£299 Cost of Living Payment: Will DWP Provide Festival Relief in 2024?

The spiraling price of living has created an untold number of UK natives who are barely managing to get both ends together. With this in view, it is the benchmark for which the government initiates financial aids by the Department for Work and Pensions, DWP. This includes the Cost of Living Payment which has provided cushioning to critical living cost surges for housing, utilities, and groceries. The last instalment for the year 2023/24 was £299. It formed a greater initiative at trying to touch the vulnerable groups within society as well as those families going through a tough period economically.

Payment Schedule

The DWP designed the Cost of Living Payments to be made in installments throughout the 2023/24 financial year, with critical periods targeted for timely relief. Here is the payment amount, eligible benefits, and dates for payment: >

Amount	Eligible Benefits	Payment Dates
£301	Universal Credit, Income-based JSA, Income-based ESA, Income Support, Pension Credit	25 April to 17 May 2023
£301	Tax credits only (no other low-income benefit)	2 May to 9 May 2023
£300	Universal Credit, Income-based JSA, Income-based ESA, Income Support, Pension Credit	31 October to 19 November 2023
£300	Tax credits only (no other low-income benefit)	10 November to 19 November 2023
£299	Universal Credit, Income-based JSA, Income-based ESA, Income Support, Pension Credit	6 February to 22 February 2024
£299	Tax credits only (no other low-income benefit)	16 February to 22 February 2024

All of these payments were made automatically to all those who were eligible, which was aimed at avoiding applications and therefore simplifying the process and avoiding administrative difficulties. >

$762 SSI Payment in 2025: Who Is Eligible and When Will It Be Issued?

Eligibility:

To be able to receive the £299 Cost of Living Payment, the recipient has to have received at least one of the following benefits in any day, from 13 November to 12 December 2023: >

Universal Credit; except if they were issued with a ‘nil award.’
Income-based Jobseeker’s Allowance (JSA)
Income-related Employment and Support Allowance (ESA)
Income Support
Pension Credit
Child Tax Credits
Working Tax Credits

Eligibility was automatically obtained from benefit records, thus sending the support straight to those needing it most.

Missing Payments

If the claimed payment was missing, the DWP offered a form online. This can be found on Gov.uk. This form requires persons to fill up personal details by including: >

Name
Date of birth
National Insurance number

The DWP usually dealt with these requests within two weeks. This was one of the simple ways that claimants could solve their problems.

Future Support

To date, there are no further Cost of Living Payments expected after February 2024. However, starting in April 2024, benefits like Universal Credit will rise by 6.7%.

Ending the present Cost of Living Payment, while the benefit rate is going to be altered by the government is a great move toward helping to ease up on the budgeting of poor households.