The payments are part of the government’s £37bn support package to tackle the cost-of-living crisis.

Those who are eligible will start receiving the payments from today. It will be paid into the bank account where benefits are usually received. They are all expected to be paid by the start of October.

The money is being paid to help those struggling with rising costs and it will not need to be paid back.

Today’s payments come alongside a range of measures to tackle the current crisis including the energy price guarantee, which will cap the cost of average energy bills at £2,500 annually over the next two years, in addition to several one-off payments.

People receiving means-tested benefits will also receive a cost-of-living payment worth £650. The first half of this has been paid to those who are eligible. Pensioners receiving Winter Fuel Payments will be paid £300 and all households will have £400 taken off their energy bills, over six months from October.

Who is eligible for the payment?

The £150 payment will be paid to those receiving one of the following benefits:

• Disability living allowance
• Personal independence payment
• Attendance allowance
• Adult disability payment (Scotland)
• Child disability payment (Scotland)
• Armed forces independence payment
• Constant attendance allowance
• War pension mobility supplement.

If you receive one of these benefits, you need to have been paid the money on 25 May 2022 (or at a later date) to be eligible for the £150 payment.

For anyone currently awaiting confirmation of their disability payments, or waiting to be assessed, the government says the process may take longer but the money will still be paid automatically.

‘Life costs more when you’re disabled’

The Chancellor, Kwasi Kwarteng, said: “The government is providing vital support to shield the most vulnerable from rising prices caused by global economic challenges.

“From today, a one-off £150 payment will automatically land in over six million disabled peoples’ accounts. This is in addition to the decisive action we took last week to hold down energy bills over the next two years, saving the average household £1,000 a year.”

However, the payments have been criticised by the disability equality charity Scope.

James Taylor, director of strategy at Scope, said: “Life costs more when you’re disabled, so the £150 put forward by the government won’t touch the sides.

“Scope has been inundated with calls from disabled people who don’t know how they will keep warm this winter and many others who won’t be turning their heating on at all.

“The new Prime Minister cannot and must not abandon disabled people in this budget. There must be targeted financial support for those who need it most.”