There is no cost of living payment in 2025 or 2026. The government’s Cost of Living Payment scheme ended in February 2024, when the final payment of £299 was made to eligible households.
No new payments have been announced, and the support that replaced the scheme is delivered through lower energy bills and an expanded Warm Home Discount — not as cash payments to your bank account.
Is there a cost of living payment in 2025 or 2026?
No. The government has confirmed that no new Cost of Living Payments are planned for either year.
What has changed in 2026 is how energy costs are structured. From April 2026, the government removed certain policy costs from household energy bills — including obligations under the Energy Company Obligation (ECO) — which is expected to reduce average bills by around £150 per year. This happens automatically through lower tariffs. No money is paid to you directly, and there is nothing to apply for.
Alongside this, the Warm Home Discount has been expanded for 2026. Eligible low-income households receive a £150 discount applied directly to their electricity bill. The scheme now reaches up to 6 million households, up from around 3 million previously. For households that qualify for both the energy bill reduction and the Warm Home Discount, total support with energy costs can be around £300 — but again, none of this arrives as a cash payment.
For the government’s official position, see: Help with the cost of living in 2026 – GOV.UK.
The £450 and £280 cost of living payment — are they real?
No. There is no £450 cost of living payment, and there is no £280 cost of living payment. Neither figure has been announced by the government, and neither appears in any DWP or HMRC guidance.
If you have seen a post on Facebook, WhatsApp, or another platform claiming that a £450 payment is due in May 2025, or that a £280 payment is being sent to households, this refers to misinformation that has circulated widely on social media. These posts often include realistic-looking details — specific dates, benefit types, payment windows — but they do not reflect any government announcement.
This can happen with Cost of Living Payment rumours in particular because the original scheme did make payments at irregular intervals, which makes fabricated announcements harder to identify at first glance. The only place to verify genuine DWP or HMRC payment announcements is:
Cost of Living Payments – GOV.UK
Cost of living payment dates — every payment from 2022 to 2024
The Cost of Living Payment scheme ran from July 2022 to February 2024. Payments were made automatically by the Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) or HM Revenue and Customs (HMRC) depending on which qualifying benefit you received. They appeared on bank statements with the reference DWP COLP for DWP benefits or HMRC COLS for tax credits.
A household receiving all three types of payment in a given year could have received up to £1,100 in 2022, up to £751 in 2023, and £299 in 2024.
2024
One payment was made in 2024. It was the final payment under the scheme.
| Payment type | Amount | DWP payment dates | HMRC payment dates |
|---|---|---|---|
| Means-tested | £299 | 6–22 February 2024 | 16–22 February 2024 |
2023
| Payment type | Amount | DWP payment dates | HMRC payment dates |
|---|---|---|---|
| Means-tested (first) | £301 | 25 April–17 May 2023 | 2–9 May 2023 |
| Disability | £150 | 20 June–4 July 2023 | — |
| Means-tested (second) | £300 | 31 October–19 November 2023 | 10–19 November 2023 |
2022
| Payment type | Amount | DWP payment dates | HMRC payment dates |
|---|---|---|---|
| Means-tested (first instalment) | £326 | 14–31 July 2022 | 2–7 September 2022 |
| Means-tested (second instalment) | £324 | 8–23 November 2022 | 23–30 November 2022 |
| Disability | £150 | September 2022 | — |
| Pensioner (via Winter Fuel Payment) | £300 | November–December 2022 | — |
The 2022 means-tested payment totalled £650, delivered in two instalments. DWP and HMRC payment windows ran on slightly different schedules throughout the scheme — if you received tax credits rather than a DWP benefit, your payment typically arrived a few days after the main DWP window.
Who was eligible for cost of living payments?
Eligibility was assessed against a specific qualifying period for each payment — typically a snapshot date or a one-month window. You had to be entitled to a qualifying benefit during that period. The amount you actually received from that benefit in the period did not determine eligibility — entitlement did.
