CoL Payment Timings - DWP provides additional Info

Newcad

There are a couple of threads about the CoL payments and timings, rather than put this in each I've put it here.

In reply to a Freedom of Information request the DWP have stated (in their usual long winded way) that the intention was/is that the vast majority of  CoL payments would be made in the first week of the announced 3-week period, with an extra 2 weeks given for manual processing if needed.

So the same can be expected with the 2 future CoL payments.

They also say that no particular DWP benefit is prioritised for payment, a batch of payments contains a pro-rata number of the different DWP benefits.
In other words the timing of when you get your payment does not depend on which DWP benefit(s) you get. Each benefit is treated equally.
(Tax Credits are different - they are HMRC benefits not the DWP).

You can read the DWPs reply here: https://www.whatdotheyknow.com/request/cost_of_living_payment_timing#incoming-2306508

TBH I'm not sure why they couldn't have simply stated all of that on their CoL webpage in the first place. (Maybe they will add it now?).

TimeLord1

HMRC probably use people's National Insurance number and work down that coding. Very erratic some of the payments and no breakdown just a lump payment. I think I've had council, cold weather payment, Cost of living payment and money off energy bills.  So trying to work out any system is confusing.  I guess they'll be making mistakes and already have. 

born_again

I think not matter what they put on the website. (How many actually look) People will always be asking why have I not got my payment yet, on the 1st day.

In reality this is a bonus, not something to rely on, so expect the last day & hope for sooner. 

Think we got ours after a few days.

kkkklinky

This confirms what I already knew, the DWP have stated on their blog on every COL, that 99% usually get it during the first week - 10 days. What a lot of others didn't know is that the automated payments are sent out during the first week and then it's manual processing after that. I read somewhere else that 40% of people who don't get it during the 99% period end up having to report a missing payment(which doesn't surprise me since these claims have to be detected by the staff and are likely to be missed). So it seems people who don't get the payment during the first week or so have a good reason to be worried about non payment.

I originally posted about this and was told the exact same thing by ESA 2 weeks ago.