Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:

To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, with reference to the eligibility for Cost of Living Payments, whether she has made an assessment of the potential merits of introducing a discretionary scheme for people who are (a) on low incomes and (b) in receipt of legacy benefits that are not included in the existing eligibility criteria.

The government understands the pressures people are facing with the cost of living. That is why the government is providing over £15bn in further support, targeted at on those with greatest need. This package is in addition to the over £22bn announced previously, with government support for the cost of living now totalling over £37bn this year.

As part of this, Government is providing an additional £500 million from October to help households with the cost of essentials, bringing the total funding for this support to £1.5 billion. In England, a further £421 million is being provided to extend the Household Support Fund, a discretionary scheme run by Upper Tier Local Authorities, from October 2022 – March 2023. Guidance and individual local authority indicative allocations for this extension will be announced in due course. This guidance will ensure that support is targeted towards those most in need of support including those not eligible for the Cost-of-Living Payments set out on 26 May 2022. The devolved administrations will receive £79 million through the Barnett formula.

Local Authorities have already received their allocations for the existing £421m Household Support Fund covering April – September 2022, alongside the grant determination and guidance. The allocations for Local Authorities for this period can be found here. Local Authorities have discretion on exactly how and when this funding is used within the scope set out in the grant determination and guidance, based on their assessment of local need.