DWP cost of living payment warning if not paid as claimant says they got £950 after filling in form

A Universal Credit claimant has reported three different cost of living payments being sent out in days after reporting missing amounts

The Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) is still distributing cost of living payments, with one claimant revealing they were informed they would receive £950 in their account. This sum represents three separate cost of living payments that the individual missed during the initial rollout.

They are among those still receiving financial aid after the DWP completed its rollout, which saw £299 sent to 8.3 million households in February. The claimant shared their experience on BirminghamLive’s Facebook Cost of Living group, explaining that they had submitted an online form for missing payments.

A response in their Universal Credit online journal confirmed they were entitled to three different amounts – £326, £324, and £301. The claimant, who is on Universal Credit but not receiving any other benefits, questioned whether these figures were accurate.

Two of the payments originate from the first cost of living rollout in 2022-2023, while the third is from the 2023-2024 schedule. The funds are expected to be deposited within days. All payments were intended for individuals on Universal Credit and other means-tested benefits, provided they met the qualifying criteria.

This serves as a reminder for individuals to check their cost of living payment entitlement and make a claim if the funds have not arrived. Those who believe they should have received a cost of living payment can report it missing on the GOV.UK website.

The DWP set up a webpage for people to log a claim for a missed payment. Government guidance on the page explains: “Most people should have received their £301, £300 and £299 Cost of Living Payments and £150 Disability Cost of Living Payment for 2023 and 2024. If you were expecting one of the following Cost of Living Payments but have not received it, you can report it as missing: You’ll need your National Insurance number. If you’ve lost your National Insurance number, check how to find a lost National Insurance number. Before reporting a missing payment, check your bank, building society or credit union account, or your Payment Exception Service voucher receipt. The payment will be made separately from your benefit.”

A DWP spokesperson previously said:”We have continued to manually process payments where the automatic payment bounced back or was not processed, which could be for a number of reasons. These people makeup a tiny fraction of overall cases and will be paid as soon as possible. People who believe they are eligible and haven’t received the payment yet can complete the missing payment form on GOV.UK.”