The second £300 cost of living payment from the government started to be paid on 31 October 2023.
Households on certain benefits and Tax Credit payments will begin to receive their second cost of living payment, worth £300, from Tuesday 31 October 2023. The payments are tax-free and will not count towards current benefit payments. The first instalment of £301 was paid to eligible individuals from 25 April onwards.
How will I be paid?
If you are eligible for any of the remaining one-off payments, they will be paid to you automatically in the same way as previous payments. You will not need to make a claim. You can keep an eye out for the updated dates and timeframes for the remaining payments on the government's Help for Households website.
The payment reference will be your National Insurance number, followed by 'DWP COL'. As always, be sure to stay vigilant of fraudsters looking to steal your information via a cost of living scam. You can read more about keeping your money and personal information safe on our fraud hub.
When will I be paid?
The timing of your payment depends on the type of benefits you receive. For those receiving Child Tax Credit or Woking Tax Credit with no other benefits on top, you should expect to receive payment between 10-19 November. Those receiving the following payments with or without Tax Credits should be paid £300 between now and 19 November:
- Income support
- Income-based Job Seeker's Allowance
- Income-related employment and support allowance
- Pension Credit
- Universal Credit.
Those on Child Tax Credit or Working Tax Credit with no other benefits need to have received a payment of tax credits for any day between 18 August 2023 and 17 September 2023 to be eligible for the cost of living payment.
The payment windows and eligibility criteria for the third and final cost of living payment in the 2023/24 cycle will be announced by the government when confirmed.
Beware of scammers
Those eligible for a cost of living payment will be paid automatically by the Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) or HMRC into the same bank account you usually receive your benefit payments. Look out for the official references on your bank statements:
- HMRC COL for payments from HMRC
- DWP COL for payments from DWP
Sadly, cost of living scams are becoming more prevalent. Always be wary of unsolicited text messages, emails, or WhatsApp messages telling you that you must apply for the payments or click a link to be paid. The DWP will not ask you for any personal details or your banking information over the phone or text.
Find out more about scams and online fraud on our hub.
Further cost of living support
For more cost of living content, including guidance, tips, and signposting to useful resources, please visit our Cost of Living Support hub.
*Information updated 1 November 2023.
