Cost of living payments

This page gives information about help with the cost of living for people with complex disabilities. It explains what cost of living payments you may be entitled to. 

Find out more about:

Support for everyone

The government announced these measures to support everyone in the UK through the cost of living crisis in 2022-2023:

  • The Energy Price Guarantee, keeping the average household cost of energy at £2,500 annually, was in place until the end of June 2023. 
  • All households in Great Britain received a reduction of £400 off their energy bills between October 2022 and April 2023.
  • In Northern Ireland, all households received a £600 payment to help with their energy bills.
  • Pensioners who normally got a Winter Fuel Payment also received a £150 or £300 cost of living payment in winter 2022-2023 and winter 2023-2024. Find out more about the pensioners’ cost of living payment.

Will benefits increase in 2024?

Some benefits will increase by 6.7% in April 2024. This is in line with the Consumer Prices Index (CPI) rate of inflation. 

We welcome the government’s announcement that benefits will be uprated in line with inflation. But we still think there’s more work to be done to support everyone who needs it.

Join Sense’s cost of living campaign

Help from your energy supplier

Lots of the UK’s energy suppliers have grants available for people who are struggling to pay their bills. 

To find out more, contact your supplier directly, or check this list of suppliers who offer grants from Citizens Advice.

If you or someone in your household is disabled, you might also be eligible to sign up for your supplier’s priority services register. This usually means you’ll get extra support such as:

  • Bills in a format you can read (like braille).
  • Support during power cuts.
  • Someone to check your meter for you.

Find out more about signing up for priority services from Citizens Advice.

Find out more about help for disabled people with energy and food costs.

Cost of living payments for people on means-tested benefits

In 2023-2024, the government paid out £900 cost of living payments to most people on the following benefits:

  • Universal Credit.
  • Income-based Jobseeker’s Allowance.
  • Income-related Employment Support Allowance. 
  • Income Support. 
  • Working Tax Credit. 
  • Child Tax Credit.
  • Pension Credit. 

These cost of living payments did not count towards the benefit cap. 

The final instalments were paid out in February 2024.

The government has not announced any further cost of living payments after February 2024.

Visit gov.uk for more information about 2023-2024 cost of living payments.

Disability cost of living payments 

In autumn 2022 and summer 2023, the government gave £150 cost of living payments to people who receive the following benefits:

  • Personal Independence Payment (PIP).
  • Disability Living Allowance (DLA).
  • Attendance Allowance.
  • Constant Attendance Allowance.
  • Armed Forces Independence Payment.
  • War Pension Mobility Supplement.

It did not count towards the benefit cap, and does not affect any existing benefit awards. 

How to claim a missing cost of living payment

Cost of living payments were automatically paid out to those who were eligible for them.
 
If you think you should have received this payment but you haven’t, you can report a missing cost of living payment using this form.

Make sure you’re getting the benefits you’re entitled to

You can use the Turn2Us benefits calculator to check if you’re eligible for any benefits.

Find out more about the support available for disabled adults, carers and parents of disabled children:

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This content was last reviewed in March 2024. We’ll review it again next year.