Cost of Living Support Payment
The first instalment of the Cost of Living Support Payment for those on means-tested benefits has been issued to those eligible in NI from, 20th July 2022.
The Department for Communities advise that it may take a week or two for payments to reach everyone, so don’t panic if you haven’t yet received your payment. Key information about the payments, including eligibility and payment procedures, is available at https://www.nidirect.gov.uk/articles/cost-living-support.
Payments to those in receipt of Tax Credits will be issued later in the year, and more information about the procedures followed by HMRC are available at https://www.gov.uk/guidance/cost-of-living-payment.
Advice NI have also published an information briefing on the cost of living support, which provides as much information as is currently available about the range of financial assistance provided. We also emphasise the somewhat more complex situation for households in Northern Ireland, and call on the government both in Westminster and at Stormont to provide further clarity on the extent of financial assistance that will be provided here. The briefing also provides contact information for advice services across the region that will endeavour to support clients facing the impact of the cost of living crisis.