Here’s when people will get the £150 disability cost of living payment

Over six million people across the UK will receive the disability cost of living payment between June 20 and July 4, 2023, the Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) has confirmed. 

It will be a lump sum of £150, paid to disabled people who receive certain benefits. The payment is part of a wider package to help people cope during the cost of living crisis. 

Secretary of State for Work and Pensions Mel Stride MP said: “This payment helps protect those who need our support the most, providing a vital financial boost to six million disabled people.

“Our multi-billion-pound package of support reinforces our commitment to help UK households with the rising cost of living. It comes on top of record increases to benefits and the national living wage.”

Disabled people are disproportionately impacted by the cost of living crisis, charities have said. A disability often comes with extra costs, with many people having to spend more on energy bills to keep their homes warm and use medical equipment. 

A recent report from the disability equality charity Scope found disabled households face extra costs of around £975 a month. 

This means disabled households would have to find an average of almost £12,000 more a year to achieve the same standard of living as non-disabled households.

Disability activist and Scope Ambassador Shani Dhanda said: “I’ve personally calculated that being disabled costs me an extra £13,000 a year. That’s a huge amount of money in anyone’s book and means that I effectively work for 54 days a year for free.

“These extra costs include higher energy bills, expensive equipment, accessible and specialist clothes, taxis where public transport lets me down, and a premium on insurance. Last year my already high energy bills went up by £1,284.

“The price tag that comes with disability should shame us all, and it’s clear that we need action. We all want to live our lives to the fullest, contribute to society and get on in life. Extra costs make that increasingly difficult.”

Scope is calling for a commitment from the government to prioritise tackling the extra cost of disability, the creation of an energy social tariff for disabled households, and action from businesses and regulators to ensure disabled people have fair and affordable access to goods.

But in the short term, making sure you get the cost of living support for which you are eligible is essential for people who need help. 

Here’s everything you need to know about the disability cost of living payment – including whether you are eligible, how to claim it and exactly when it will hit bank accounts. 

Who will get the disability cost of living payment?

Around six million people will receive the disability cost of living payment. People are eligible if they are receiving certain benefits. These are the attendance allowance, constant attendance allowance, disability living allowance for adults and children, personal independence payment (PIP), adult and child disability payment in Scotland, armed forces independence payment and the war pension mobility supplement.

• All the cost of living help available from the government, energy companies, councils and charities
• Here’s when people will get the next cost of living payment in 2023

How much is the disability cost of living payment?

The additional payment for disabled people is £150. For disabled people on low-incomes, this payment comes on top of others which will be given to people on means-tested benefits. These will be paid in three instalments this financial year, totalling £900 by Spring 2024. 

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How do I claim the disability cost of living payment?

You don’t have to claim the payment. It will be paid automatically into your bank account if you are eligible. 

Any texts or emails asking recipients for their personal details and encouraging you to claim the payment are likely to be fraudulent. 

You find out more about the support you are eligible for on the government’s help for households page or check out our article on all the cost of living help available.

When will I get the payment?

The disability cost of living payment will hit bank accounts between June 20 and July 4. A small proportion of payments will be made after this date, where claimants were still awaiting confirmation of their eligibility to disability benefits on 1 April.

If you are also receiving the cost of living payments for people on means-tested benefits, you will have received the first £301 payment in Spring 2023. The next one, for £300, will be paid in August. Find out more about that here. 

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