According to the government, the first of two payments to assist the poorest households with living expenses will be deposited into people’s bank accounts on July 14.
More than eight million UK households receiving benefits will receive £326 by the end of July, with a second payment of £324 due in the autumn.
It is part of a £37 billion government package to assist families as their energy, food, and fuel bills skyrocket.
According to the consumer group Which?, the money will “provide relief to many.”
But policy director Rocio Concha added: “The success of these measures will ultimately be judged by whether financial help is getting to the most vulnerable in time to help them through this cost-of-living crisis.”
Inflation – the rate at which prices rise – is currently at a 40-year high as the war in Ukraine and the pandemic push up the cost of everyday essentials.
In May, the energy regulator Ofgem predicted that the average household energy bill would rise by £800 in October, to £2,800 per year. In April, bills had already risen by £700 on average.