Cost of Living Support Payments

What support is being offered

The government has announced further Cost of Living Payments between spring 2023 and spring 2024. These payments are automatic for the below:

• £301 for people on an eligible low income benefit, to be paid during spring 2023
• £150 for people on an eligible disability benefit, to be paid during summer 2023
• £300 for people on an eligible low income benefit, to be paid during autumn 2023
• £300 for pensioner households, to be paid during winter 2023 to 2024
• £299 for people on an eligible low income benefit, to be paid in spring 2024

When you will receive the payments

Low income benefits

You may be entitled to up to 3 Cost of Living Payments of £301, £300 and £299 if you get any of the below benefits or tax credits on certain dates. If you’re entitled, you will get £301 paid during spring 2023 for most people, £300 paid during autumn 2023 for most people and £299 paid during spring 2024 for most people.

• income-based Jobseeker’s Allowance
• income-related Employment and Support Allowance
• Income Support
• Pension Credit
• Universal Credit
• Child Tax Credit
• Working Tax Credit

Disability Cost of Living Payment

You may be entitled to a Disability Cost of Living Payment of £150 if you get any of the below benefits. Most people will be paid during summer 2023.

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

Pensioner Cost of Living Payment

If you’re entitled to a Winter Fuel Payment for winter 2023 to 2024, you will get an extra £150 or £300 paid with your normal payment from November 2023.

The full amount of Winter Fuel Payment (including the Pensioner Cost of Living Payment) you will get for winter 2023 to 2024 depends on when you were born and your circumstances during the qualifying dates.

You can get a Winter Fuel Payment for winter 2023 to 2024 if you were born before 24 September 1957. You should have received a letter in October 2022 telling you how much you’ll receive if you’re eligible.

Help with Fuel Bill payments

Resident eligibility criteria

Advice and emergency cash support available. To qualify for a winter fuel payment you must:

• Be a resident of the Royal Borough of Kensington + Chelsea (this includes residents of K+C who have temporarily been housed outside of the borough by RBKC)
• Have limited or no savings (less than £10,000 for a single person over State pension age, or less than£8,000 for a single person or a couple under state pension age)
• Be able to provide a recent copy of a bank statement and fuel bill(s) to one of the partner organisations below
• Residents with significant arrears on their pre-payment meter may also apply for a grant of up to£500 to clear existing debt

To qualify for a cash payment you must:

• Meet all of the criteria outlined above (there is no need to provide a fuel bill)
• The amount you are eligible to receive is dependent on circumstances and is likely to be between£80- £130

Apply for energy support if you do not get it automatically

Most households in England, Scotland and Wales get a £400 discount on their energy bills automatically. In some cases, you do not get the discount automatically, for example if you:

• pay for energy through a landlord, housing manager or site owner
• live in a park home, houseboat or off the electricity grid

Check your eligibility and apply online.