Eight million people on means-tested benefits in the UK will receive a £299 cost-of-living payment between 6 and 22 February, marking the last scheduled instalment. The payment will be made automatically into bank accounts without the need to claim, targeting those on low incomes receiving benefits such as universal credit.
The February payment is the final part of a £900 package distributed over three instalments within a year. Earlier payments included £150 for over six million people with disabilities during the summer and £300 for more than eight million pensioners over the winter.
Work and Pensions Secretary Mel Stride stated: 'We will always protect the most vulnerable, while ensuring fairness for the taxpayer.' However, a report by the Work and Pensions Committee in November questioned the sufficiency of the payments, suggesting they only provided a temporary reprieve and that increasing benefits might have been more effective.
After this instalment, no further cost-of-living payments are currently scheduled, raising concerns among charities. The government highlighted that a 6.7% rise in benefits and an 8.5% increase in the state pension, along with enhanced support for private renters on benefits, will take effect in April.
Recipients are warned to be vigilant against scams. Legitimate payments will show a reference of the recipient's National Insurance number followed by DWP COL, or HMRC COLS for tax credit claimants.
