Universal Credit payments of £650 due in WEEKS – everything you need to know and how to claim

MILLIONS of claimants on Universal Credit and other benefits are set to receive their first cost of living payment within weeks.

Today Ministers are tweaking the law to put more cash in poorer Brits' bank accounts to help ease the pinch.

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In total, millions of Brits are set to get at least £1,200 from the Government this year to help with rising costs.

When will the cash come?

The first instalment of £326 will land in people's bank accounts on July 14.

The second bung of £324 will follow in the autumn, on a date to be confirmed.

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Ministers have made the payments slightly uneven to minimise the risk of fraud "from those who may seek to exploit this system".

In total, millions of Brits are set to get at least £1,200 from the Government this year to help with rising costs.

That includes a £150 council tax rebate already dished out.

And everyone is set to get a £400 energy bill rebate later this year too.

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Pensioners will be able to get £300 extra, and disabled people another £150 on top of the £650 cash help - but there's no date for these payments yet.

Who is eligible?

More than eight million Brits will be eligible for the cost of living payments.

To be eligible for the help. claimants need to be in receipt of Universal Credit, Income-based Jobseekers Allowance, Income-related Employment and Support Allowance, Income Support, Working Tax Credit, Child Tax Credit and Pension Credit as of 25 May 2022.

Anyone getting tax credits will get the cash later to avoid people getting paid twice if they get other benefits on top of tax credits.

The first cost of living payment for those on tax credits, and not getting any DWP benefit, will go out from autumn 2022 and the second payment from winter 2022.

Will it affect benefits?

The cost of living payment will be tax-free, will not count towards the benefit cap, and will not have any impact on existing benefit awards.

DWP chief Thérèse Coffey said: "With millions of the lowest-income households soon seeing the first of two cash installments land into their bank accounts, we are taking action to directly help families with the cost of living."

And Chancellor Rishi Sunak added: “We have a responsibility to protect those who are paying the highest price for rising inflation, and we are stepping up to help.

"I said we would stand by people when they needed help, and we are.”