Pensioner Cost of Living Payment 2022 to 2023 management information
Published 20 December 2022
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This publication is available at https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/pensioner-cost-of-living-payment-management-information/pensioner-cost-of-living-payment-management-information
Read about the Pensioner Cost of Living Payment – this is help with the cost of living if you’re entitled to a Winter Fuel Payment for winter 2022 to 2023.
Introduction
In May 2022, the then Chancellor of the Exchequer announced a £15 billion package of support with cost of living measures, targeted particularly at those with the greatest need. This package built on the over £22 billion announced prior to May 2022. As part of this package, the government is providing extra support to help all pensioners across the UK, with a Pensioner Cost of Living Payment of up to £300. This will be paid as an increase to Winter Fuel Payment for winter 2022 to 2023.
This package also included support for households in receipt of means tested benefits with a one-off Cost of Living Payment of up to £650, made in two payments.
Disabled people have also received support to help with the particular extra costs they will face, with people who receive non-means tested disability benefits receiving a one-off Disability Cost of Living Payment of £150. These payments are made at different times. Read the timetable for the Cost of Living payments.
This publication covers the Pensioner Cost of Living Payment (2022).
Read management information on means-tested benefit Cost of Living Payment and the Disability Cost of Living Payment.
The vast majority of payments are made automatically from information already held by the Department for Work and Pensions (DWP). For some, entitlement may not have been established at the time the majority of payments are made. If an entitlement is later established, a payment will then be issued at that time. Customers have until 31 March 2023 to make a claim for winter 2022 to 2023.
The table below sets out the total number of payments processed across the UK, the combined total spend on Pensioner Cost of Living and Winter Fuel Payments, and the amount of spend that is on Pensioner Cost of Living Payments. Winter Fuel Payments may be adjusted based on household circumstances, for example, where there is more than one entitled person in a household, they may get a shared payment.
Multi-pensioner households may be paid either individually or as a single combined payment. Payment amounts vary between £250 to £600 and further detail can be found in the Winter Fuel Payment information.
Consequently, the number of payments do not correspond directly to the number of households nor individuals benefitting, but estimates have been provided.
Pensioner Cost of Living Payment and Winter Fuel Payment
| Number of payments | Estimated number of households | Total spend (£million) | Pensioner Cost of Living Payment spend (£million) | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Total payments processed as of 20 December 2022 | 11,600,000 | 8,700,000 | 4,600 | 2,600 |
Notes for tables:
- numbers cover all of the UK
- total spend includes both Winter Fuel Payment spend and Pensioner Cost of Living Payment spend
- number of payments, and households rounded to nearest 100,000
- spend is rounded to nearest £100 million
- a small proportion of automated payments may fail (for example, the customer has closed the account), but DWP have robust processes in place to ensure that all eligible claimants will receive their payments, with manual workarounds in place if necessary. Payments that failed to be processed in the initial automatic batches may not be fully reflected in the numbers above
- as Winter Fuel Payment is a household benefit that can be paid individually, it is not possible to determine the exact number households paid. Estimates have been made based on spend
- as of 20 December 2022, over 99% of claimants initially eligible for the Pensioner Cost of Living payment have had their payments processed
Statement of compliance with the Code of Practice for Statistics
The Code of Practice for Statistics (the Code) is built around 3 main concepts, or pillars:
- trustworthiness – is about having confidence in the people and organisations that publish statistics
- quality – is about using data and methods that produce statistics
- value – is about publishing statistics that support society’s needs
The following explains how we have applied the pillars of the Code in a proportionate way.
Trustworthiness
The figures were created following interest from DWP Ministers and Members of Parliament. They are being published now in order to give equal access to all those with an interest in them.
Quality
The data that underpins this information is taken directly from DWP payment systems.
The information used refers to gross payments as per notes above.
Value
Releasing this information serves the increased public interest in how the government is supporting the public through the cost of living crisis. The figures also help reduce the administrative burden of answering Parliamentary questions, Freedom of Information requests and other forms of ad hoc enquiry.
Further information and feedback
Lead Statistician: Steve Ellerd-Elliott
Analyst: Hjalte Sorensen
Contact the DWP Press Office by phone on 0203 267 5129 if you have any questions or feedback.