Over 7.2 million cost-of-living payments made to families across UK

More than 7.2 million cost-of-living payments of £326 have been made to low-income families in a week, official figures indicate.

The payment, being rolled out by the UK Government to help support households, began to be paid into bank accounts on July 14.

It is estimated to have cost around £2.4bn to make the payment to families across Scotland, England, Wales and Northern Ireland.

The £326 sum is the first instalment of £650 being made available.

A second instalment of £324 will be paid out later this year as part of a total £37bn support package.

Additional support for disabled people and pensioners will also follow in the coming months.

Just over 100,000 families in Glasgow are believed to be eligible for the means-tested cost-of-living payment.

In Edinburgh, there is estimated to be slightly more than 50,000 households eligible.

Across the UK, more than eight million families will be eligible for the payment.

The Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) will administer payments for those on all other eligible means-tested benefits.

Those who are eligible are told to look in their bank accounts for the £326 payment with the reference, ‘DWP Cost of Living’.

The payment is made automatically, meaning that no-one needs to do anything in order to receive it.

Eligible claimants who have not received their payment yet are advised not to be concerned as the DWP expects that some payments may take until July 31 to come through.

Work and pensions secretary, Therese Coffey said: “This Government said that we would protect those on the lowest incomes, and we have delivered what we said with over 7 million households receiving £326 in the last week.

“There is more help to come for households, with the second half of the £650 payment arriving later this year and further payments for pensioners and disabled people also on the way.”

Chancellor Nadhim Zahawi added: “I know that people are finding things difficult with rising prices and increasing pressure on household budgets.

“That’s why we’re taking action to control inflation and providing immediate help for households.

“It’s so important that over 7 million vulnerable households have received £326 direct payments so far and there is also more help to come, with 8 million of the most vulnerable households receiving £1,200 of direct support to help with bills over the winter.”