Universal Credit Cost of Living Payment: When Will It Be Paid?

There is no Universal Credit Cost of Living Payment due in 2026. The Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) says it is not planning any more Cost of Living Payments.

The final low-income payment was £299, paid to most eligible Universal Credit claimants between 6 and 22 February 2024.

If you are seeing claims about a new £299, £300 or other DWP Cost of Living Payment, check them against the official Cost of Living Payment guidance before relying on the information.

When Will the Next Universal Credit Cost of Living Payment Be Paid?

At present, there is no next payment date.

GOV.UK states that there will be no Cost of Living Payment for 2026 and that no further payments are currently planned. This includes people receiving Universal Credit.

That is different from your normal Universal Credit payment. Universal Credit continues to be paid according to your usual monthly schedule.

After your first payment, it is normally paid on the same calendar date each month. If that date falls on a weekend or bank holiday, it is generally paid on the working day before.

For example, changes to ordinary payments around public holidays are covered in our guide to August benefit payment dates.

An early or changed Universal Credit payment date should therefore not be interpreted as a new Cost of Living Payment.

When Was the Last Cost of Living Payment Paid?

The final low-income Cost of Living Payment was £299.

For most eligible Universal Credit claimants, it was paid between 6 February and 22 February 2024.

To qualify through Universal Credit, you generally needed to have been entitled to a payment for an assessment period ending between 13 November and 12 December 2023.

Previous Universal Credit Cost of Living Payment Dates

The low-income Cost of Living Payment scheme ran across 2022, 2023 and early 2024.

Payment	Universal Credit qualifying assessment period ended	Payment window for most eligible UC claimants
£326	26 April to 25 May 2022	14 to 31 July 2022
£324	26 August to 25 September 2022	8 to 23 November 2022
£301	26 January to 25 February 2023	25 April to 17 May 2023
£300	18 August to 17 September 2023	31 October to 19 November 2023
£299	13 November to 12 December 2023	6 to 22 February 2024

These dates relate specifically to Universal Credit. Tax-credit-only claimants had some different payment windows because their payments were administered by HM Revenue & Customs.

Anyone checking broader benefit payment timings can also see our June benefits payment schedule.

Who Was Eligible for the £299 Cost of Living Payment?

Universal Credit was one of several qualifying means-tested benefits.

The previous scheme also covered eligible people receiving:

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

New Style ESA, contributory ESA and New Style JSA on their own did not qualify someone for the low-income Cost of Living Payments.

For the £299 Universal Credit payment, the key requirement was generally entitlement to a Universal Credit payment for an assessment period ending between 13 November and 12 December 2023.

If you had a joint Universal Credit claim with a partner, the household did not receive two £299 payments simply because two people were named on the claim. The official rules provided for a single payment for a qualifying joint claim.

Did You Need to Apply for the Payment?

No.

Eligible Cost of Living Payments were paid automatically using the same payment method as the qualifying benefit or tax credits. They were also not taxable and did not reduce the benefits or tax credits someone was otherwise entitled to receive.

That makes messages claiming you must fill in a new form, pay a fee or provide banking details to unlock a Cost of Living Payment a warning sign.

GOV.UK specifically advises that a message asking you to apply or contact someone about such a payment could be a scam.

Be particularly cautious about supposed secret payments or loopholes. Our guide to Universal Credit payment myths explains why a genuine advance should not be confused with free extra DWP money.

Why Might You Not Have Received a Cost of Living Payment?

Receiving Universal Credit at some point during 2023 or 2024 did not automatically guarantee the £299 payment.

The qualifying assessment period mattered.

Your Universal Credit Award Was Nil

DWP guidance says someone was generally not eligible if their qualifying benefit was reduced to £0 for the relevant period — sometimes called a nil award.

Reasons could include:

• higher earnings for you or your partner;
• receiving more than one earnings payment within the assessment period;
• increased savings;
• starting another benefit; or
• a sanction that reduced the qualifying benefit to zero.

There were exceptions. For example, GOV.UK says someone could still qualify in certain circumstances where money was taken from the benefit for other reasons, or where they received a hardship payment connected with a sanction.

Your Claim Fell Outside the Qualifying Period

The scheme worked using fixed eligibility periods rather than simply asking whether someone was receiving Universal Credit on the day the money arrived.

That means someone who began receiving Universal Credit shortly after a qualifying period could miss that particular Cost of Living Payment.

Conversely, DWP says a payment could sometimes arrive later where entitlement to the qualifying benefit was established retrospectively.

Your Circumstances Changed

Changes to earnings, savings, household circumstances or another benefit could affect the Universal Credit award during the relevant assessment period.

This is especially important because Cost of Living Payment eligibility was based on the qualifying rules at the time, not on someone’s financial position today.

What Should You Do If a Cost of Living Payment Is Missing?

Most eligible people should have received their payments by now.

If you believe you qualified but cannot find the money in your bank, building society or credit union account, GOV.UK currently advises contacting the office that pays the qualifying benefit or tax credits.

Before contacting DWP, it is sensible to:

1. Check which Cost of Living Payment you believe is missing.
2. Confirm the relevant qualifying period.
3. Review your Universal Credit statements covering that period.
4. Check whether your Universal Credit award was £0.
5. Search your bank statements for the payment.
6. Check whether you changed bank accounts around the payment period.

Being eligible now does not prove that you qualified during the historic assessment period.

If the problem instead relates to your ordinary Universal Credit payment, the steps may be different. Current payment-date changes and what to check when money has not arrived are covered in our guide to Universal Credit migration changes.

Is There Another Cost of Living Payment Coming?

No new nationwide payment has been announced.

As of 12 August 2026, the official position is stronger than simply saying that no date has been confirmed: GOV.UK says there will be no Cost of Living Payment for 2026 and no more payments are planned in the future.

Of course, a future government decision could introduce a new scheme. If that happened, the important details would include:

• who qualifies;
• the qualifying dates;
• the payment amount;
• whether an application is required; and
• the payment window.

Until an official announcement is made, households should not include an assumed Cost of Living Payment in their budgets.

What Support Can Universal Credit Claimants Get Instead?

The end of the national Cost of Living Payment does not mean that all financial assistance has ended.

Universal Credit Advances and Hardship Support

Depending on your circumstances, you may be able to receive an advance, hardship payment or other help through Universal Credit financial support.

These payments are not replacements for the Cost of Living Payment. Many Universal Credit advances must be repaid from future benefit payments.

If you are considering one, our guide to Universal Credit advance rules explains the main types and why repayment matters.

Crisis and Resilience Fund

In England, the Crisis and Resilience Fund replaced the Household Support Fund from April 2026 as a route for local support with essential costs.

Official cost-of-living guidance says local help may include assistance with costs such as food, energy and water bills. Support and eligibility can vary by council.

Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland have separate support arrangements, so check the scheme operating where you live.

Help With Energy Bills

Government cost-of-living guidance says measures introduced from April 2026 are intended to remove an average £150 of costs from household energy bills, with the adjustment happening automatically.

That is separate from the old Cost of Living Payment and should not be described as a new £150 DWP payment.

Cheaper Broadband and Phone Packages

Some benefit claimants may also qualify for discounted broadband or phone packages.

Ofcom says social tariffs are cheaper packages available to people receiving Universal Credit, Pension Credit and certain other benefits.

Checking several forms of support can be more useful than waiting for another national Cost of Living Payment that is not currently planned.

What Does This Mean for Self-Employed Universal Credit Claimants?

Being self-employed did not, by itself, prevent someone from qualifying for the previous Cost of Living Payments.

What mattered was whether you satisfied the qualifying Universal Credit rules during the relevant assessment period.

That distinction is important for sole traders because Universal Credit can respond to changes in monthly business income.

Under current self-employment and Universal Credit rules, monthly earnings are used when calculating entitlement, while the Minimum Income Floor may apply to some gainfully self-employed claimants after an eligible start-up period.

For example, suppose a sole trader normally receives some Universal Credit but has an unusually strong month that results in a £0 award during a historic Cost of Living Payment qualifying assessment period.

That nil award could have affected eligibility for that particular payment.

The important point is that being self-employed was not the exclusion. The Universal Credit award during the relevant qualifying period was what mattered.

Conclusion

There is no Universal Credit Cost of Living Payment scheduled for 2026. DWP says no further payments are currently planned.

The final low-income Cost of Living Payment was £299, paid to most eligible Universal Credit claimants between 6 and 22 February 2024.

If you believe an old payment is missing, check your historic Universal Credit entitlement and the relevant qualifying assessment period before contacting the office responsible for your benefit.

For current financial pressure, it is more useful to check Universal Credit support, local council assistance, energy help and other benefits you may qualify for rather than budgeting for another Cost of Living Payment that has not been announced.

Frequently Asked Questions

Will Universal Credit claimants get another Cost of Living Payment?

Not under the current scheme. GOV.UK states that there will be no Cost of Living Payment in 2026 and no further payments are currently planned.

When was the £299 Cost of Living Payment paid?

Most eligible Universal Credit claimants received the £299 payment between 6 and 22 February 2024. The relevant Universal Credit assessment period had to end between 13 November and 12 December 2023.

Can I still claim a missed Cost of Living Payment?

There is no new application for the scheme. If you believe you were entitled to a historic payment but did not receive it, GOV.UK advises contacting the office that paid your qualifying benefit or tax credits.

Does being self-employed affect Cost of Living Payment eligibility?

Self-employment itself did not disqualify you. For Universal Credit claimants, eligibility depended on whether you met the qualifying benefit rules for the relevant assessment period.

Is the Cost of Living Payment the same as Universal Credit?

No. Cost of Living Payments were temporary additional payments. Universal Credit is an ongoing means-tested benefit with its own monthly assessment and payment cycle.

Did the Cost of Living Payment reduce Universal Credit?

No. GOV.UK says the payments were not taxable and did not affect the benefits or tax credits a claimant received.

Where would a new Cost of Living Payment be announced?

A genuine new national scheme would normally be confirmed through official government or DWP information.

Treat social-media posts or unofficial messages cautiously until the payment amount, eligibility rules and dates appear in official guidance.

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