Latest DWP cost of living payments to be rolled out from today
Struggling households across the UK are set to receive a second £300 cost-of-living payment from Tuesday.
This is the second instalment of the low-income grant sent to more than eight million of the country’s most vulnerable households totalling £900 through 2023 and 2024.
It will appear automatically in the bank accounts of people eligible for certain benefits such as universal credit.
It comes as the UK continues to battle high energy prices and inflation, which remained at 6.7 per cent in September’s figures.
The cost-of-living payments are tax free, do not contribute towards the benefit cap, neither do they impact existing benefits. A further payment is due to be made to eligible households next spring.
As the payments were rolled out, Rishi Sunak said: “I know that winter can be a particularly challenging period for many families across the country.
“That’s why we have put in place a package of immediate support for vulnerable households over the coming months.”
The Prime Minister also claimed that a recent decision to extend the £2 bus cap for all journeys in areas of England outside London to help people with the cost-of-living crisis was made possible by the decision to cancel the northern leg of HS2.
“We are lowering travel costs through the bus fare cap, which we are able to do because of our long-term decision to cancel phase 2 of HS2,” Mr Sunak said.
But Labour said Mr Sunak had made a “reheated announcement” about the funding, which was first detailed earlier this year.
Darren Jones, shadow Chief Secretary to the Treasury, said: “Thirteen years of Tory chaos and instability have damaged our economy – and it’s working people who are paying the price in sky-high bills and soaring mortgage repayments.
“Our country has enormous potential, but Rishi Sunak doesn’t have what it takes to turn around our ailing economy and improve family finances.
“Labour will grow our economy by investing in Britain to boost wages, bring down bills and make people in all parts of the country better off.”
- Additional reporting from PA news agency
