ALMOST 10,000 people on disability benefits in Carlisle are set to receive £150 from this week. 

The additional payment comes as part of a government package to help with the cost-living-crisis, figures show.

The Department of Work and Pensions (DWP) estimates 9,500 individuals in Carlisle can expect the payment from this week, with the Government saying that the vast majority of those eligible will have received it by the start of October.

Those who already receive a qualifying disability benefit will be paid automatically, the Government has said.

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The new Chancellor, Kwasi Kwarteng, described the scheme as "providing vital support to shield the most vulnerable".

The payment comes in addition to a plan announced by Prime Minister Liz Truss on September 8 to freeze energy bills at £2,500 for the next two years.

In total, the DWP estimates around 6.3 million people are eligible for the disability payment across Great Britain – including 820,000 in the North West.

Those eligible for the payment include people who on May 25 were receiving the disability living allowance, personal independence payment, attendance allowance, armed forces independence payment, constant attendance allowance, or the war pension mobility supplement.

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