DWP £900 Cost of Living Payment - Were You Eligible?

The £900 Cost of Living Payment from the Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) aimed to help people cope with rising bills during the cost of living crisis. This was split out as three separate payments - £301 during Spring 2023, £300 during Autumn 2023 and £299 during Spring 2024.

From April 2023, over eight million people in the UK who get certain means-tested benefits began receiving the first instalment.

Here, we’ve explained what these payments are, whether you were eligible and when they were paid. We’ve also explained the other cost of living payments you could be eligible for.

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In this article:

1. What is the £900 Cost of Living payment?
2. Who was eligible for this Cost of Living Payment?
3. Who wasn't eligible?
4. When were these paid?
5. How to apply
6. How to report a missing payment
7. What other support is available?

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What is the £900 Cost of Living Payment?

The £900 Cost of Living Payment was a tax-free amount to help people afford ever-increasing energy bills and other expenses such as food and rent during the cost of living crisis.

This £900 didn’t count towards your benefit cap, or have any impact on existing benefit awards.

The £900 was split across three payments. The first of these - worth £301 - was made between April 25th and May 17th 2023. The second payment - worth £300 - was made between October 31st and November 19th 2023, while the third and final payment - worth £299 - was made between February 6th and February 22nd 2024.

Many older adults are especially struggling, and this £900 payment aimed to provide some much-needed financial assistance. Samuel Lathey - the CEO of financial wellbeing employee benefits solution Bippit - spoke about the impact of this payment:

“This payment will be welcome news for people who have struggled during the cost-of-living crisis, which has come hot on the heels of the global pandemic. Like one-off payments from employers during this difficult time, this support will relieve pressure on hard-up individuals and families as the cost of basic goods and services such as food and energy continue to rise.

Across society, we need to relieve the burden of money stigma on individuals, especially right now when more people than ever would benefit from reaching out. Failure to seek help in times of crisis or stress can make things worse and increase the time it takes for any interventions to make a difference.

We welcome this continued support for individuals and call on the government to invest further in early financial education. This will help promote better money management skills across our society, help more people feel confident when talking about money, and ensure that more of us seek assistance when necessary.”

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Who Was Eligible For the £900 Cost of Living Payment?

People receiving any of the following means-tested benefits during the qualifying periods could have been eligible for the three Cost of Living payments worth £301, £300 and £299 (£900 in total):

• Income-based Jobseeker’s Allowance (JSA)
• Income-related Employment and Support Allowance (ESA)
• Income Support
• Pension Credit
• Universal Credit
• Working Tax Credit
• Child Tax Credit

£301 Cost of Living Payment

You would have received the £301 payment if you were getting any of the above benefits or tax credits between the 26th of January and the 25th of February 2023.

£300 Cost of Living Payment

You would have received the £300 payment if you were getting any of the above benefits or tax credits between the 18th of August and the 17th of September 2023. This payment was made in Autumn 2023.

£299 Cost of Living payment

You would have received the £300 payment if you were getting any of the above benefits or tax credits between the 13th of November and the 12th of December 2023. This payment was made in Spring 2024.

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Who Wasn't Eligible For the £900 Cost of Living Payment?

If the benefit(s) you received during the qualifying period were reduced to £0, you likely wouldn’t have been eligible for the Cost of Living Payment. This is known as a ‘nil award’.

Your benefit may have been reduced to £0 because:

• You received multiple payments of earnings during your Universal Credit assessment period
• Your or your partner’s earnings or savings increased
• You began receiving another benefit
• You were ‘sanctioned’ because of not doing something you agreed to in your claimant commitment

If this happened, you could still have been eligible for a Cost of Living Payment, provided one of the following applied:

• Money was taken off your benefit for a different reason, such as to pay back any money you owe, or for rent payments to your landlord
• You had a hardship payment (this is a loan if your Universal Credit was cut short due to a sanction or penalty)

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When Were These Paid?

If eligible, you will have received the Cost of Living Payment on the following dates:

• £301 - Between the 25th of April and the 17th of May 2023 if you’re receiving DWP benefits, or between the 2nd and 9th of May 2023 if you’re receiving tax credits and no other low-income benefits

• £300 - Between the 31st of October and the 19th of November 2023 for most people

• £299 - Between the 6th and 22nd of February 2024 for most people

These payments made from the Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) will show in your bank account as “DWP COLP”, followed by your National Insurance (NI) number.

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How To Apply For the £900 Cost of Living Payment

You didn’t need to apply for any of the three Cost of Living Payments. Instead, the Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) will have gotten in touch, telling you how much you’re due to receive and when these payments will be made.

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How To Report a Missing Payment

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What Other Support Is Available?

Pensioner Cost of Living Payment

You will have been eligible for the Pensioner Cost of Living Payment if you were also entitled to a Winter Fuel Payment for the Winter of 2022 to 2023 or 2023 to 2024.

As a result of being eligible for this payment, you will have received an extra £150 to £300 with your normal payment. Exactly how much you received for the Pensioner Cost of Living Payment and Winter Fuel Payment will have depended on your age and personal circumstances during the qualifying dates.

Disability Cost of Living Payment

If you receive any of the following benefits, you may have also been entitled to a £150 Disability Cost of Living Payment:

• Attendance Allowance
• Constant Attendance Allowance
• Disability Living Allowance for adults
• Disability Living Allowance for children
• Personal Independence Payment (PIP)
• Adult Disability Payment or Child Disability Payment (in Scotland)
• Armed Forces Independence Payment
• War Pension Mobility Supplement

To be eligible, you’ll need to have received a payment (or later receive one) for 1st April 2023.

If eligible, you will have been paid automatically between the 20th of June and the 4th of July 2023.

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