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Cost of Living Payment - useful information

Sue_Alumni

Hi, we have been receiving a lot of posts asking for information about the cost of living payment.

The cost of living payment

is a term that relates to a payment that is made if you are receiving certain benefits and tax credits. There are up to 3 different types of payments depending on your circumstances. You could be entitled to all, some or none depending on your circumstances. The three types of payment are:-

a cost of living payment if you get a qualifying low income benefit
a disability cost of living payment
a pensioner cost of living payment

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

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Comments

L_Volunteer

Thanks for creating this thread @Sue_Scope. I can imagine it might be helpful for a lot of our community members

Jo_2022

Hi @Sue_Scope! Thank you for sharing this valuable piece of information. I sense this will be a lifeline for some families ❤️

Padraig

@Sue_Scope.

Hi! Thanks for this useful information 😀 How do you apply for the disability cost of living payment? Is it through Gov.com?

many thanks 💚☘️

Padraig

@Sue_Scope

Please disregard above (apart from thanks!) As found link to Gov.com. I should qualify under pension credits and be paid by 31 July - today! Will give it a couple of days then email them.

thanks again!

Padraig

@woodbine
Thank you fotr the information. As the 31st of July is a Sunday I’m hoping that I will get it as disabled and I receive the pension credit qualifier. I shall share this with friends as I’m sure many know nothing about it. Though I prefer to stay away from the DWP as I’m afraid I don’t have a lot of faith in them.

poppy123456

Padraig said:

@woodbine
Thank you fotr the information. As the 31st of July is a Sunday I’m hoping that I will get it as disabled and I receive the pension credit qualifier. I shall share this with friends as I’m sure many know nothing about it. Though I prefer to stay away from the DWP as I’m afraid I don’t have a lot of faith in them.

If you still haven't received it and are definitely entitled to it then there's now information on how to report the missed payment. See link and follow the instructions. https://secure.dwp.gov.uk/report-a-missing-cost-of-living-payment/welcome

Padraig

@poppy123456

hi Poppy thank you so much for the link I shall definitely be using it. You have saved be considerable time and brain power!

Bright Blessings

Patrick

Floydiee1995

Taken from a thread i started about COL payment as I didn't receive the first payment. Hope this can help others like it did me. Glad i went and got it checked.

"Hey guys had a very interesting update this morning regarding the COL payment. As you advised I had missed out by 1 day! Well.... before i actually wrote this on the forum there is a way now because after the deadline of first payments to be sent, to query why you didn't get it. I am very glad i did this because i received this letter this morning stating:

You told us you have not received the £326 Cost of Living Payment for Universal Credit, but think you should have done. We have looked into your enquiry and can see you did not receive the Cost of living payment. We have reviewed your claim and can confirm that you are entitled, because you had an entitlement to Universal Credit between 26 April and 25 May. This means you will get the Cost of Living payment in September. It will automatically go into the account you most recently provided details for."

Alex_Alumni

Thanks for sharing this hear @Floydiee1995 that's very helpful, I'm hopeful it will help others as well

Padraig

Hi, has anyone received this allowance who has not been transferred to Universal credit or PiP or know if applies to old system?

I am still on tax credits and DLA.

Have emailed DWP but no reply yet.

Thank you.

L_Volunteer

Hi @Padraig

Unfortunately, this is not an area I have experience with. Hopefully, someone with experience in this area will be able to respond to you soon.

In the meantime, I wanted to respond to say we hear you and your post has been seen!

Padraig

@L_Volunteer

hi👋

Appreciate feedback, system is nuts! I’m sure I’m not the only one with this issue and someone will comment or DWP grind into action eventually!

thanks P💚☘️

dillyg29

Hi my sons first assessment period for UC started on 12th may to 10th June but he did not receive COL payment, will he still be able to claim ?

poppy123456

Padraig said:

Hi, has anyone received this allowance who has not been transferred to Universal credit or PiP or know if applies to old system?

I am still on tax credits and DLA.

Have emailed DWP but no reply yet.

Thank you.

Those that are claiming tax credits you will receive the first payment of £326 in September is the following applies.

To get the first Cost of Living Payment of £326, you must have received, or later receive, for any day in the period 26 April 2022 to 25 May 2022:

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

For the DLA the £150 will also be paid in September, the same applies to those claiming PIP.

poppy123456

dillyg29 said:

Hi my sons first assessment period for UC started on 12th may to 10th June but he did not receive COL payment, will he still be able to claim ?

He hasn't received it because he's not entitled to the first payment of £326. To be entitled you must have received or been entitled to a payment of UC for an assessment period that ended between 26th April and 25th May and his ended outside of that timescale. Full details here. https://www.gov.uk/guidance/cost-of-living-payment

Padraig

@poppy123456

Thanks for taking the time to create the link (I’m a bit of an IT ludite despite being an IT trainer in 1999/2000, things have changed so much) I must work out how to put link in as so useful.

The site says I’m entitled to two payments based on DLA and Pension credit if applied for by August. But they use the payment date followed by ‘most people’.

Bet they don’t have that flexibility with MP’s expenses!

So it’s a bit suck it and see as I emailed them about ten days ago.

Good job those with disabilities don’t suffer from low income or stress relating to government policies!🤣

Thank you for posting 👍😁

poppy123456

Padraig said:

The site says I’m entitled to two payments based on DLA and Pension credit if applied for by August. But they use the payment date followed by ‘most people’.

In the above comment you said you're claiming tax credits at the moment. Pension credit can't be claimed if you're of working age.

Padraig said:

I am still on tax credits and DLA.

Can you please confirm whether it's Tax credits or Pension credit you're claiming?

Padraig

I receive tax credits by being jointly assessed with my wife and have had pension credit in the form of my NI contributions being paid by DWP who on their paperwork call it pension credit.

Perhaps your more informed and could please explain your conclusions to me. In simple terms please as my cognitive function is not what it used to be. I simply go by what DWP inform me.

poppy123456

Pension credit is a means tested benefit that is claimed by those of state pension age and above. If you and your wife are of working age then you will not be claiming pension credit. Are either of you state pension age?

As you're claiming tax credits then you'll receive the first CoL payment in September, as advised here.

poppy123456 said:

Those that are claiming tax credits you will receive the first payment of £326 in September is the following applies.
To get the first Cost of Living Payment of £326, you must have received, or later receive, for any day in the period 26 April 2022 to 25 May 2022:

a payment of tax credits
an annual award of at least £26 of tax credits
For the DLA the £150 will also be paid in September, the same applies to those claiming PIP.

Padraig

@poppy123456
thanks for your reply it would seem that I qualify for 2 payments based on the tax credits and the DLA.

We are both late 50s of working age. My confusion lies in that they are paying towards my basic pension and took this to mean a ‘pension credit’.

Thank you for taking the time to explain. Unfortunately both will be swallowed up in 4 months worth of energy bills increase. So to me is tokenism and will still result in a significant drop in our tight budget.