Yahoo News How to find out if you're eligible for February £299 cost of living payment
Millions of households in the UK will receive a cost of living payment next spring, the government has announced.
The £299 payment will be paid out in February 2024 to about eight million households, as the country still grapples with a cost of living crisis.
Yahoo News UK looks at who is eligible and how you can claim the payment.
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What is happening?
In spring 2024, about eight million households will receive a cost of living payment of £299.
The payment will be issued in February, the government said on Wednesday.
The payment will be made between 6 and 22 February and is part of a wider support package for households.
What is the £299 payment?
It is one of three means-tested cost of living payments being made over 2023/24, worth up to £900 in total.
It is the third instalment of the £900 payment, following previous payments of £301 and £300.
Who is eligible for the cost of living payment?
The payment will be made to people on eligible means-tested benefits.
According to the government, people may be entitled to up to three cost of living payments of £301, £300 and £299 if they receive any of the following benefits or tax credits on certain dates: income-based Jobseeker’s Allowance (JSA); income-related Employment and Support Allowance (ESA); Income Support; Pension Credit; Universal Credit; Child Tax Credit or Working Tax Credit.
The payment will be made separately from benefit payments.
What do people need to do to receive the payment?
The £299 payment in February 2024 will be sent automatically, so eligible people do not need to apply or take any action to receive it.
When might people not be eligible for the payments?
The government says you will not be eligible for the cost of living payment if your Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) benefit is reduced to £0 for the qualifying period, sometimes called "nil award".
Reasons for this include: you got more than one payment of earnings in your Universal Credit assessment period; your or your partner’s earnings went up; your or your partner’s savings went up or you started getting another benefit.
People are also not eligible if their tax credits entitlement for the tax year is below £26.
What did the government say about the £299 payment?
The DWP encouraged ow-income pensioners who are not already receiving Pension Credit to check their eligibility, as they could still qualify for the cost-of-living payment in February.
People are also being warned to watch out for any scam messages about cost of living payments purporting to be from government bodies.
Work and pensions secretary Mel Stride said: ”We will always protect the most vulnerable, while ensuring fairness for the taxpayer.
“We know that the best way to secure long-term financial security is through employment, so we’re rolling out the next generation of welfare reforms to put thousands more people on a pathway off benefits and into work.”
Chancellor Jeremy Hunt said: “Inflation has halved, but I know some families are particularly vulnerable to cost of living pressures, which is why these payments are so important.”
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