How people in Leeds can access the £300 one-off pensioner cost of living payment announced by Rishi Sunak

Chancellor Rishi Sunak has announced a set of measures to help people cope with the cost of living crisis, including an extra £300 for pensioner households across the UK.

Sunak told the Commons yesterday (26 May): “From the autumn we will send over eight million pensioner households who receive the winter fuel payment an extra one-off pensioner cost-of-living payment of £300.”

The government has stated that pensioners are disproportionately impacted by higher energy costs, so pensioner households will receive an extra £300 this year to help them cover the rising cost of energy this winter.

Here is who is eligible for the £300 and when it will be distributed.

Who is entitled to the £300 pensioner benefit?

People will be eligible for this payment if they are over state pension age (aged 66 or above).

There are certain circumstances where an individual above state pension age does not qualify for the winter fuel payment, including the following:

- you are in hospital getting free treatment for more than a year

- you need permission to enter the UK and your granted leave states that you cannot claim public funds

- you were in prison for the whole week from 20 to 26 September 2021

-you lived in a care home for the whole time from 28 June to 26 September 2021, and got Pension Credit, Income Support, income-based Jobseeker’s Allowance (JSA) or income-related Employment and Support Allowance (ESA)

When will I receive the payment?

This additional one-off payment will be paid between Monday 19 September and Sunday 25 September this year.

The government will make these payments directly to households across the UK; for most pensioner households, this will be paid by direct debit.

Will it affect my disability benefits?

The £300 will go to the over 8 million pensioner households across the UK, and will be paid on top of any other one-off support a pensioner household is entitled to, for example where they are on pension credit or receive disability benefits.

Eligible households currently receive between £200 to £300, so the payment will represent at least double the support for this winter.