DWP £299 Cost of Living Payment: Who Qualified, When It Was Paid & What It Means Now

If you’re trying to work out whether you should have had the dwp 299 cost of living payment – or you keep seeing posts about it and aren’t sure what’s real – this guide walks you through it in plain English.

We’ll cover who qualified, when it was paid, why some people didn’t get it, whether there’s another payment coming, and what help is still available now.

Understanding the DWP £299 Cost of Living Payment

What exactly is the £299 Cost of Living Payment?

The £299 Cost of Living Payment was the third and final means-tested Cost of Living Payment in the 2023–24 support package for low-income households across the UK.

It formed part of a series of three payments worth up to £900 in total for eligible people on certain means-tested benefits:

So when people online talk about the dwp 299 cost of living payment, they’re usually referring to this third instalment.

Why was this payment introduced?

The £299 payment was part of the government’s wider response to the UK cost of living crisis – high inflation, rising food prices and expensive energy bills, which hit low-income households hardest.

Alongside the means-tested payments, there were:

• Disability Cost of Living Payments (usually £150) for people on certain disability benefits.

• Pensioner Cost of Living Payments added to Winter Fuel Payment for older people.

Each strand had its own rules and qualifying dates – which is one reason there’s so much confusion.

Is the £299 Cost of Living Payment still available now?

No – the £299 payment itself is historic:

• For most people on DWP benefits, it was paid between 6 and 22 February 2024.

• For people on tax credits only, HMRC paid it between 16 and 22 February 2024.

This was the final Cost of Living Payment in the national means-tested scheme for 2023–24 – there isn’t an ongoing rolling series of £299 payments each year.

However, the information still matters if:

• you think you should have had it but didn’t, or

• you’re trying to understand why someone in your household did or didn’t receive it.

Who Qualified for the £299 Cost of Living Payment?

You were generally eligible for the £299 payment if:

• you lived in the UK, and

• you were entitled to at least 1p of a qualifying means-tested benefit, and

• that entitlement fell within the qualifying period: 13 November to 12 December 2023.

Here’s a simplified overview.

Which benefits made you eligible?

You could qualify via DWP or HMRC. The table below shows the main benefits:

If you received both tax credits and, say, Universal Credit, the payment usually came from DWP, not HMRC.

Could you get the £299 payment if you worked?

Yes – being in work didn’t disqualify you.

You could still get the £299 payment if, for example, you:

• worked part-time or full-time, and

• received in-work Universal Credit or tax credits, and

• met the qualifying period rules.

The key is the underlying benefit entitlement, not whether you had a job.

Did people on PIP, DLA or Carer’s Allowance get the £299 payment?

This is one of the most common confusions.

• PIP, DLA, Attendance Allowance, Carer’s Allowance, etc. on their own did not qualify you for the £299 means-tested payment.

• Many disabled people did receive it, but only because they also had a qualifying means-tested benefit (like Universal Credit or income-related ESA) in the right period.

• There was a separate £150 Disability Cost of Living Payment with its own rules.

So if your only benefit was PIP, you wouldn’t usually have had the £299 instalment, unless Pension Credit or another qualifying benefit was also in payment.

What about pensioners and the £299 payment?

For older people, Pension Credit was the main gateway:

• If you (or your partner) were entitled to Pension Credit in the qualifying period, you could get the £299 payment.

• Pensioners were encouraged to claim Pension Credit by early March 2024, because it can be backdated by up to three months – which could bring your entitlement into the 13 November–12 December window and unlock the £299 payment as well.

Even if you missed that deadline, Pension Credit is still worth checking now because of the extra yearly income and other help it can unlock.

When Was the £299 Cost of Living Payment Paid and How Did It Show Up?

For most DWP claimants:

• Payments were made between 6 and 22 February 2024 directly into bank, building society or credit union accounts.

For people on tax credits only:

• HMRC paid the £299 between 16 and 22 February 2024.

On your bank statement, it typically showed up as:

• For DWP: your National Insurance number followed by something like “DWP COL”.

• For HMRC: something like “HMRC COLS” (Cost of Living Support).

The exact wording can vary slightly by payer and bank, so it’s worth scanning all February 2024 entries carefully if you’re unsure.

Did You Need to Apply for the £299 Cost of Living Payment?

No – there was no application form for the £299 instalment.

If you met the eligibility rules, the payment was made automatically, separately from your usual benefit payment. You did not need to contact DWP or HMRC to “claim” it.

That’s why messages saying “Apply here for your £299 payment” are a big red flag for scams (more on that below).

