Government announces 2023 cost-of-living support payment dates for disabled and low-income families

3 mins read

Tuesday 3 January 2023

Tags: energy bills, cost of living, out of energy, support package


[Update: see our more recent news stories on precise cost-of-living payment dates:

Or see all our cost of living advice.]


A £900 cost-of-living payment for people on means-tested benefits will be paid in three instalments across 2023/24, the government has announced today.

Eligible claimants will receive £301 in spring 2023; £300 in autumn 2023; and a further £299 in spring 2024. These payments will be made separately from your benefit.

The £900 support package applies to households claiming one of the following:

You will not get a payment if you get new-style ESA, contributory ESA or new-style JSA unless you also receive Universal Credit.

£150 disability support payment

An additional £150 payment for each individual on a disability benefit will be paid this summer. Exact payment windows will be announced closer to the time.

This includes Disability Living Allowance (DLA) and Personal Independence Payment (PIP) claimants, as well as their Scottish equivalents Child Disability Payment and Adult Disability Payment.

These cost-of-living support payments formed part of Chancellor Jeremy Hunt’s Autumn Statement, alongside a £300 payment for pensioners that will arrive in winter 2023/24.

Energy price cap changes

In his statement, Hunt also announced that the Energy Price Guarantee, which caps the price of the average domestic energy bill on the variable rate, will be extended for a further 12 months from April 2023. But it will become less generous, with the average bill in 2023/24 being capped at £3,000 rather than the current £2500.

It is also important to be aware that this cap is not a limit on your energy bill. It is a limit on what the supplier can charge for each unit of energy, so that average usage at that unit rate won’t exceed £2,500. If your energy usage is higher than average, your bill could exceed £2,500.