Means-tested payments went to people receiving: Universal Credit, Income Support, income-based Jobseeker’s Allowance, income-related Employment and Support Allowance, Pension Credit, Working Tax Credit, or Child Tax Credit.
The nil award distinction matters. If your Universal Credit was calculated as £0 for the qualifying period because of deductions — for example, to recover a debt, repay a DWP advance, or cover rent arrears passed to your landlord — you were likely still eligible. The deduction reduced what you received, but your entitlement remained. If your Universal Credit was £0 because of a sanction, however, you were not eligible for that payment window. This is one of the most common sources of confusion around missing payments, and it is worth checking before assuming you were not entitled.
DWP paid even where HMRC was also involved. If you received both a DWP benefit such as Universal Credit and a tax credit from HMRC, your means-tested Cost of Living Payment came from DWP only — not from both. Some people expected two payments and received one, which is correct.
Pensioner payments were added automatically to the Winter Fuel Payment. No application was required.
You were not eligible if you only received New Style JSA or New Style ESA — these are contribution-based benefits, not means-tested, and did not qualify. You were also not eligible if your only qualifying benefit was in a nil award period due to a sanction, or if you had no qualifying benefit at all during the relevant assessment window.
Disability cost of living payment
The disability payments were separate from the means-tested payments and ran on a different schedule. Receiving a qualifying disability benefit did not affect any means-tested Cost of Living Payment you were also due — the two could be received in the same year independently.
Two disability payments were made:
- £150 in September 2022
- £150 between 20 June and 4 July 2023
There was no disability cost of living payment in 2024.
To qualify, you needed to be receiving one of the following benefits on the qualifying date: Personal Independence Payment (PIP), Disability Living Allowance (DLA), Attendance Allowance, Armed Forces Independence Payment (AFIP), Constant Attendance Allowance, or War Pension Mobility Supplement.
In Scotland, Adult Disability Payment (ADP) and Child Disability Payment (CDP) — the Scottish equivalents of PIP and DLA administered by Social Security Scotland — also qualified for both payments.
What to do if you missed a cost of living payment
Before reporting a missing payment, it is worth checking two things first. Look at your bank statements across the full payment window for your benefit type — the DWP COLP or HMRC COLS reference can sometimes be missed, particularly if the payment arrived at the edge of the window. Also consider the nil award question above: if your Universal Credit was £0 due to a sanction during the qualifying period, you would not have received a payment for that round.
If you have checked both and still believe you were eligible but unpaid, the process for reporting this has changed. The GOV.UK online self-service form for missing Cost of Living Payments is no longer available. You now need to contact the office that administers your qualifying benefit directly.
Contact DWP if your qualifying benefit was Universal Credit, Pension Credit, Income Support, income-based JSA, or income-related ESA: Contact Jobcentre Plus – GOV.UK.
Contact HMRC if your only qualifying benefit was Working Tax Credit or Child Tax Credit: Contact HMRC – GOV.UK.
Have your National Insurance number and benefit claim reference ready before you call. If your benefit entitlement was confirmed late — for example, after a reassessment or appeal — it is possible a payment was generated automatically at a later date. DWP can check this against your records.
What financial support is available instead in 2026?
The Cost of Living Payment scheme has ended, but several targeted schemes remain active.
Energy bill reduction. From April 2026, removing policy costs from energy tariffs is expected to save the average household around £150 per year. This applies to all households automatically — there is nothing to apply for and no payment is made.
Warm Home Discount. A £150 discount applied directly to your electricity bill. Pension Credit recipients are usually identified automatically. Other low-income households may also qualify — eligibility is assessed using DWP data, and some households are contacted directly by their energy supplier. If you think you qualify but have not been contacted, check with your supplier. For households receiving both the energy bill reduction and the Warm Home Discount, total energy support can be around £300.
Household Support Fund. Local councils in England administer this fund to help people with food, energy, and essential household costs. Each council sets its own eligibility criteria and runs its own application process. Some offer supermarket vouchers, fuel payments, or one-off grants.
Find your council at: Find your local council – GOV.UK.
Pension Credit. If you are over State Pension age and on a low income, Pension Credit tops up your weekly income and also acts as a gateway to other support — including the Warm Home Discount, a free TV licence if you are over 75, and help with NHS costs. An estimated 800,000 eligible people are not currently claiming it. Check eligibility and apply at: Pension Credit – GOV.UK.
Council Tax Reduction. Most councils offer a reduction for people on low incomes, including those who are working. Eligibility thresholds vary by council.
Apply through your local authority: Apply for Council Tax Reduction – GOV.UK.
Discretionary Housing Payments. If you receive Housing Benefit or the housing element of Universal Credit but still have a shortfall in rent, your council may be able to award a Discretionary Housing Payment. These are assessed case by case and applied for through your local council.
Frequently asked questions
Is there a cost of living payment in 2025?
No. The government has confirmed that no new Cost of Living Payments are planned for 2025. The scheme ended with the final £299 payment in February 2024. Support in 2025 and 2026 is delivered through lower energy bills and the Warm Home Discount rather than direct cash payments.
When was the last cost of living payment?
The last Cost of Living Payment was £299, made between 6 and 22 February 2024 for DWP benefit claimants, and between 16 and 22 February 2024 for tax credit claimants. No further payments have been made since.
Is there a £450 cost of living payment in 2025?
No. The £450 cost of living payment does not exist and has not been announced by the government. This figure originated from social media misinformation and does not appear in any DWP or HMRC guidance. The only source for genuine payment announcements is GOV.UK.
Is there a £280 cost of living payment?
No. There is no £280 cost of living payment. Like the £450 figure, this amount has circulated in social media posts that do not reflect any government announcement.
What was the disability cost of living payment?
The disability Cost of Living Payment was a separate £150 payment made to people receiving qualifying disability benefits such as PIP, DLA, or Attendance Allowance. It was paid twice: in September 2022 and between 20 June and 4 July 2023. There was no disability payment in 2024 and no new disability cost of living payment is planned.
Did Universal Credit claimants get a cost of living payment?
Yes, Universal Credit was one of the main qualifying benefits for the means-tested Cost of Living Payments throughout the scheme. Eligibility was based on entitlement during a specific qualifying period, not the amount received.
What happens if my Universal Credit was £0 — did I still qualify?
It depends on why it was £0. If your Universal Credit was reduced to nil because of deductions — such as debt repayment, an advance repayment, or rent arrears recovery — you were likely still entitled and should have received the payment. If your Universal Credit was nil because of a sanction, you were not eligible for that payment round.
How do I report a missing cost of living payment?
The GOV.UK self-service form for missing payments is no longer available. You now need to contact DWP directly if your qualifying benefit was Universal Credit, Pension Credit, Income Support, income-based JSA, or income-related ESA. Contact HMRC if you only received tax credits. Have your National Insurance number and benefit reference ready.
I received both Universal Credit and tax credits — should I have had two payments?
No. Where someone received both a DWP benefit and tax credits, the means-tested Cost of Living Payment was made by DWP only. HMRC only paid where the claimant received tax credits and had no qualifying DWP benefit. Receiving one payment in this situation is correct.
Is there a cost of living payment in Scotland in 2025?
No. The Cost of Living Payment scheme was a UK-wide programme and closed in February 2024. There is no separate Scottish cost of living payment in 2025. The Scottish Government runs its own separate support schemes, but none replicate the UK Cost of Living Payment scheme directly.
Next steps
- Pension Credit: what it is and how to claim it – GOVexplained
- Universal Credit: how to apply and what you will get – GOVexplained
Other sources
- Cost of Living Payments – GOV.UK
- Contact Jobcentre Plus (DWP) – GOV.UK
- Contact HMRC – GOV.UK
- Pension Credit – GOV.UK
- Apply for Council Tax Reduction – GOV.UK
- Household Support Fund guidance for local councils – GOV.UK
- Help with the cost of living in 2026 – GOV.UK
- Help with the cost of living – Citizens Advice