Many people’s finances are still severely stretched by the cost of living crisis,as inflation remains stubbornly high.
Experts have warned of a ‘tough’ and ‘scary’ time ahead for UK households despite a larger-than-predicted fall in inflation.
Prices are rising at a rate of 7.9% – so although this is lower than the rise of 8.2% in June, the key is they are still rising.
Add in the relentless energy bills and other household essentials, and it easy to see why money worries are a cause of stress for so many.
So keeping an eye on your finances is the smart way to go, and for those awaiting Cost of Living payments and other benefits, here are the key Department of Work and Pensions (DWP) dates and changes you need to know about for September.
Changes to benefit payment dates
Benefit payment dates usually change if there is a bank holiday, with payments being made early.
There are no bank holidays in September, so benefit payments should arrive at their usual times. If your payment date is on a weekend or a bank holiday you’ll usually be paid on the working day before. This may be different for tax credits and Child Benefit.
However, in Scotland there are two local holidays in September which the DWP warns may delay Child Benefit payments if you live in these areas:
- Edinburgh – local holiday on September 18
- Glasgow and Aberdeen – local holiday on September 25
How often are benefit payments made?
- Attendance Allowance – usually every four weeks
- Carer’s Allowance – weekly in advance or every four weeks
- Child Benefit – usually every four weeks – or weekly if you’re a single parent or you or your partner get certain benefits
- Disability Living Allowance – usually every four weeks
- Employment and Support Allowance – usually every two weeks
- Income Support – usually every two weeks
- Jobseeker’s Allowance – usually every two weeks
- Pension Credit – usually every four weeks
- Personal Independence Payment – usually every four weeks
- State Pension – usually every four weeks
- Tax credits, such as Working Tax Credit – every four weeks or weekly
- Universal Credit – every month
Cost of Living payments
Those eligible for the Cost of Living payments will be receiving at least one of the following benefits:
- Universal Credit
- Income-based Jobseekers’ Allowance
- Income-related Employment and Support Allowance
- Income Support
- Working Tax Credit
- Child Tax Credit
- Pension Credit
The three payments, totalling £900, were announced by the Chancellor in his Autumn statement back in late 2022, and the first £301 began rolling out in late April through to mid May.
According to the DWP, the second payment of £300 will arrive in autumn 2023 for most people.
No exact payment date has been announced at the time of writing, but it is expected to be around September or October.
How to report a missing Cost of Living payment
Payments are made automatically, so there is no need to apply, but if you feel you are eligible and can’t see a payment in your bank or building society account (wherever your benefits are normally paid), you can report it at gov.uk.
Your payment might come later, for example if you’re awarded a qualifying benefit at a later date or you change the account your benefit is paid into.
Child Benefit
If your child who lives with you has recently turned 16 and is not returning to education or training this September, then your Child Benefit will stop from August 31.
To continue receiving the benefit from September, they must be in full-time education (more than an average of 12 hours a week supervised study or course-related work experience) and can include:
- A levels or similar, for example Pre-U, International Baccalaureate
- T levels
- Scottish Highers
- NVQs and other vocational qualifications up to level 3
- Home education – if it started before your child turned 16 or after 16 if they have special needs
- Traineeships in England
They must be accepted onto the course before they turn 19, and advanced courses such as a university degree or BTEC Higher National Certificate, or if a course is paid for by an employer, do not count.
You should have received a letter via their school asking you to confirm their plans, which you can also tell HMRC online.
Household Support Fund extension
This scheme is still running throughout September until 2024 and provides small payments to allow daily needs such as food, utilities and clothing to be covered by cash payments or voucher schemes.
You can search for ‘household support fund’ on your local council’s website to see what is on offer and who is eligible.
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