Cost of living payment: Who will NOT get extra £650 today to help with bills – full list | Personal Finance | Finance
Earlier this year, the previous Chancellor Rishi Sunak announced a wave of new financial support to help families with rising bills worth up to £1,500. Included in this package was a cost of living payment totalling £650, which was for those who claim means-tested benefits through the Department for Work and Pensions (DWP). However, millions of people in the UK claim other benefit support which is not means-tested so therefore will not get this vital financial boost.
It was confirmed back in May that those who will get the £650 cost of living payment should start claiming from today (July 14, 2022).
The cost of living support is being split in half and will be delivered directly to eligible claimants from today and then later in the year.
This £650 payment has been established to help those struggling with soaring inflation rates and energy bills.
Inflation in the UK has reached a 40-year high of 9.1 percent and energy bills are expected to hit £3,200 by October.
READ MORE: State pensioners may be able to increase sum by up to £14.75 weekly
Despite the fact many people are claiming support from the DWP and other Government schemes, those who are in receipt of the following payments will not be eligible for the extra £650:
- Attendance allowance
- Carer’s allowance
- Child benefit
- Disability living allowance (DLA)
- Contributory, or “new style”, Employment and Support Allowance (ESA)
- Guardian’s allowance
- Contribution-based, or “new style”, Jobseeker’s Allowance (JSA)
- Maternity allowance
- Personal Independence payment
- State pension
- Statutory adoption, maternity, paternity and shared parental pay
- Statutory sick pay
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Paul Brennan, the director for Benefit Answers, warned that the cost of living payment will not reach those who may be in poverty and not claiming benefit support.
Mr Brennan explained: “The maximum amount will be going to people on Universal Credit and income support. It’s acceptable to target households already claiming.
“But if the government is going to target this payment they need to look at those with additional needs that mean they go above and beyond average energy use. Those are the people whose costs are going up astronomically day by day.”
In the wake of the fuel crisis, the poverty expert encouraged the Government to work alongside energy providers to determine who is most in need of extra financial assistance.
He added: “The process should be that first you look at the energy supplier and identify those with the highest bills. Using government databases you can then find why that person has a high energy bill. Are they claiming PIP?
“Maybe that person requires the use of a dialysis machine and can’t ration energy in the same way others can. Shouldn’t those people be the ones most entitled to this payout?”
Speaking to Express.co.uk, a Government spokesperson said: “The cost of living payments are targeted to those who need it the most, including people receiving contributory and new style benefits if they’re on a low income and receive Universal Credit.
“All households, regardless of benefit, will receive a £400 energy payment as part of the £37billlion cost of living package, and 80 percent will get a £150 Council Tax rebate.
“The Household Support Fund can also help families with essential costs, in addition to Discretionary Housing Payments which help people needing support to meet housing costs.”
