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Second cost of living payment to be paid from 31 October – here's who qualifies and how much you'll get

Over eight million households on certain benefits and tax credits will receive their second cost of living payment from 31 October, the Government has confirmed. Here's everything you need to know about whether you're eligible and when you'll get your payment.

When you'll be paid the second £300 cost of living payment

The £900 grant – which you DON'T need to apply for – is being paid in three chunks of all slightly different amounts, all of which will be tax-free, will not count towards the benefit cap and will not have any impact on your existing benefits. The first instalment, which was £301, was paid from 25 April. The second instalment of £300 is due this autumn and a third instalment of £299 will be paid next spring.   

Here's when you'll get the second payment:

Benefit(s) you get When you should get your £300 payment
Child Tax Credit or Working Tax Credit ONLY (without other benefits on top) Between 10 and 19 November 2023
Any of the below (with or without tax credits on top):

- Income Support
- Income-based jobseeker's allowance
- Income-related employment and support allowance
- Pension Credit
- Universal Credit

Between 31 October 2023 and 19 November 2023

Key qualifying dates to get the new payment

To get the £300, you need to have been paid (or have been eligible for a payment of) one of the benefits listed above (also detailed below) for any day between 18 August 2023 and 17 September 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 this year's first cost of living payment. 

However, we've heard some people on Universal Credit are at risk of missing out because of how the eligibility period falls in relation to their assessment period and pay frequency.

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 Credit
  • 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 18 August 2023 to 17 September 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 Credit

If you're not currently getting any benefits and you're on a low income, it's worth using our 10-minute benefits checker to check if you're eligible for support.

Were you of state pension age between 18 August 2023 and 17 September 2023? It's worth checking whether you can get Pension Credit. If you're eligible, you can still get this cost of living payment, as well as the third payment due in spring 2024, and request for your Pension Credit to be backdated by three months.

The deadline to apply for backdated Pension Credit and still receive this second cost of living payment is yet to be announced – but we will update this story as soon as we know more. For now, check your eligibility with our Pension Credit guide

Payments will be automatic and you DON'T need to apply – beware scammers saying otherwise

If you qualify for these cost of living payments, you should be paid automatically in the same way you usually get your benefits or tax credits.

If you get benefits from the Department for Work and Pensions (DWP), the reference for the payment will be 'DWP COL', along with your national insurance number. For tax credits-only recipients, the payment reference will be 'HMRC COLSD'.

Watch out for scam texts or emails inviting you to claim or apply for the payment. The DWP has said it'll never ask you for personal details or banking info over text or email. For more info on avoiding fraud – and what to do if you've been scammed – see our Scams guide.

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

A third and final cost of living payment will follow, plus additional support on top for pensioners

Three different cost of living payments – one for people on a low income, one for pensioners, and one for people claiming disability benefits – were announced for 2023/24, with some households being eligible for £1,350 in total. Here's the full list: 

  1. If you're on low-income benefits, you'll get up to £900 – paid from April 2023.
    If you're one of the eight million households that get the means-tested benefits listed above, you should have started receiving up to £900 in cost of living payments paid out in three instalments:

    - £301 – paid by 17 May 2023. If you were eligible but didn't receive this, you can report your missing payment by calling the phone number for the benefit you claim. You can find the numbers on Gov.uk.
    - £300 – from 31 October 2023.
    - £299 – during spring 2024 (payment and eligibility dates yet to be confirmed).

    Each amount is slightly different, so it's easier for the DWP and HM Revenue & Customs to clearly track whether you've been paid the right payment at the correct time.

  2. If you're above state pension age, you'll get £300 – paid in winter 2023/24.
    If you're entitled to winter fuel payment, and are above state pension age (aged 66 and over), you'll get a top-up of £300 in winter 2023/24.

    If you're eligible, you'll be sent a letter in October or November 2023 telling you how much your total winter fuel payment will be. If you don't get a letter but think you're eligible, check if you need to make a claim on Gov.uk.

  3. If you claim certain disability benefits, you should have received £150 – paid from 20 June 2023.
    If you're one of six million people who get certain disability benefits, you should have had a £150 one-off payment paid between 20 June and 4 July. This was on top of the up to £900 means-tested cost of living payment, and/or the £300 pensioner payment.

    To get the £150, you needed to have been paid of any of the following benefits on or for 1 April 2023:

    - Adult disability payment (in Scotland)
    - Armed Forces independence payment
    - Attendance allowance
    - Child disability payment (in Scotland)
    - Constant attendance allowance
    - Disability living allowance
    - Personal independence payment
    - War pension mobility supplement

    If you didn't receive this, you can call to report a missing payment – to find the relevant contact info, read our story on the Disability cost of living payment.

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