Why some people didn’t receive the £299 payment (even if they expected to)

There are genuine reasons why you might not have received it, even if you had support during the year. Common issues include:

• Your benefit was a “nil award” in the qualifying period – for example because of earnings, an overpayment recovery, or a sanction.

• You received non-qualifying benefits only (for example, contribution-based JSA or new-style ESA without an income-related element).

• Your circumstances changed (moving between benefits, moving in with a partner, or switching from tax credits to Universal Credit) and you didn’t meet the qualifying rules for that specific instalment.

• Your payment was delayed or mis-routed, especially in situations with joint claims or recent changes in bank details.

If you believe you were eligible but never received the £299:

• The first step is to check your benefit entitlement for 13 November–12 December 2023, and

• Then check your February 2024 bank statements for DWP/HMRC cost of living entries.

If you still think it’s missing, there is a process via the DWP or HMRC to report a missing Cost of Living Payment through the official channels for your benefit.

Is There a New DWP £299 Cost of Living Payment in 2025?

Short answer: no – not in the same way as the 2023–24 scheme.

The £299 instalment is widely described as the final means-tested Cost of Living Payment in that UK-wide package.

What has happened since is:

• More targeted support (for example, uprating benefits and the State Pension, changes to Local Housing Allowance, and continued help with energy costs in other ways).

• Extension of local schemes like the Household Support Fund in England, with funding for councils to support vulnerable households.

You might still see social posts or headlines claiming that a “new £299 DWP payment” is coming on a specific date. Often these:

• are recycling old information about the February 2024 payment, or

• are clickbait or low-quality sites looking for traffic, or

• are simply wrong or misleading summaries of other support.

For anything genuinely new, always cross-check with:

• Official government guidance, and

• Reputable charities and advice organisations (for example, Citizens Advice, welfare rights services and well-known benefits charities).

How to Spot Scams About Fake £299 Payments

Because so many people search for the dwp 299 cost of living payment, scammers use this to target you.

Typical scam patterns include:

• Texts, emails or social media messages saying you must “apply now” or “confirm your details” to receive the payment.

• Messages claiming to be from DWP or HMRC that ask you to click a link and enter bank or personal details.

• WhatsApp or Facebook messages promising “extra top-ups” or “fast-track payments” if you fill in a form or pay a fee.

Key reality checks:

• The DWP will not text or email you asking for bank details for a Cost of Living Payment.

• Genuine payments are automatic if you qualify. You do not pay a fee to get them.

• If in doubt, ignore the message and instead go directly to the official government website or call an official number you can independently verify.

If you think you’ve been targeted, services like Action Fraud and Citizens Advice Scam Action have guidance on what to do next.

What Support Can You Get Now the £299 Payment Has Ended?

Even though the dwp 299 cost of living payment itself has finished, there are still other schemes that might help you manage costs.

Here’s a snapshot (availability depends on where you live and your circumstances):

If you’re struggling, a full benefits check and a chat with your local advice organisation can sometimes uncover support you didn’t realise you could claim.

How People Talk About the £299 Cost of Living Payment Online

Here’s how the topic typically appears across popular platforms (described in general, without quoting specific posts).

Reddit – eligibility puzzles and “am I due this?”

On subreddits like r/BenefitsAdviceUK and r/DWPhelp, people often:

• Share complex scenarios (“I started work on this date”, “my UC was £0 that month”) and ask whether they still qualify.

• Get clarifications around nil awards, joint claims and moving from tax credits to Universal Credit.

• Debate the fairness of how tightly the qualifying periods are set.

Reddit: £299 Cost of Living Payment Update

Reddit: Cost of Living Payments Master Thread

Reddit: Cost of Living Payment Discussion

Facebook – confusion, local tips and scam warnings

In Facebook groups and charity pages, typical themes include:

• People asking whether specific benefits (like PIP only) get the £299 payment.

• Local councils, charities and community groups reminding residents to apply for Pension Credit or local hardship schemes.

• Warnings about scam texts or calls pretending to be from DWP or HMRC.

Twitter / X – timing, frustration and news sharing

On X, posts from news outlets, campaigners and individuals often:

• Flag when the payments start landing in bank accounts.

• Emphasise that millions of households received the £299 payment as part of the £900 package.

• Express frustration that the payment was helpful but not enough given ongoing energy and food prices.

What people say actually helps

Across platforms, recurring positive themes include:

• Getting Pension Credit sorted, unlocking both the £299 and longer-term extra income when it applied.

• Using benefit calculators to find overlooked entitlements.

• Accessing local council funds or food/energy schemes, especially via the Household Support Fund.