DWP estimates thousands more people will qualify for next means-tested cost of living payment worth £300

dailyrecord.co.uk:

More than seven million households across the UK have now received a £301 cost of living payment directly from the Department for Work and Pensions (DWP).

A ‘small number’ of payments have still to be made and will continue until May 17, 2023.HM Revenue and Customs (HMRC) is making direct payments to more than one million families in receipt of Tax Credits - the payment window opened on May 2 and will close on May 9.

The payments are part of a package of wider UK Government support announced to tackle the cost of living in 2023-24, including a further £300 for eligible claimants in the autumn, with a final lump sum of £299 due in spring 2024.A new impact analysis of the cost of living payments includes projections of the number of claimants due to receive the next round of support in the autumn - and it shows a significant increase.

The next lump sum is worth £300 and, according to the data, is expected to be made to 8,139,000 households across Scotland, England and Wales - an increase of 42,000 on the projected 8,097,000 payments due to be made between April 25 and May 17.The number of payments predicted to be made for the final instalment of £299, due to be made next spring, goes up even higher and is expected to be delivered to 8,211,000 households.It’s important to understand the use of the word ‘households’ here when talking about payments, this is because payments for the means-tested support are made per claim so a couple claiming one of the qualifying benefits would receive one payment - it’s only paid on an individual basis where the person is only claiming for themselves.The table below shows the estimated number of payments due to be made for the £301, £300 and £299 cost of living payments.The rise in the