What we know about when the next DWP grant of £300 will be paid in autumn
Eligible claimants for the £900 cost of living payment are awaiting Government confirmation of when they will receive the next instalment.
The grant is being paid to millions of the country’s most vulnerable households as the UK continues to battle high energy prices and soaring inflation.
It is being issued in three instalments of slightly different amounts, which makes it easier for the Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) and HMRC to track which grants people have received, in order to minimise fraud risk.
When will the next cost of living payment be made?
The first grant was for £301, and was paid in spring – the second and third payments will then be of £300 and £299 respectively.
Precise dates for the final two payments are yet to be confirmed by the Government (you can see the latest details here).
However, it advises that the next grant of £300 will be issued in autumn 2023 for most people, with the final payment following in spring 2024.
At the start of this year Martin Lewis, the founder of Money Saving Expert, guessed that the second payment would be made in October or November, with the final instalment before the end of the tax year on 6 April 2024 – but no further official details have been provided.
All payments will be sent out automatically and directly to recipients – those eligible do not need to apply or do anything in order to receive it.
The payment reference for bank accounts should be “DWP COL” or “DWP COLP”, along with the claimant’s national insurance number.
Just like the previous £650 support from last year, payments are tax-free, will not count towards the benefit cap and do not have any impact on existing benefit awards.
When was the first cost of living payment?
The roll-out of the first part of the £900 payment started for people on means-tested benefits on Tuesday 25 April.
Just like last year’s cost of living payments, the schedule is slightly different for people who qualify solely through the receipt of tax credits from the Revenue & Customs (rather than low-income benefits).
For this reason, these claimants were scheduled to receive their first payment from HMRC between Tuesday 2 May and Tuesday 9 May.
If you believe you are due a cost of living payment but haven’t received one yet, you can contact the Government via a form on their website to make a claim.
Who’s eligible for a £300 cost of living payment in autumn?
The £900 is being paid to people who receive any of the following benefits (you can see the full criteria here):
- Universal credit
- Income-based jobseeker’s allowance
- Income-related employment and support allowance
- Income support
- Pension credit
- Working tax credit
- Child tax credit
For the first cost of living payment, the assessment period for these ran broadly from Thursday 26 January to Saturday 25 February 2023, but the rules around the final two grants are yet to be confirmed – you can find out full details here.
If your benefit was reduced to £0 during the qualification period – sometimes called a “nil award” – you will not be eligible for the cost of living payment, the Government advises.
What other cost of living payments are there?
As well as the £900, the Government is issuing further payments worth £150 for eligible people with disabilities this year.
Most of the people who qualify for the grant were paid between 20 June and 4 July this year, the Government advises.
However, it adds: “Your payment might come later, for example if you’re awarded a qualifying benefit at a later date or you change the account your benefit is paid into. You will still be paid the Cost of Living Payment automatically.”
Anybody who receives the following benefits should have been eligible for the disability payment:
- disability living allowance
- personal independence payment
- attendance allowance
- Scottish disability benefits
- Armed Forces independence payment
- constant attendance allowance
- war pension mobility supplement
The Government is also issuing a payment of up to £300 for pensioners later this year, which means some people will receive up to £1,350 in direct payments.
This grant is an extension of the £300 boost to the winter fuel payment – an annual tax-free payment from the DWP for older people – first issued last year.
Those who are eligible for the winter fuel payment will receive an extra £150 or £300 with the grant, which will be paid from November 2023.
