Cost of living payment

[birdwatcher]

Even on the statistics it uses families to say how many receive the cost of living payment and individuals for the disability payment.

If a family live in the same house but their benefit claims are not connected, will they still all receive a cost of living payment?

Thanks for any advice.

[Stubby]

If there are four adults in one property, lets say 1 couple and their 2 children. If the couple jointly claim UC and the two kids claim UC each so there are three separate claims in that household there will be three payments of the £650 into that household.

[birdwatcher]

Thank you. I wonder why they keep saying about families claiming it instead of individuals.

[nukecad]

"Families" is just government propaganda again.

It actually means number of claims, with a joint claim by a couple counting as one.

In other words - One payment per claim as stubby says.

It helps if you realise that this is being done instead of increasing benefit rates, so that they don't later get accused of cutting benefits like they did when removing the £20 covid uplift.
By making it a one-off (well 2-off) payment it avoids any such accusations.

[nukecad]

I've now noticed that the payments are being made seperately from your benefits payments.

It does actually state that on the government webpage but it's not in any of the "When you'll be paid" sections (it's higher up near the top):

You do not need to apply. If you’re eligible, you’ll be paid automatically in the
same way you usually get your benefit or tax credits. The payments will be
made separately from your benefit or tax credits.

[StarBright]

I've now noticed that the payments are being made seperately from your benefits payments.

It does actually state that on the government webpage but it's not in any of the "When you'll be paid" sections (it's higher up near the top):

I thought this would be the case & I've been secretly wanting this to happen because the DWP has shot it's self in the foot, because it could of paid the people on legacy benefits the £20 uplift that U/C people were paid for covid this way.

[scotleag]

I note than in the 'When you'll be paid' section of the govt website it says,

"Most of the first payments of £326 will be made between 14 July 2022 and the end of July 2022. We will update this guidance when payments have been made."

Which could be anything between 50%+1 to 99%+ but I imagine it means anyone due a payment between July14th-31st inclusive will receive payment on same day as - but separate from - their usual payment date. Eighteen days inclusive means most will be paid with the rest receiving the payment presumably between Aug 1st-Aug 13th inclusive.

[nukecad]

I think it's more about Tax Credits.

They come from HMRC and not the DWP, so they have to have extra checks to make sure that some people don't get it twice, once from DWP then again from HMRC.

[ANdy2k3]

Does anyone know if those of us on Contribution Based ESA will receive the benefit, if we have an underlying entitlement to Income-Related ESA, but receive no actual paymentof IR ESA?

[nukecad]

Afraid not, it has to be in payment and not underlying.

The guidance webpage states in relation to IB-JSA, IR-ESA, IS and Pension Credit (my bolding):

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

It's also made very clear for those on Universal Credit that they must have been entitled to a UC payment for their monthly AP that ended between those dates.
ie. if they had a 'Nil award' of UC that month so no UC payment that month then they don't qualify.

For those who will be getting it that guidance now tells you how it will appear on your bank statement:

The payment will be made separately from your benefit. It will appear in your bank, building society or credit union account, or on your Payment Exception Service voucher receipt, as ‘DWP Cost of Living’.