Guidance

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.

Applies to England, Scotland and Wales

This page will be updated when more information is available. Check back for updates or sign up for email alerts.

You may be able to get a payment to help with the cost of living if you’re getting certain benefits or tax credits.

You do not need to apply. You’ll be paid automatically.

If you’re eligible, you’ll be paid automatically in the same way you usually get your benefit or tax credits. TheThis paymentsincludes willif you’re found to be madeeligible separatelyfor froma Cost of Living Payment or a Disability Cost of Living Payment at a later date.

You could get up to 3 different types of payment depending on your circumstances on a particular date or during a particular period:

  • a Cost of Living Payment, if you get a qualifying low income benefit or tax credits.

    credits
  • a Disability Cost of Living Payment, if you get a qualifying disability benefit
  • a Pensioner Cost of Living Payment, if you’re entitled to a Winter Fuel Payment for winter 2022 to 2023

These payments are not taxable and will not affect the benefits or tax credits you get.

Low income benefits and tax credits

You may get a payment of £650 paid in 2 lump sums of £326 and £324 if you’reyou gettingget payments of any of the following:

  • Universal Credit
  • income-based Jobseeker’s Allowance (JSA)
  • income-related Employment and Support Allowance (ESA)
  • Income Support
  • Pension Credit
  • Child Tax Credit
  • Working Tax Credit

You will not get a payment if you get New Style Employment and Support Allowance, contributory Employment and Support Allowance, or New Style Jobseeker’s Allowance, unless you get Universal Credit.

If you have a joint claim with a partner, you will get one payment of £326 and one payment of £324 for your joint claim, if you’re entitled.

EligibilityUniversal Credit

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 either:

  • Universal Credit for an assessment period that ended in the period 26 April 2022 to 25 May 2022
  • income-based JSA, income-related ESA, Income Support or Pension Credit for any day in the period 26 April 2022 to 25 May 2022
2022.

We will update this guidance when the government has announced the qualifying dates to get the second payment of £324.

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EligibilityTax credits

To get the first Cost of Living Payment of £326, you must have receivedreceived, a payment, or anlater annualreceive, award of at least £26, of tax credits for any day in the period 26 April 2022 to 25 May 2022.2022:

  • a payment of tax credits
  • an annual award of at least £26 of tax credits

We will update this guidance when the government has announced the qualifying dates to get the second payment of £324.

If you have a joint claim with a partner, you will get one payment of £326 and one payment of £324 for your joint claim, if you’re entitled.

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 from HMRC and anda low a low income benefit from benefit from DWP, you will get a Cost of Living Payment from from DWP only. only.

When you’ll be paid

You’ll

Benefit getor thetax firstcreditsCost payment of Living PaymentWhen you’ll be paid
Universal Credit£326Between from14 autumnand 31 July 2022 for most people
 £324Autumn 2022
Income-based JSA £326Between 14 and the31 secondJuly payment2022 offor most people
 £324Autumn from2022
Income-related ESA £326Between winter14 2022,and if31 you’reJuly entitled.

2022 for most people
 £324Autumn 2022
Income Support£326Between 14 and 31 July 2022 for most people
 £324Autumn 2022
Pension Credit£326Between 14 and 31 July 2022 for most people
 £324Autumn 2022
Tax Credits£326From autumn 2022
 £324From winter 2022

IfYour payment might come later, for example if you alsoare getawarded a qualifying disability benefit, at a later date or you maychange getthe anaccount additionalyour Disabilitybenefit or tax credits are paid into. You will still be paid the Cost of Living Payment from automatically and do not need to contact DWP or HMRC.

DWP and HMRC are using a computer program to identify those eligible to receive a Cost of Living Payment. If you are not content with this you can contact the office that pays your benefit or tax credits to discuss it.

Disability benefitsCost of Living Payment

You may get a lump sum payment of £150 if you’re getting any of the following:

  • Attendance Allowance
  • Constant Attendance Allowance
  • Disability Living Allowance for adults
  • Disability Living Allowance for children
  • Personal Independence Payment
  • Adult Disability Payment (in Scotland)
  • Child Disability Payment (in Scotland)
  • Armed Forces Independence Payment
  • War Pension Mobility Supplement

Eligibility

You must have received a payment (or later receive a payment) of one of these qualifying benefits for 25 May 2022 to get the payment.

If you get a qualifying disability benefit from the Ministry of Defence (MOD) and a qualifying disability benefit from DWP, you will get a Disability Cost of Living Payment from DWP only.

When you’ll get paid

You’ll get the payment from September 2022.

If youPayments alsowill be made to people who get a qualifying lowdisability incomefrom benefit orDWP taxbefore credits,payments youto maypeople who get ana additionalqualifying Costbenefit offrom Livingthe Payment.Ministry of Defence.

WinterPensioner FuelCost of Living 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. These amounts are for winter 2022 to 2023 only.

Your circumstances Born between 26 September 1942 and 25 September 1956 AmountBorn 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 a partner who qualifies, and either of you gets certain benefits £500 - only one of you will get the payment £600 - only one of you will get the payment
You qualify and live with someone (not your partner) who qualifies, and either of you gets certain benefits £500 - you’ll both get the payment £600 - you’ll both get the payment
You qualify, live in a care home and do not get certain benefits £250 £300

Other help

Find out what other benefits and financial support you might be able to get to help with your living costs.

Use an independent benefits calculator to find out what benefits you could get.

You may be able to get other kinds of support, including:

Published 26 May 2022
Last updated 58 July 2022 + show all updates
  1. 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.

  2. Added that DWP is using a computer program to identify who should be paid and what to do if you disagree with this.

  3. Find out what other benefits and financial support you might be able to get to help with your living costs.

  4. Clarified the Winter Fuel Payment amounts if you live with someone and either of you gets certain benefits.

  5. 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.

  6. 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.

  7. 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.

  8. First published.