Complete list of benefits due. FINAL payment of living costs of £299 in days
HOUSEHOLDS receiving certain benefits, including Universal Credit, will receive a £299 living expenses payment next month.
Those who qualify for the tax-free payment do not need to do anything as the payments are made automatically.
The Department for Work and Pensions and HMRC are issuing the third tranche of the £900 tax-free cash.
The full list of eligible benefits is:
- Universal credit
- Income-related jobseeker's allowance
- Income-related employment and support benefit
- Income support
- Working tax benefit
- Child tax credit
- Pension credit
You must have been entitled to one of the above benefits between November 13 and December 12 last year to qualify for the £299.
However, if it later turns out that you are entitled to it, you will be eligible for the tax-free money.
For example, entitlements to pension credits can be granted retroactively for three months.
This means that you have until March 5, 2024 to apply for a pension reduction and be entitled to the third and final installment of living expenses payment.
The Department for Work and Pensions and HMRC are issuing the third tranche of the £900 tax-free cash.
The majority of households will receive the direct payment in their bank account between February 6 and 22.
Those who only receive tax credits will receive the money from HMRC between February 16 and 22.
This is to ensure that those with other qualifying benefits and tax credits do not receive the same payment twice.
Anyone waiting for the payment will see it appear on their bank statement with a certain code.
The payment reference for bank accounts is the recipient's National Insurance Number, followed by DWP COL or HMRC COLS.
For example, if your NI number is JT 83 42 97B, your payment will appear on your bank statement as 'JT 83 42 97B DWP COL' or 'JT 83 42 97B HMRC COLS'.
It comes after the DWP and HMRC issued the first two installments of the £900 living allowance in 2023.
The first installment worth £301 was paid in April and May, while the second worth £300 was paid in October and November.
It follows the £650 living costs payment paid to more than eight million people in 2022.
What other help is available?
If you don't qualify for the £299 living costs payment, or even if you do and still need help, there is other support available.
The Domestic Support Fund is one option. It is worth £842 million and is shared between councils in England.
They then decide how to divide their portion.
But what you are entitled to depends on where you live, as each local authority sets its own eligibility criteria.
In the vast majority of cases, you are eligible if you are on benefits, have a low income or are struggling financially.
You should contact your local council to see if assistance is offered. You can find out which local authority area you fall under by using the government's online council finder.
You may also be able to claim a free subsidy from your energy company if you are struggling to pay.
British Gas, Octopus Energy and EDF are among the major companies offering help.
Eligibility requirements vary depending on the company, but you will usually need to prove that you have energy debt or are experiencing fuel poverty.
The government classes fuel poverty, for example when a household has to spend a “large part” of its income to keep the temperature at a reasonable level.
It's worth checking whether you're also eligible for benefits, after the latest figures from analytics firm Policy in Practice show that £19 billion of support goes unclaimed every year.
There are a number of free online calculators you can use to find out what you may qualify for:
By claiming benefits you can not only earn extra money from the benefits themselves, but you could also qualify for living expenses payments of £299.
Meanwhile, anyone who pays for their energy with a prepayment meter may be able to get a fuel voucher to top up.
The money comes through the Fuel Bank Foundation, which provides emergency fuel vouchers to households at risk of running out of credit.
They are worth £49 in winter and £30 in the summer months when heating demand is lower.
You can submit an application through your municipality, which you can find using the government's municipality finder.