Get help with the cost of living

If you’re eligible, the government will send you:

• a payment of £300 in autumn 2023 

• a payment of £299 during spring 2024

To get these payments, you’ll need to be eligible for certain benefits. We’ll update our advice when the government have announced more information about who’s eligible.

The government have already given 3 Cost of Living Payments to people who get certain benefits. The government sent the last payment between 25 April and 17 May 2023 - this was a payment of £301.

If you didn't get the latest Cost of Living Payment

You should have got this payment if you get any of the following benefits:

• Universal Credit

• Pension Credit

• Working Tax Credit

• Child Tax Credit

• income-based Jobseekers Allowance

• income-related Employment and Support Allowance

• Income Support

You’ll have only got one £301 payment - even if you get more than 1 of these benefits. 

To get the latest payment you must have either:

• been entitled to a benefits payment on any day between 26 January and 25 February 2023

• started a successful benefit claim by 25 February 2023 - or by 26 January 2023 if you're applying for Universal Credit

If you’re waiting for a decision on your benefits claim, you won’t get the Cost of Living Payment until your claim is successful.

If your benefits are paid to someone else, like your landlord, you should still have got the Cost of Living Payment.

If you think you should have received a Cost of Living Payment, you can report a missing payment on GOV.UK.

The government gave a £150 Cost of Living Payment to people getting disability benefits between 20 June and 4 July 2023.

You would have been eligible for this one-off payment if you get any of the following benefits:

• Disability Living Allowance

• Personal Independence Payment

• Attendance Allowance

• Armed Forces Independence Payment

• Constant Attendance Allowance

• War Pension Mobility Supplement

To get this payment you must have:

• been getting one of these benefits on 1 April 2023

• applied for one of these benefits by 1 April 2023 - you won't get the payment until your claim is successful

If you haven't received a previous Cost of Living Payment

If you think you should have received a Cost of Living Payment, you can report a missing payment on GOV.UK.

You'll either get a £300 or £150 Cost of Living Payment, depending on your situation. You'll get this at the same time as your usual Winter Fuel Payment from November 2023.

You’ll get a £300 Cost of Living Payment if you live either:

• on your own 

• with people who don’t qualify for a Winter Fuel Payment

If you live with someone else who qualifies for the Winter Fuel Payment, the amount you’ll get depends on whether either of you get any of the following:

• Pension Credit

• income-related Employment Support Allowance

• income-based Jobseeker's Allowance

If either you or the person you live with gets one of these benefits, you’ll both get £300 - as long as you’re not partners. If you’re partners, you’ll only get one £300 payment.

If neither of you gets one of these benefits, you’ll both get £150.

If you live in residential care and qualify for the Winter Fuel Payment, you'll get £150 unless you get any of these benefits.

Check if you need to apply for Winter Fuel Payments

You're usually entitled to Winter Fuel Payments if you’re of State Pension age in the third week of September. The State Pension age is 66.

You should start getting the Winter Fuel Payment automatically once you reach State Pension age. You might need to apply if you're in one of these situations:

• you don't get State Pension

• you don't get another benefit

• you live in the EU, Switzerland, Norway, Iceland or Liechtenstein

You can find out how to apply for the Winter Fuel Payment on GOV.UK.

There are things you can do if you’re struggling to pay your rent and bills.

You can check what help and support you can get with your rent and bills.

If you're struggling to pay for food, you might be able to get a referral to a food bank.

You can find out how to get help from a food bank.

If you have a child or are pregnant

You might be able to get a Healthy Start card to help you buy certain types of milk, infant formula, fruit and vegetables.

To get the Healthy Start card you must be at least 10 weeks pregnant or have a child under 4 years old. You must also be getting either:

• Universal Credit - but only if your household earns £408 a month or less

• Income Support

• income-based Jobseeker’s Allowance

• income-related Employment and Support Allowance - but only if you're pregnant

• Pension Credit

• Child Tax Credit - but only if your household earns £16,190 a year or less

If you get Child Tax Credit, you can’t get the card if you also get Working Tax Credit - unless you get the ‘run-on’ payment. Working Tax Credit run-on is the payment you get for 4 weeks after you stop qualifying for Working Tax Credit.

With the Healthy Start card you’ll get:

• £4.25 each week from week 10 of your pregnancy

• £8.50 each week for children from birth to 1 year old

• £4.25 each week for children between 1 and 4 years old

• free vitamins 

You can apply for the Healthy Start scheme on the NHS website.

You might be able to get help paying for NHS charges, for example:

• prescriptions

• dental treatment

• sight tests, glasses and contact lenses

• travel to NHS treatment

Check if you can get help with health costs on the NHS website.

