The 2025 Universal Credit cost of living support is structured as a permanent uplift to the Universal Credit standard allowance rather than a one-time payment. This means that instead of a single lump sum, the payment is integrated into the regular Universal Credit monthly payments, phased in over several years. By the 2029/30 tax year, the standard allowance for a single adult aged 25+ will be £725 higher in total compared to what it would have been with inflation-only increases. This reform benefits around 4 million households on Universal Credit, providing ongoing financial support rather than temporary grants. Regarding timing, Universal Credit payments are normally made twice a month, with the first payment arriving about five weeks after a claim is made. If the cost of living uplift follows the regular payment schedule, it will be included automatically in the monthly Universal Credit payments rather than as a separate sum. Past patterns of cost of living payments suggest they typically begin being paid around the middle of the month when they are one-offs, but this new uplift is permanent and thus reflected continuously in the standard allowance amounts. In summary, the 2025 cost of living support related to Universal Credit is an ongoing uplift embedded in monthly payments, rather than a one-off payment with a single payout date. The increase started being phased in from 2025 and will be fully implemented by 2029/30, automatically included in the Universal Credit payments received twice a month.