The UK government will give people £324 in their bank accounts starting today to help cover the cost of living

Eligible people don’t have to do anything to get paid, and there are warnings that scammers are taking advantage of the crisis with text messages or emails inviting them to apply.
Millions of low-income Brits will start receiving £ 324 in their bank accounts today to help them get through the cost of living crisis. The payments are the second part of a sum of £ 650 paid to people who receive benefits such as Universal Credit, Income-Based Jobseeker Allowance (JSA), Support and Support Allowance (ESA), income support, pension credit, tax credit for children and work tax credit.

Eligible people don’t have to do anything to get paid, and there are warnings that scammers are taking advantage of the crisis with text messages or emails inviting them to apply. The Department of Work and Pensions will never ask you for your personal information via text message or email.

The payment reference in recipients’ bank accounts will be their National Insurance Number, followed by “DWP COL”. For HMRC recipients, the payment reference will be “HMRC COLS”.

Payments of £ 326 have previously been made and this second cost of living payment is expected to arrive before 23 November. A small minority of late payments

Eligible families who receive tax credits and no other income-proof benefits will receive their second cost of living payment starting November 23 and should receive it by November 30.

The DWP said that, in a small minority of complex circumstances, it could pay some families after November 23. The government support package also includes a £ 400 discount on energy bills to be paid in monthly installments to household energy customers between now and March.

An addition of £ 300 to winter fuel payments will go to over eight million retiree families over the winter. The estimated number of households eligible for cost of living benefits based on income status by region
London, 1,224,000

Southwest, 580,000

Southeast, 846,000

East of England, 627,000

West Midlands, 792,000

East Midlands, 551,000

Northwest, 1,048,000

Northeast, 397,000

Yorkshire and the Humbers, 722,000

Wales, 426,000

Scotland, 689,000

Northern Ireland, 309,000

(DWP data)

“We can’t fully protect people”

Chancellor Jeremy Hunt said: “We have taken decisive action to keep energy bills low this winter and are providing hundreds of pounds of cash support for every vulnerable family.

“As part of that support, more than eight million vulnerable households – nearly a quarter of households in the UK – will automatically receive a second cost of living payment worth £ 324 into their bank account from today. “And while we can’t fully protect people from rising prices, my priority in the next fall statement will be to protect the poorest in society as we make the tough decisions needed to fix our public finances.”

Eligible persons will generally have applied for and will be entitled to a payment between August 26 and September 25, with the exception of retiree families, who may have a new retrospective pension credit application.

They have until 18 December to submit a valid claim for a pension credit, which could entitle them to a cost of living payment of £ 324. People can check their pension credit eligibility using an online calculator or by calling the toll-free complaints number (0800 99 1234).