A number of cost of living support payments are being offered to those in need ahead of Christmas.
As many households across the UK continue to struggle under spiralling household, retail, fuel and energy bills the Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) has created a number of schemes to help those most in need. The price of Christmas is often heavy enough with struggles to buy presents and enough food to make a big dinner.
However, cash boosts due to land into bank accounts before the start 2023 should hopefully help a lot of eligible people out. Most payments will help those on certain benefits, such as Pension Credit, Carer's Allowance and Personal Independence Payment the most but there is also a scheme for all households to save £67 a month on their energy bills.
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Below is a look at all the payments to be handed out in England, as reported by BirminghamLive.
Cold Weather Payments
Households claiming certain benefits can get an extra £25 to help cope with winter bills until March. But in order for the Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) to kick start Cold Weather Payments, temperatures must first drop below freezing (on average) for seven consecutive days.
Every day from November 1 to March 31, the Met Office records the average daily temperature from each of the 72 Weather Stations and then uses the daily averages from the previous seven days to produce a single seven day average. It also forecasts the average over the next seven days.
In case of a trigger, a payment of £25 will be automatically issued to any eligible person living in the area covered by that weather station. After each period of very cold weather in your area, you should get a payment within 14 working days. It’s paid into the same bank or building society account as your benefit payments.
Temperatures are forecast to improve in the days leading up to Christmas, however, meaning there won't be more payments before then. However, the bitterly cold weather could soon return, meaning more payments are possible during January. If you want to check if your postcode is due a payment, visit to the Gov.uk website here.
Energy bills discount
Every household in the UK will receive a total £400 discount on their energy bill between October 2022 and March 2023. In October and November, £66 will be taken off energy bills while in December, January, February, and March, £67 will be knocked off.
The non-repayable discount is applied automatically to consumers’ energy bills. See more details on the design and delivery of the Energy Bills Support Scheme on GOV.UK, including how support is delivered to customers who pay for energy as part of all-inclusive bills.
If you pay direct debit and your bills normally go out before the 25th of each month, the discount will handily come in time for Christmas to help with some of the cost. Many households will have already had their discount for December, but the next one will be on the way in January.
Warm Home Discount
The Warm Home Discount scheme has been reopened, providing eligible households with up to £150 off their heating bills this winter. This year, the amount of money to be handed out to those who qualify has been increased from £140 to £150.
The money will be dished out between now and March 31, 2023 - so you could get yours over Christmas. Almost three million Brits eligible for the fund - including people claiming certain benefits and some people of State Pension age.
Rather than a cash payment, the discount is applied directly to energy bills but has the same effect, leaving people with more money than they otherwise would have had. While anyone on a prepay meter will be sent the payment via a top-up voucher.
People should receive a letter between November 2022 and January 2023 telling them about the discount if they are eligible. If you don't receive a letter, and you think you're eligible, you can call the Warm Home Discount helpline on 0800 107 8002.
Universal Credit Christmas bonus
From December 5, millions of Brits on certain benefits should see a bonus payment worth £10 land in their bank accounts. Although small, the cash boost will be welcomed by many ahead of Christmas.
Those eligible for the money include people in receipt of more than 20 categories of benefits, such as State Pension and Carer's Allowance. The Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) says claimants who qualify for the amount do not need to claim for it, as the one-off payment will be handed out to them automatically.
It's likely most people eligible will have already had it as the cash started entering bank accounts during the first week of December. I you think you should get it, but do not receive it in December, contact the Jobcentre Plus office that deals with your payments or the Pension Service. To find out more about the Christmas Bonus on GOV.UK, click here.
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