.
If you have a joint claim with a partner, you will get one payment of £650 for both of you, paid in 2 lump sums from July 2022 and in autumn 2022, if eligible.
You will not get a payment if youyou’re haveeligible alreadyfor received a Cost of Living Payment from from HMRC because becauseyou’re you were entitled to tax credits.
If you get New Style Employment and Support Allowance or New Style Jobseeker’s Allowance, you will not be entitled to the Cost of Living Payment, unless you get Universal Credit or a disability benefit as well.
If you also get a qualifying disability benefit, you may get an additional Disability Cost of Living Payment.
Tax credits
You may get a payment of £650 paid in 2 lump sums if you have an award of any of the following:
- Child Tax Credit
- Working Tax Credit
You will get one payment from autumn 2022 and a second payment from winter 2022, if you’re entitled.
You will need to have been entitled to tax credits on 25 May 2022 to get the first payment.
We will update this guidance when the government has announced the date on which you need to have been entitled to tax credits to get the second payment.
If you have a joint claim with a partner, you will get one payment of £650 for both of you, paid in 2 lump sums in autumn 2022 and in winter 2022.
You will not get a payment if youyou’re haveeligible alreadyfor received a Cost of Living Payment from from DWP because becauseyou’re you were getting a a.low income benefit.
If you also get a qualifying disability benefit, you may get an additional Disability Cost of Living Payment from DWP.
Disability benefits
You may get a lump sum payment of £150 if you’re ingetting receipt of any of the following:
- Attendance Allowance
- Constant Attendance Allowance
- Disability Living Allowance
- Personal Independence Payment
- Scottish Disability Benefits
- Armed Forces Independence Payment
- War Pension Mobility Supplement
You will need to have been entitled to one of these qualifying benefits on 25 May 2022 to get the payment.
You will get the payment by the end of September 2022.
If you also get a qualifying low income benefit or tax credits, you may get an additional Cost of Living Payment.
Winter Fuel Payment
If you’re entitled to a Winter Fuel Payment for winter 2022 to 2023, you will get an extra £300 for your household paid with your normal payment from November 2022. This is in addition to any Cost of Living Payment you get with your benefit or tax credits.
The full amount of Winter Fuel Payment you will get for winter 2022 to 2023 depends on your circumstances.
| Your circumstances | Born between 26 September 1942 and 25 September 1956 | Amount if born on or before 25 September 1942 |
|---|---|---|
| You qualify and live alone (or none of the people you live with qualify) | £500 | £600 |
| You qualify and live with someone under 80 who also qualifies | £250 | £350 |
| You qualify and live with someone 80 or over who also qualifies | £250 | £300 |
| You qualify and live with someone who gets certain benefits | £500 - only one of you will get the payment | £600 - only one of you will get the payment |
| You qualify, live in a care home and do not get certain benefits | £250 | £300 |
Other help
Use an independent benefits calculator to find out what benefits you could get.
You may be able to get other kinds of support, including:
- help from the Household Support Fund from your local council in England
- the Discretionary Assistance Fund in Wales
- a Crisis Grant or Community Care Grant in Scotland
- Discretionary Support or a Short-term Benefit Advance in Northern Ireland
Last updated 1 June 2022 + show all updates
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In the sections on low income benefits and tax credits, clarified when you will not get a Cost of Living Payment. Added how much Winter Fuel payment you could get for winter 2022 to 2023.
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First published.
Update history
2024-02-23 08:00
Added guidance on how to report a missing £299 Cost of Living Payment.
2023-12-13 00:01
Added the qualifying dates and payment dates for the £299 Cost of Living Payment for low income benefits and tax credits.
2023-11-20 08:00
If you were expecting a £300 Cost of Living Payment (paid between 31 October and 19 November 2023 for most people) and have not received it, you can now report it missing.
2023-10-13 11:42
Updated timings for the £299 Cost of Living Payment from ‘spring 2024’ to ‘by spring 2024’.
2023-08-01 09:34
You can now report a missing Disability Cost of Living Payment by telephone.
2023-07-05 08:00
Added guidance on how to report a missing £150 Disability Cost of Living Payment.
2023-06-21 12:00
Added easy read guidance about the Disability Cost of Living Payment.
