Almost all eligible households have received their first cost of living payment - if you haven't, here's what you need to know

The first payments of £326 started hitting the bank accounts of qualifying households in England, Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland from 14 July – with 7.2 million payments already made, according to the latest Government figures. This means almost all of those due to receive their first payment in July have now got it.

You don't need to apply for the grant. If you're eligible you'll automatically receive the money straight into your bank account. A second payment of £324 will be made later this year.

But the Government has said that a "small number" of payments could be delayed – so if you were expecting a payment and haven't yet got it, and you're not in receipt of just tax credits, you may need to complete a form (see below for full info).  

If you're struggling with the cost of living crisis, see our cost of living survival guide, which is full of useful tips on how to cut costs.

If you're on low-income benefits, such as Universal Credit, you should have received your first payment in July

You are eligible for the payment if you are entitled to any of the following benefits:

• Income-based Jobseeker's Allowance (JSA)

• Income-related Employment and Support Allowance (ESA)

• Income Support

• Pension Credit

• Universal Credit

If you started to make a claim by 25 April 2022 and the claim ended up being successful, you will be eligible for both parts of the payment.

The second payment of £324 will come in the autumn, but the Government has not yet announced what the qualifying dates will be. However you will be eligible if you're entitled to any of the applicable benefits now but weren't before 25 May, so make sure you claim ASAP to get at least £324.

The deadline to claim pension credit for the first time and qualify for the payment is 18 August, so if you think you (or someone you know) might be eligible, you should apply as soon as possible – see our Pension credit guide for full info.

If you only claim tax credits, your payment will come in September

If you only claim child tax credit or working tax credit, you would have needed to have received a tax credit payment, or an annual award of at least £26, on any day between 26 April and 25 May 2022 to be eligible. If you are, you should get a first payment of £326 in September, followed by a second payment from winter 2022. 

If you claim certain disability benefits, you may also be eligible for an extra £150

If you receive any of the following, then you could also be eligible for an extra £150 top-up:

• Adult Disability Payment (in Scotland)

• Armed Forces Independence Payment

• Attendance Allowance

• Child Disability Payment (in Scotland)

• Constant Attendance Allowance

• Disability Living Allowance for adults

• Disability Living Allowance for children

• Personal Independence Payment

• War Pension Mobility Supplement

Again, if you started to make a claim by 25 May 2022 and the claim ends up being successful, you will be eligible for the £150 payment, which should begin to be sent out from September this year.

The money will be paid directly into your bank account

You don't need to apply. If you're eligible, you'll be paid automatically in the same way you usually get your benefits or tax credits. The payments will be made separately. 

However, be warned that if you get a cost of living payment and the DWP later finds that you weren't eligible, you may have to pay it back. 

If you haven't received your payment and were expecting to get it in July, contact the DWP

If you haven't had a payment yet, this could be for one of several reasons:

• You're still waiting for a decision on your benefit application or appeal - if you're eligible, you'll get the Cost of Living Payment automatically later and don't need to complete the form below.

• Your payment isn't due yet: for example, if you get tax credits you won't get your first payment until autumn - so you don't need to complete the the form below.

• You're not eligible for it, which means you don't need to complete the form below. You can check if you're eligible on Gov.uk. 

If you DON'T meet any of the criteria above but think you're eligible and haven't got your payment yet, you need to let DWP know by contacting it using this form. You'll need to provide your National Insurance number, so make sure you've got this to hand.