More cost of living payments have been announced have been announced by government for 2023/24.
If you receive:
- Universal Credit
- Income-based Jobseeker's Allowance (JSA)
- Income-related Employment and Support Allowance (ESA)
- Income Support
- Pension Credit
- Child Tax Credit
- Working Tax Credit
You will get:
- First cost of living payment of £301 issued during spring 2023
- Second cost of living payment of £300 issued during autumn 2023
- Third cost of living payment of £299 issued during spring 2024
If you receive:
- Attendance Allowance
- Constant Attendance Allowance
- Disability Living Allowance for adults
- Disability Living Allowance for children
- Personal Independence Payment
- Adult Disability Payment (in Scotland)
- Child Disability Payment (in Scotland)
- Armed Forces Independence Payment
- War Pension Mobility Supplement
You will get:
- A £150 disability payment will be issued during summer 2023
If you get:
You will get
- A £300 pensioner payment issued during winter 2023/2024
The payments will be made separately from your benefits and will be paid automatically, there will be no need to apply.
Claimants who are eligible for any of the cost of living payments and receive tax credits, and no other means-tested benefits, will receive payment from HMRC shortly after DWP payments are issued.
Energy Bills Support Scheme - Alternative funding
The government will soon be introducing an extension to their Energy Bills Support Scheme, for people who didn't receive the £400 energy rebate from the original scheme. These are residents who use alternative fuels like heating oil or who live in households with no domestic electricity meter or who do not have a direct relationship with an energy supplier, such as park home residents.
Here is a summary of the information that has been made available so far:
- An online application form will bemade available on the government websiteby the end of February 2023
- A dedicated customer helpline will be available for those without online access
- Eligible applicants will receive £400
Subject to applications meeting the full eligibility criteria, the groups of people who are likely to receive support under this scheme extension will include:
- Care home residents, and others in care facilities/ sheltered accommodation
- Social and private tenants who pay for energy through a landlord on a commercial supply
- Travellers
- Homes on a heat network or private wire
- Off-grid homes
- Residents of park homes, houseboats, or caravans on registered sites
- Farmhouses used for wholly domestic purposes
Any payment will be made direct into a bank account by BACS
Households eligible for support through the main Energy Bills Support Scheme are not eligible for an award under this alternative funding scheme extension. Second or holiday homes are excluded; the dwelling must be the main or sole residential address of the applicant.
Households who are not responsible for paying for energy used are not in scope of the scheme, so the following groups are excluded from the scheme:
- Students living in purpose-built student accommodation (PBSA)
- Seasonal workers living in associated accommodation
- Service occupiers – such as security, building caretakers, property guardians
- Fully publicly funded care home residents
Once an application has been made on the government website, details will be passed to the council for further pre-payment verification checks, which will include:
- Verification of the applicant's address
- Check that the name of the applicant matches the pre-verified bank account details
- Check that an Energy Bills Support Scheme payment has not already been made
Alternative Fuel Payment (AFP)
The additional £200 Alternative Fuel Payment (AFP) will be available in February for those who do not heat their homes with gas and instead use oil, solid fuel, biomass, or bottled gas.
The government have confirmed most households eligible for AFP support will receive their payment automatically from their electricity supplier in February, with no further action needed.
Those households who will need to apply for the AFP, for example because they do not have a relationship with an electricity supplier, will be able to do so in February,through the governmentwebsite.
Grants to help pay energy bills
To see whether there may be grants available to help you with your energy bills, see below: