Six million disabled people to get £150 cost-of-living payment from next month
The one-off payment will be paid automatically to people who receive certain disability benefits from September 20, the DWP said.
Your support helps us to tell the story
From reproductive rights to climate change to Big Tech, The Independent is on the ground when the story is developing. Whether it's investigating the financials of Elon Musk's pro-Trump PAC or producing our latest documentary, 'The A Word', which shines a light on the American women fighting for reproductive rights, we know how important it is to parse out the facts from the messaging.
At such a critical moment in US history, we need reporters on the ground. Your donation allows us to keep sending journalists to speak to both sides of the story.
The Independent is trusted by Americans across the entire political spectrum. And unlike many other quality news outlets, we choose not to lock Americans out of our reporting and analysis with paywalls. We believe quality journalism should be available to everyone, paid for by those who can afford it.
Your support makes all the difference.Around six million disabled people will receive a £150 cost-of-living payment from the end of next month, the Government has said.
The one-off payment, announced in May, will be paid automatically to people who receive certain disability benefits from September 20, the Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) said.
The majority of eligible people will receive their payment within a couple of weeks of this date, it added.
The payment is intended to help disabled people with the rising cost of living and the higher costs they face, such as for care and mobility needs.
We know it’s a worrying time for some people and I’d urge them to check they are getting all the support on offer by searching Help for Households
It comes on top of other cost-of-living payments totalling £650 for disabled people on low incomes.
All households will receive £400 to help towards energy bills, and an extra £150 for properties in council tax bands A-D in England.
Overall, the Government has announced a £37 billion package of support to help people with rising costs.
Minister for disabled people, health and work Chloe Smith said: “We know disabled people can face additional costs, which is why we are acting to help reduce the financial pressures on the most vulnerable.
“This £150 disability payment is on top of the £1,200 most low-income benefit claimants will also receive and alongside wider support targeted at disabled people, including help with transport and prescription costs.
“We know it’s a worrying time for some people and I’d urge them to check they are getting all the support on offer by searching Help for Households.”
Ms Smith, appearing on LBC on Tuesday morning, insisted that the Government was still working to support the most vulnerable but she was not able to share details of those efforts.
“The next prime minister will want to look at all of this extremely closely and the work that is presently going on in Government to look ahead to the challenges that come next is what will then be on the desk of that incoming prime minister, and I think that’s perfectly understandable,” she said.
“I can’t pre-empt that for you right now. I can’t write the emergency budget.”
Chancellor Nadhim Zahawi said: “We know that rising prices faced by many countries around the world are a significant worry for many people here in the UK, especially those most vulnerable to additional costs.
“Today’s announcement that disabled people will begin to receive an additional £150 payment from the end of September reinforces our commitment to help UK households through the challenging times ahead.”