Cost of living Sheffield: Who will get £326 grant arriving in families' bank accounts starting today

Why is the Government sending out the £326 cost of living grant?

The Government will today (July 14) send out the first rounds of a £650 grant set up to ease the stress of bills on households.

The payments will start today and should all be delivered by the end of the month.

It should mean some of the hardest-up households in the city will get two lump sums to pay bills.

Will I get the £326 cost of living grant?

Eligible families will automatically see £326 arrive in their bank accounts starting today, and should be in by July 31.

The remaining £324 should follow in a second installment in the autumn.

If you only receive tax credits, you will not get the first installment until the autumn, and the second payment will not come until the winter.

The money is available for some 71,100 families in Sheffield.

Households are eligible if they receive any kind of means tested benefits.

This includes Universal Credit, Income-based Jobseekers Allowance, Income-related Employment and Support Allowance, Income Support, Working Tax Credit, Child Tax Credit and Pension Credit.

Payments from HMRC for those on tax credits only will follow shortly after each to avoid duplicate payments.

To be eligible for the first installment, claimants needed to be in receipt of one of these benefits, or have begun a claim which is later successful, as of May 25, 2022.

The Government claims the payments, combined with a £150 disability sum this autumn and £300 winter fuel scheme for pensioners in November and December will add up to £1,200 for hard up households.

Newly-appointed Chancellor Nadhim Zahawi said: “It’s great that millions of the families who are most in need are starting to receive their Cost of Living Payments, which I know will be a massive help for people who are struggling.”

It comes as energy regulator Ofgem suggests annual bills are set to hit £2,800, representing a year on year increase of about £1,500.

The energy price cap is also set to rise in October, which could drive bills to £3,244 a year.

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