How to check if I will get the Cost of Living Payment
The Cost of Living Payment was a temporary scheme created by the UK government to help households manage during a period of high inflation and rising costs of essentials such as food, transport, and energy.
Between 2022 and 2024, several rounds of payments were made automatically to people already on certain benefits.
For many households, the key question was: how do I check if I will get it? The answer involves understanding which benefits qualified, the official assessment dates, and how payments appeared once issued. This guide explains each step clearly to help you confirm whether you were eligible.
Qualifying benefits
The first thing to check is whether you were receiving a qualifying benefit. The Cost of Living Payment was not universal and was only available to people on specific means-tested benefits. These included:
- Universal Credit
- Income-based Jobseeker’s Allowance (JSA)
- Income-related Employment and Support Allowance (ESA)
- Income Support
- Pension Credit
- Working Tax Credit
- Child Tax Credit
In addition, two groups received extra support through separate one-off payments:
- Disability benefits: A £150 Disability Cost of Living Payment was paid to people receiving Personal Independence Payment (PIP), Disability Living Allowance (DLA), Attendance Allowance, Armed Forces Independence Payment, or Constant Attendance Allowance.
- Pensioners: Anyone entitled to Winter Fuel Payment also received an additional Pensioner Cost of Living Payment of between £150 and £300.
If you were not receiving one of these benefits, you would not have been eligible.
Assessment periods
Even if you were on a qualifying benefit, you only received the Cost of Living Payment if you were entitled during the official assessment periods. Each instalment had its own cut-off date, meaning that eligibility could change from one payment to the next.
For example:
- In 2022, the £650 package was divided into two instalments (£326 and £324). Eligibility was based on benefit status during two separate dates in July and November.
- In 2023–24, the scheme continued with a total of £900, split into three instalments (£301, £300, and £299). The assessment periods fell in spring 2023, autumn 2023, and early 2024.
If your benefit was not active on those dates, you did not qualify for that round—even if you became eligible later.
The “nil award” rule
A common source of confusion was the nil award rule. Under Universal Credit, if your award for the assessment period was reduced to £0 (for example because of earnings, sanctions, or deductions), you were not eligible for that instalment.
This meant that two households both receiving Universal Credit could have different outcomes depending on their exact award status at the cut-off date.
How to check your status
There are several ways to confirm if you should have received the payment:
- Review benefit statements: If you are on Universal Credit, check your online journal. For Tax Credits, review your HMRC notices. These records show if you were in receipt during the assessment period.
- Look at your bank account: Cost of Living Payments were made separately from normal benefits. They usually appear with references such as “DWP COL” (for DWP payments) or “HMRC COL” (for Tax Credits).
- Check letters from the DWP: Some people received official letters confirming entitlement. Keeping these documents can help when verifying your status.
- Contact the DWP if unsure: If you believe you qualified but did not see a payment, you can call the DWP helpline. For Universal Credit, the main number is 0800 328 5644. Pension Credit and disability benefits have separate lines, listed on GOV.UK.
When to contact the DWP
You should only contact the DWP after the payment window has closed. Payments were always made in batches over several weeks, so some households received them earlier than others. If the entire window passed and no payment appeared, then it was appropriate to raise a query.
Before calling, have the following details ready:
- National Insurance number
- The type of benefit you receive
- Recent bank statements
- Letters confirming entitlement
This makes the process quicker and reduces delays.
Safety and fraud awareness
Because of the popularity of the scheme, scams were reported. To stay safe:
- You never needed to apply for the Cost of Living Payment. It was automatic if you qualified.
- The DWP never asked for personal details or bank information by text or email.
- Any messages offering to “help you claim” for a fee were fraudulent.
- Always rely on official GOV.UK updates or your benefit portal for information.
Current status
The final Cost of Living Payment was made between 6 and 22 February 2024. The government has confirmed there are no new payments scheduled for 2025.
Other types of support, such as Pension Credit or the Household Support Fund, remain available, but the Cost of Living Payment scheme itself has ended.
❓ Frequently Asked Questions
💭 How do I know if I qualified?
→ If you received one of the listed benefits during the assessment dates and did not have a nil award, you qualified.
📌 Where should I look for the payment?
→ Check your bank account for a transaction marked “DWP COL” or “HMRC COL.”
👪 What if my benefit was £0 during the period?
→ A nil award meant you did not qualify for that instalment.
🔒 Do pensioners qualify automatically?
→ Yes. Pensioners entitled to Winter Fuel Payment received an additional top-up of £150–£300.
📈 Can I still get a payment in 2025?
→ No. The scheme ended in February 2024. No further payments are planned.