Are you eligible to receive today’s £301 cost of living payment?

The first of three new cost-of-living payments to help households on low incomes through the inflationary crisis will start to be sent out to bank accounts from today.

More than eight million households will receive the £301 lump sum from the Department for Work and Pensions, with those eligible set to be paid the first instalment at some point between Tuesday and 17 May.

The payments will be received by those in receipt of means-tested benefits.

These include Universal Credit, Pension Credit, Income-based Jobseekers Allowance, Income-related Employment and Support Allowance, Income Support, and tax credits.

This will be followed by two further payments, in the autumn and next spring, bringing the total level of support to £900.

These will also be accompanied by a £150 payment for people on eligible disability benefits this summer, and a £300 payment on top of Winter Fuel Payments for pensioners at the end of 2023, meaning some people will receive up to £1,350.

Those entitled do not need to do apply for the payment or do anything to receive it.

Payments made during this window will be staggered over the next couple of weeks meaning not everyone entitled to receive a payment will receive it on Tuesday.

Once the majority of those who are entitled to a payment by DWP have been paid their first installment, people receiving tax credits only will be paid by HMRC, between 2 and 9 May.

The below chart shows the estimated number of households eligible for the payment by region: