Benefit claimants and cost of living payment recipients are set to be paid from January 2024 despite much support being rolled back.
Even with inflation easing to 3.9 per cent last month, households are still paying more than usual towards energy bills, housing costs and inflation-hiked grocery prices.
Research carried out by the Joseph Rowntree Foundation found that millions are planning to cut expenses in the New Year and “skip meals” to get by.
Here is a breakdown of the various dates for Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) benefits and cost of living payments in January 2024.
Benefit claimants are due payments in January 2024
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When will DWP benefit payments get paid in January 2024?
Claimants of DWP support who usually get paid on the first of the month are likely to be impacted by New Year’s Day being a bank holiday.
Instead of being paid on January 1, 2024, benefit recipients should receive their money on Friday, December 29, 2023.
There are no other bank holidays set for the rest of next month so payment delivery dates should be the same as usual for the following monthly payments:
- Universal Credit
- State pension
- Pension Credit
- Disability Living Allowance
- Personal Independence Payment
- Attendance Allowance
- Carer’s Allowance
- Employment Support Allowance
- Income Support
- Jobseeker’s Allowance.
Benefit payment rates will rise by 6.7 percent in April 2024 with the State Pension going up by 8.5 percent.
When will cost of living payments get paid in January 2024?
No cost of living payments will be delivered for those on means-tested benefits in January but recipients should get paid in the following month.
The last cost of living payment worth £299 will be sent out between February 6, 2024 and February 22, 2024.
This follows two previous instalments of the larger £900 sum for those on certain benefits and tax credits, as well as £150 and £300 payments for disabled people and pensioners, respectively.
Among those entitled to this support are claimants of the following DWP benefits:
- Universal Credit
- Jobseeker’s Allowance
- Employment Support Allowance
- Income Support
- Pension Credit
- Child Tax Credit
- Working Tax Credit.
LATEST DEVELOPMENTS:
Cost of living payments will not be handed out until February
PAWhen will energy bill support get paid in January 2024?
Through the Warm Home Discount, households are awarded £150 off their domestic electricity and gas bills if they qualify.
This one-off discount is applied automatically to someone’s bill between early October and March 31, 2024.
As such, families could see their energy bills slashed sometime in January but dates differ depending on the household.
People are entitled to this support if they are on the guarantee credit element of Pension Credit or on low income with rising energy bills.