Am I getting the £300 cost of living payment?

MrJames1981

I still haven't been paid my cost of living payment. The dates are a bit vague..One month, I would qualify and the other month I would not. 

However, I did get a hardship payment-which I understand does make you eligible. 

Here are the pictures of the qualifying periods, I believe are correct? 

Largs

You would be better asking over on the benefit area as this is the banking area.  Are you not able to ask UC through the journal?

MSE_ForumTeam5

We've moved this to a more appropriate part of the forum

poppy12345

That’s not the assessment period that qualifies you. To qualify you need to have been entitled to a payment of UC for an assessment period that ended between 18th August and 17th September. 

For you then you need to look at your assessment period between 26th July and 25th August. If you were entitled to a payment of UC for 2nd September then you qualify, if you weren’t then you don’t qualify.

I see your payment for 2nd Sept was zero, was it reduced due to earnings? 

You maybe eligible if you received a hardship payment https://www.gov.uk/guidance/cost-of-living-payment#low-income-benefits-and-tax-credits-cost-of-living-payment-eligibility

Spoonie_Turtle

poppy12345 said:

You maybe eligible if you received a hardship payment https://www.gov.uk/guidance/cost-of-living-payment#low-income-benefits-and-tax-credits-cost-of-living-payment-eligibility

My interpretation of that section is, if you received a hardship payment and repaying it made your award nil for that assessment period, you still qualify.

That section there to clarify different reasons for a nil award is handy!  Should save a lot of confusion.

MrJames1981

poppy12345 said:

That’s not the assessment period that qualifies you. To qualify you need to have been entitled to a payment of UC for an assessment period that ended between 18th August and 17th September. 

For you then you need to look at your assessment period between 26th July and 25th August. If you were entitled to a payment of UC for 2nd September then you qualify, if you weren’t then you don’t qualify.

I see your payment for 2nd Sept was zero, was it reduced due to earnings? 

It was a sanction. I suppose I'll have to just wait and see, But not holding out much hope! 

Spoonie_Turtle

MrJames1981 said:

poppy12345 said:

That’s not the assessment period that qualifies you. To qualify you need to have been entitled to a payment of UC for an assessment period that ended between 18th August and 17th September. 

For you then you need to look at your assessment period between 26th July and 25th August. If you were entitled to a payment of UC for 2nd September then you qualify, if you weren’t then you don’t qualify.

I see your payment for 2nd Sept was zero, was it reduced due to earnings? 

It was a sanction. I suppose I'll have to just wait and see, But not holding out much hope! 

That's explicitly a reason you won't be eligible then, sorry.  From the link poppy provided:

"When you will not be eligible: DWP benefits

You will not be eligible for the Cost of Living Payment if your benefit is reduced to £0 for the qualifying period. This is sometimes called a ‘nil award’.

Reasons your benefit may be reduced to £0 include:

…

• you got a ‘sanction’ because you did not do something you agreed in your claimant commitment"

HillStreetBlues

Spoonie_Turtle said:

poppy12345 said:

You maybe eligible if you received a hardship payment https://www.gov.uk/guidance/cost-of-living-payment#low-income-benefits-and-tax-credits-cost-of-living-payment-eligibility

My interpretation of that section is, if you received a hardship payment and repaying it made your award nil for that assessment period, you still qualify.

That section there to clarify different reasons for a nil award is handy!  Should save a lot of confusion.

I'm not saying you are incorrect but do think it's as clear as mud.
I would have though it would state "you had a hardship repayment" Like so often a Government site open to interpretation.

Spoonie_Turtle

HillStreetBlues said:

Spoonie_Turtle said:

poppy12345 said:

You maybe eligible if you received a hardship payment https://www.gov.uk/guidance/cost-of-living-payment#low-income-benefits-and-tax-credits-cost-of-living-payment-eligibility

My interpretation of that section is, if you received a hardship payment and repaying it made your award nil for that assessment period, you still qualify.

That section there to clarify different reasons for a nil award is handy!  Should save a lot of confusion.

I'm not saying you are incorrect but do think it's as clear as mud.
I would have though it would state "you had a hardship repayment" Like so often a Government site open to interpretation.

Yeah, it was based on the context (i.e. in the section of 'you had a nil payment' but not in the 'you won't qualify' section) but I'm aware it's ambiguous - which is why I said it was my interpretation, rather than just straight up saying that's what it means