Low-income households to receive £299 cost of living support in February
Around 400,000 households in Wales could receive a £299 Cost of Living Payment in February as part of UK Government plans to reform welfare.
The third of up to three Cost of Living Payments will be made to eligible people on means-tested benefits between 6 February and 22 February and is part of a support package that has aimed to help households across the UK since July 2022.
Vulnerable
The payments come as the UK Government announced £104 billion will be spent on cost of living support between 2022 and 2025 in November’s Autumn Statement – worth around £3,700 per household.
The Government’s £2.5 billion Back to Work Plan was set up to provide new funding for a range of schemes designed to help people both find and stay in work who are living with disabilities, health conditions, or long-term unemployed.
Jeremy Hunt, Chancellor of the Exchequer, said: “Inflation has halved, but I know some families are particularly vulnerable to cost of living pressures, which is why these payments are so important.
“The best way we can help families is by getting more people into good jobs, including through our Back to Work Plan which will help more than 1 million people look for work and grow the economy.”
Challenge
The DWP also continues to encourage low-income pensioners not already getting Pension Credit to check their eligibility, as they could still qualify for the cost-of-living payment in February.
Welsh Secretary David TC Davies said: “The UK Government knows that the cost of living continues to be a challenge for some people, and we are doing all we can to help those most in need.
“I welcome the news that around 400,000 eligible households in Wales will receive a £299 Cost of Living payment in February, which builds upon the significant support that people across Wales already have received.
“Meanwhile we are continuing our work to bring down inflation, which has already halved, and this will benefit everyone in Wales and around the UK.”
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Thank you very much, but forgive the ingratitude of those who realise that this set of crumbs only meets a fraction of the pain and grief inflicted by the huge wave of inflation, well beyond official figures. Most of that pain and grief was utterly unnecessary, could have been avoided or mitigated by firm action from government and honesty from big corporates.