If you pay for regular prescriptions

If you can’t get help to pay for your prescriptions, you might be able to save money by buying a prepayment certificate. 

You’ll pay a fixed price for either 3 or 12 months. This will cover the cost of all the prescriptions you need during that time.

You can buy a prepayment certificate for unlimited prescriptions for:

• £31.25 for 3 months

• £111.60 for 12 months - you can pay this in 10 instalments of £11.16

You can buy a prepayment certificate on the NHS website.

If you’ve been prescribed hormone replacement therapy (HRT)

If you already have a prepayment certificate for other medicines, it covers the cost of your HRT.

If you only need a certificate for HRT, you might be able to save money. You can get an HRT prescription prepayment certificate -  it costs £19.30 for 12 months.

The certificate only covers certain HRT medicines. Check if your HRT medicine is covered on the NHS website. If you have HRT medicines that aren’t covered, you’ll have to pay for them or buy a normal prepayment certificate.

You can buy an HRT prescription prepayment certificate on the NHS website.

If you're disabled, you might be able to get extra support with your energy and water. You can check how to get free advice about energy and water bills on the Scope website.

You might be able to get help if:

• your child is at school

• your child is in childcare

• you’re pregnant or you’ve recently had a baby

If your child is at school

If you’re on a low income or claim certain benefits, you might be able to get help with the costs of sending your children to school.

For example, you could get:

• free school meals

• free transport to school

• a grant to help to buy school clothes or uniforms

• help with school trips

If your child is in childcare 

If you’re on a low income or claim certain benefits, you might be able to get help with childcare costs. For example:

• if you work and claim Universal Credit, you might be able to claim back up to 85% of your childcare costs - you could get up to £950.92 a month for 1 child under 17 or £1,630.15 for 2 or more children

• if you have a 2 year old, you might be able to claim up to 15 hours of free childcare a week

If you work, you might be able to claim Tax-Free Childcare. This is a government scheme that helps parents with childcare costs like holiday clubs, childminders and nurseries. You can get up to:

• £2,000 a year for each child under 12

• £4,000 a year for each disabled child under 17

You won’t be able to receive Child Tax Credit, Working Tax Credit, Universal Credit or childcare vouchers if you get Tax-Free Childcare. Work out which option is best for you before applying.

If you have a 3 or 4 year old, you can get up to 570 free hours of early education or childcare a year. If you work, you might be able to claim more.

Check what help you’re eligible for on the UK government’s Childcare Choices website.

If you’re pregnant or have a baby

You could get a one-off payment of £500 to help towards the costs of having a baby. You usually qualify if you get certain benefits and are having your first baby - you have to claim before your baby is 6 months old. Find out how to apply for a Sure Start Maternity Grant on GOV.UK.

You might be able to get support from a local baby bank - these offer free essentials like nappies, toys, shoes and clothes. 

Some food banks also provide nappies, baby wipes and baby food. 

Search online to find your nearest baby bank or food bank - or speak to your midwife or health visitor. 

Find out more about maternity pay and parental rights.

Contact your local council to check if they offer free or discounted travel - for example, if you’re:

• in education

• on a work placement

• unemployed and looking for work

• a veteran

You can find your local council on GOV.UK.

If you’re over State Pension age, you can get free bus travel. Apply for an older person's bus pass on GOV.UK.

If you’re 60 or over and live in London, you can get free travel on London’s transport services. You can apply for a 60+ London Oyster photocard on the TFL website.

If you’re disabled, you might be able to apply for a bus pass or railcard. You can check if you can get help with the cost of transport.

If you’re using a food bank, you might be able to ask for some things, like pet food. Check with your local food bank if they’re able to help.

You can also check if there’s a pet food bank in your area. Ask your local vet or pet shop, or search online for 'pet food bank' and your local town.

You might be able to find free pet food collection points at your local supermarket, pet store or animal charity.

Get help with vet care

You might be eligible for free or reduced vet care from Blue Cross if you:

• get certain means-tested benefits

• live close to one of their hospitals or clinics

Check if you can get free or reduced vet care on the Blue Cross website.

You also might be able to get free or reduced vet care from charities such as RSPCA and PDSA.

Check if you can get free or reduced vet care on the RSPCA website.

Check if you can get free or reduced vet care on the PDSA website.

Get help with vet bills

If you’re struggling to pay your vet bills, talk to your vet about payment options - like reducing the bill or setting up a payment plan.

If you can’t set up an affordable payment plan, you should get debt advice. Your vet might decide to stop treating your pet if you owe money.