2023-05-19 00:01
Added the qualifying date and payment dates for the Disability Cost of Living Payment.
2023-05-18 08:00
Added link to report a missing £301 Cost of Living Payment for low income benefits and tax credits.
2023-04-17 11:54
Clarified that you will not get a Cost of Living Payment for a low income benefit if your benefit is reduced to £0 because you got a ‘sanction’ because you did not do something you agreed in your claimant commitment. But you may get a Cost of Living Payment if you had a ‘hardship payment’ because you got a ‘sanction’.
2023-01-03 00:15
Added link to information about Cost of Living Payments during 2023 and 2024.
2022-11-24 08:00
Updated for people to report a missing Cost of Living Payment of £324 if they get Universal Credit, income-based Jobseeker’s Allowance (JSA), income-related Employment and Support Allowance (ESA), Income Support or Pension Credit. Clarified that the Pensioner Cost of Living Payment will be £150 or £300, depending on your circumstances.
2022-11-08 16:39
Clarified that you will not be eligible for the Cost of Living Payment if your Universal Credit is reduced to £0 for the qualifying assessment period. This is sometimes called a ‘nil award’. Reasons your Universal Credit may be reduced to £0 for an assessment period include getting more than one payment of earnings, your or your partner’s earnings go up, your or your partner’s savings go up, you start getting another benefit.
2022-10-20 11:34
The second Cost of Living Payment of £324 for people on tax credits will be paid between 23 and 30 November 2022 for most people.
2022-10-03 18:00
Published the qualifying dates and payment dates for the second Cost of Living Payment of £324 for people on low income benefits and tax credits.
2022-10-03 08:00
Updated guidance to enable people to report a missing £150 Disability Cost of Living Payment if they cannot see it in their bank, building society or credit union account.
2022-09-16 00:15
Tax credits claimants can now let HMRC know if they think they should have had the £326 Cost of Living Payment, but cannot see it in their bank, building society or credit union account,
2022-08-26 15:35
Updated guidance to explain you’ll be paid the £150 Disability Cost of Living Payment automatically from 20 September 2022. Most people will receive their payment by the beginning of October 2022.
2022-08-25 15:30
Updated the table showing when you’ll be paid to say that most people getting tax credits will be paid the first Cost of Living Payment of £326 between 2 and 7 September 2022.
2022-08-16 08:03
Clarified that for tax credits claimants to get the first Cost of Living Payment of £326, they must have been entitled, or later found to be entitled, to tax credits for any day in the period 26 April 2022 to 25 May 2022, rather than they received a payment between those dates.
2022-08-03 00:15
[1] Updated the table showing when you’ll be paid to say that most tax credits claimants will get the first Cost of Living Payment of £326 in September 2022. [2] Added that if you receive a Cost of Living Payment, but are later found not to be eligible for it, you may have to pay it back.
2022-08-01 06:00
Added link to online form to report a missing Cost of Living Payment for Universal Credit, income-based Jobseeker’s Allowance, income-related Employment and Support Allowance, Income Support or Pension Credit.
2022-07-14 11:47
Added a warning about scams – you do not need to apply and you’ll be paid automatically. Added clarification about payments for joint claims.
2022-07-08 15:41
Added a table to show the amount of the Cost of Living Payment you’ll get and when you’ll be paid if you are on a low income benefit from DWP or tax credits from HMRC. Made other amendments to improve clarity.
2022-07-05 08:14
Added that DWP is using a computer program to identify who should be paid and what to do if you disagree with this.
2022-06-20 11:56
Find out what other benefits and financial support you might be able to get to help with your living costs.
2022-06-17 11:56
Clarified the Winter Fuel Payment amounts if you live with someone and either of you gets certain benefits.
2022-06-15 12:46
Added that if you’re on a low income benefit from DWP, most of the first Cost of Living Payments of £326 will be made between 14 July 2022 and the end of July 2022.
2022-06-15 00:15
Updated the guidance to to clarify qualifying dates, payment dates, how the payments will be made and how the payments to people on low income benefits and tax credit will be split.
2022-06-01 08:22
In the sections on low income benefits and tax credits, clarified when you will not get a Cost of Living Payment. Added how much Winter Fuel payment you could get for winter 2022 to 2023.
2022-05-26 15:50
First published.