Cost of Living Payment Due From 6 February 2024

The Government has confirmed that households on certain benefits and Tax Credits will receive the third and final part of their £900 cost of living payment. Please note, you DO NOT have to apply for this payment.

The £299 payment in February 2024 will be sent automatically by the DWP and HM Revenue and Customs, so eligible people do not need to apply or take any action to receive it.  

The payments are all tax-free, will not count towards the benefit cap and will not have any impact on your existing benefits.

• The first instalment, of £301, was paid from 25 April 2023. 
• The second instalment, of £300, was paid from 31 October 2023.
• The third and final instalment (£299), will be paid between 6 February 2024 and 22 February 2024. This is the case regardless of what benefits you get (with the first two instalments, those who only claimed Tax Credits got their payment later than those who claimed other benefits).

Key qualifying dates to get the new payment

To get the £299, you need to have been paid (or have been eligible for a payment of) one of the benefits listed below for any day between 13 November 2023 and 12 December 2023.

This means that you may be eligible for this payment even if you didn’t receive last year’s £650 cost of living payment or the first two cost of living payments this year. 

If you’re on low-income benefits, such as Universal Credit, you’re entitled to the cost-of-living payment.

You are eligible for the cost-of-living payment if you are entitled to any of the following:

• Child Tax Credits
• Income Support
• Income-based jobseeker’s allowance
• Income related employment and support allowance
• Pension Credit
• Universal Credit – unless your Universal Credit was reduced to £0 for the entire period between 13 November 2023 to 12 December 2023. This is sometimes called a ‘nil award’ and can happen where you or your partner’s earnings or savings go up, you start getting another benefit or you get paid more than one set of wages within that period.
• Working Tax Credits

Payments will be paid automatically in the same way you usually get your benefits or tax credits, you DON’T need to apply – please be aware of scammers saying otherwise.

Other Available Support – Grants up to £200
Birmingham Voluntary Service Council’s (BVSC) Hardship Grant Community Fund (HGCF), part of Birmingham City Council’s (BCC) wider Household Support Fund (HSF) activity, is running until 31st March 2024. Details about the grant and how to apply are available on the news section of our website.