Millions of people across the UK will have received the £300 cost of living payment throughout the previous month.
However, the Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) has now provided an important update for anyone who may have missed out. Yesterday (November 19) was the final day that most eligible benefit claimants should have received the payment from both the DWP and HM Revenue and Customs (HMRC).
The money, which was provided to struggling households to support them in the face of growing financial difficulties, landed in bank accounts automatically. While the automatic system meant that more than eight million people would have received the cash boost, it does mean that some who should have received it may have slipped through the cracks due to errors or other reasons.
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Advice for those who didn't receive the £300 cost of living payment
If you believe you should have received the cost of living payment but haven't by now, the DWP has provided advice. On its online page, the government department said: "If you were expecting a £300 Cost of Living Payment (paid between 31 October and 19 November 2023 for most people) and have not received it, you can now report it missing.”
Before reporting a missing payment, you should double check if it hasn't been paid in a bank account or building society account, especially the one your benefit payments are usually put into. The payment would appear in your account with your National Insurance Number followed by either 'DWP COL' or 'HMRC COL' depending on who was providing it to you.
If it's not there, you can now report a missing payment with the government's online service form. In order to complete the form, you must have your National Insurance Number on hand.
The online form also stresses that you should only report the same missing payment once and highlights that you will receive a response as soon as possible.
Who was eligible for the £300 cost of living payment?
Before reporting a missing payment, you may also want to double-check your eligibility. In order to have been eligible, you must have received a payment for one of the qualifying benefits or tax credits between August 18, 2023 and September 17, 2023:
- Universal Credit
- Income-based Jobseekers Allowance
- Income-related Employment and Support Allowance
- Income Support
- Pension Credit
- Working Tax Credit
- Child Tax Credit
It's important to note that you may have been eligible if your benefit was reduced to £0 during the qualifying period - otherwise known as a 'nil award'.
