UK Help Desk – DWP & Insurance Updates brings you the latest confirmed UK updates on the September 2025 £299 Cost of Living Payment. Find out who qualifies automatically, the payment dates, and how you can still claim if eligible. This video covers Universal Credit, Pension Credit, ESA, JSA, Income Support, PIP and Tax Credits. All information is accurate and based on official DWP and UK government updates. Stay informed with the latest UK benefits news and cost of living help.
More details can be found on the official UK Government website: https://www.gov.uk
00:00If you receive universal credit, pension credit, ESA or PIP, you could have an extra £299 landing in your bank account in just a few weeks, but here is the part nobody is telling you.
00:10Thousands of people are about to miss it completely because they do not realize the qualifying dates are closing faster than expected.
00:16This is not a rumor, it is confirmed, and if you switch off now, you could lose the last cost of living payment of 2025 worth hundreds of pounds.
00:24Welcome, my name is Imran and you are watching UK Help Desk DWP and Insurance Updates.
00:29In the next few minutes, I will explain exactly when the September £299 payment is coming, who will get it automatically, and the one step you can still take to secure it even if you think you have missed out.
00:40People are already asking why some households will see it weeks earlier than others and whether more payments are on the way.
00:45So stay with me right until the end because every detail matters.
00:49Let's start with the urgency.
00:51The Department for Work and Pensions has confirmed this £299 as the final cost of living payment in the current scheme.
00:57Once this payment window closes, there will be no more under this schedule.
01:01The only way to get it is to have been entitled to a qualifying benefit during the official eligibility dates, which are now fixed and cannot be changed later.
01:08The reason many people lose out is simple.
01:10They either delay claiming pension credit, do not realize universal credit counts, even if they are working, or they mistakenly think disability benefits alone are enough when in fact the qualifying rules are slightly different.
01:21Right now, millions of people meet the criteria and will get it automatically.
01:26This includes anyone who is receiving universal credit, pension credit, income-related ESA income-based JSA, or income support during the eligibility period.
01:34It also includes certain tax credit claimants, but HMRC pays those separately and usually a little later than DWP if you qualify through both systems.
01:43DWP will normally make the payment, and here is something important to understand.
01:48The payment will not arrive on the same day for everyone.
01:50DWP has a staggered schedule, starting with universal credit, then moving to legacy benefits like ESA and JSA, and finally HMRC handles tax credits.
01:59This means your neighbor might get it days before you, and that is completely normal.
02:03But it also means you should not panic if it does not land on the very first day.
02:07The payment itself will appear separately on your bank statement with a clear label such as DWP Culp or HMRC Culp.
02:13It is tax-free, it does not need to be repaid, and it will not affect any of your other benefit payments.
02:19You do not need to apply if you already receive the qualifying benefit the system is designed to pay you automatically.
02:24But let's talk about how you can still qualify if you think you might have missed the eligibility window.
02:28This is where pension credit comes in.
02:31If you are over state pension age and you apply for pension credit now, your claim can be backdated for up to three months.
02:37That means if the backdated period covers the qualifying dates, you could still receive the £299 even though the payment is in September.
02:44This is one of the most overlooked ways to secure this money, and thousands miss it every year simply because they did not apply in time.
02:50While we are on this, there is another opportunity many do not know about.
02:54Local councils across England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland are still distributing household support fund grants in some areas.
03:01These are separate from the cost of living payment, but can be worth anywhere from £50 to over £200 depending on your situation.
03:08If you combine that with a £299 national payment, you could be getting over £500 in extra help this autumn.
03:15But these local grants have tight deadlines, and once the funds are used up, that is it.
03:20Now, I want to quickly cover one of the most common concerns.
03:24What if you are working?
03:24Many working people on low incomes qualify for universal credit.
03:28And if you received it during the eligibility dates, you will still get the £299.
03:33This payment is not limited to people who are unemployed.
03:35Similarly, if you are on ESA due to illness or disability, you qualify if it is income-related ESA, but not if it is contribution-based ESA alone.
03:45This small detail trips people up, so make sure you know which type you have.
03:49Scams are another big issue right now.
03:51Criminals are sending texts and emails pretending to be from the DWP or HMRC, saying you must click a link to claim your cost of living payment.
03:59Ignore them.
04:00The real payment is automatic.
04:01The government will never ask you for your bank details by text or email for this.
04:05If you fall for a scam, your payment will not be replaced, and your bank account could be drained.
04:10People are also asking if this will be the last cost of living payment ever.
04:14The official line is that this is the last in the current plan.
04:17Future payments will depend on decisions in the autumn statement or the next budget.
04:20That is why making sure you qualify for this one is so critical.
04:23There is no guarantee of more after September.
04:26I want to stress one more thing before we wrap up.
04:28In some cases, households with more than one eligible person could receive separate payments.
04:33For example, if two people in the same home both receive qualifying benefits in their own name, they could each get £299.
04:39This is not common, but it happens, and it is worth checking your household's situation to see if you could be entitled to more than you expect.
04:47So here is the action plan.
04:48First, check if you are receiving one of the qualifying benefits.
04:52Second, if you are over state pension age and not on pension credit, apply now to use the backdating rule.
04:57Third, see if your local council has extra support available.
05:01Fourth, mark the payment window in your calendar and watch your bank account.
05:05And finally, ignore any messages telling you to claim online through unofficial links.
05:09September 2025's £299 payment could be a lifeline during a time when prices are still high and budgets are stretched thin.
05:16Do not let it pass you by simply because you did not know the rules or missed the qualifying dates.
05:21Thank you for watching UK Helpdesk, DWP and Insurance Updates.
05:25I am Imran, and I will be here with you every step of the way to make sure you never miss an important DWP payment or benefit change.
05:32If you found this video useful, please subscribe, hit the like button, and share it so others can benefit too.
05:37Thank you so much for watching UK Helpdesk, DWP and Insurance Updates.
05:46I am Imran.
05:47That's all for today's update.
05:49I really hope this has helped clear things up for you.
05:54If you found it useful, give it a thumbs up, share it with friends or family who might benefit, and don't forget to subscribe so you never miss an important update.
06:09I am Imran, and I will see you in the next video.
