‘This latest £324 payment will help the most vulnerable people in our society through the winter months’
People on qualifying benefits are due to receive the second cost of living payment this month. Phil Corrigan reports
MORE than 60,000 benefit claimants in North Staffordshire will receive an extra £324 payment this week to help make ends meet.
DWP claimants will receive their second Cost of Living payment by November 23, while eligible tax credit claimants should get their payment between November 23 and November 30.
Those eligible include people on Universal Credit, Income-based Jobseekers Allowance, Income-related Employment and Support Allowance, Income Support and Pension Credit. Latest figures show that around 43,000 people in Stoke-on-trent, 13,000 people in Newcastle and 7,000 people in Staffordshire Moorlands are receiving these benefits.
The Department for Work and Pensions will pay the money directly into eligible recipients’ bank accounts, with no need for people to apply or do anything to receive it.
To be eligible, claimants must have been claiming and entitled to a payment between 26 August and
25 September, with the exception of pensioner households, who may be able to have a new Pension Credit claim backdated – check their eligibility for Pension Credit using the online calculator at https:// www.gov.uk/pension-creditcalculator or by calling the freephone claim line on 0800
99 1234.
People who are not on a qualifying DWP benefit may still be eligible for the £324 payment if they receive Working Tax Credit or Child Tax Credit.
Work and Pensions Secretary Mel Stride said: “We understand that people are struggling and that is why we’ve consistently acted to ensure millions of low-income families are supported. We will continue to act with compassion as we navigate challenging global economic circumstances.
“As part of a wider £37 billion package of support, this latest £324 payment will help the most vulnerable people in our society who are worrying about their finances through the winter months.” Chancellor of the Exchequer, Jeremy Hunt added: “Prices are rising across the world as we manage the aftershock of Covid-19 and Putin’s invasion of Ukraine. We recognise that families back home are struggling, which is why we’ve taken decisive action to hold down energy bills this winter, and provided hundreds of pounds of cash support for each vulnerable household.
“As part of that support, over eight million vulnerable households – almost a quarter of families in the UK – will automatically receive a second cost of living payment worth £324 in their bank account. “And while we can’t completely protect people from rising prices, my priority at the upcoming Autumn Statement will be to protect the poorest in society as we take the tough decisions necessary to fix our public finances.”