Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:

To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, for what reason his Department has decided that those in receipt of contribution-based Employment Support Allowance and who do not receive Universal Credit are not eligible for Cost of Living Support payments.

The Cost of Living Payment is being targeted at low income households who are in receipt of a means-tested income replacement benefit. Contribution-based Employment and Support Allowance is a non means tested benefit. Non-means tested benefits are not qualifying benefits for the Cost of Living Payment in their own right because people receiving these benefits may have other financial resources available to them.

This payment comes on top of extensive Government support with the cost of living, including six million disabled people having been paid a separate £150 Disability Cost of Living Payment.

These payments are part of the government’s £15bn package of support and sit alongside

• a £300 Pensioner Cost of Living Payment to anyone entitled to a Winter Fuel Payment for winter 2022 to 2023
• the extension of the Household Support Fund with an additional £421 million to support households in England with the cost of essentials
• a £150 Council Tax rebate sent earlier this year to those in Council Tax bands A-D in England
• a £400 reduction on energy bills given to all domestic electricity customers, and The Energy Price Guarantee supporting millions of households with rising energy costs.

The guidance with the full list of support can be found at:

Cost of living support - GOV.UK (www.gov.uk)