As the cost of living continues to soar, the UK Government recently announced a number of measures to help millions of families who are struggling to make their incomes stretch.
The support payments include £650 for those on seven means-tested benefits and £150 for those on disability benefits.
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However, what help is available to single people trying to pull in an income on their own and families who aren't on any form of government payouts such as benefits, tax credits or State Pension?
Fortunately, BirminghamLive have rounded up all the help on offer from the Government or elsewhere and when it will arrive.
1. £150 energy bill rebate via council tax system
WHEN: April to September 2022
This will provide a payment of £150 to households living in council tax bands A–D. The cash, which is supposed to help with energy bills, is being paid through the council tax payment system from April 2022, and millions of people with direct debits have had it already.
Local councils are responsible for determining who is eligible and making payments. It must be paid out by September 30, 2022, the Government said.
Although described as a 'council tax rebate' it is not a reduction in council tax nor is it intended to be used to pay council tax. It is part of the Energy Rebate Scheme 2022 delivered as a one-off payment into the account you use to pay your council tax. The Government is simply using the existing council tax database to process the rebate and identify those households who qualify.
But note that where a household is eligible for the rebate and the local council does not already hold payment details as a result of a direct debit, it may offer the option to receive the payment as a council tax account credit.
2. £150 via £144m Discretionary Fund
When: Depends on local authority
For those who need help with their energy bills but don't qualify for the above £150 rebate, there are other ways of gaining financial support.
The Government has provided local authorities with £144 million of discretionary funding. This is available if, for example, you are in higher council tax bands (E to H) or in a property in bands A to D that is exempt from council tax.
It can also help if you are a tenant living in a rented house-share where your landlord is the one paying the council tax and getting the £150 rebate. If you miss out on this sum but are affected by rising energy costs, you can also apply for help with bills via the discretionary fund.
In some cases, councils will provide a similar payment of £150. Others are offering £150 for those who get Council Tax Support and live in bands E to H, and £65 for those who do not get Council Tax Support. And in different areas, councils are paying a slightly lower amount of £120.
Check with your local authority to see what they are doing if you are not eligible for the standard £150 for those in bands A-D.
3. £400 energy bill rebate via supplier
When: From October 2022
Originally, the Government intended to give £200 in October that would have to be repaid in £40 instalments over the next five years. The Chancellor changed this in his most recent cost of living announcement, doubling the amount to £400 and making it a non-repayable grant.
The Government says energy suppliers will pay this amount to households with a domestic electricity meter over six months from October. Direct debit and credit customers will have the money credited to their account, while customers with pre-payment meters will have the money applied to their meter or paid via a voucher.
4. £200 from Household Support Fund
When: From now until March 2023
The Household Support Fund has been given an extra £500 million and will now run until March 2023, Rishi Sunak indicated. First introduced in September 2021, it had originally been intended to finish in March 2022. It was then extended to the end of September and will now continue another six months beyond that.
The fund is distributed to local authorities who decide how to distribute the cash.
That delivered financial payments in the region of £100 per household with a maximum £200 payment, reaching between 17,500 to 35,000 households across the city. Adult social care received £850,000 which included emergency fuel payments.
DWP guidance says the cash can be used to help with:
- food, either directly provided or via vouchers or cash
- energy and water bills
- household essentials such as fridges, ovens, warm clothes and boiler repairs
- other costs such as travel, broadband and phone bills
- emergency housing support
5. £330 from rise in National Insurance threshold
When: From July 2022
Starting in July 2022, the National Insurance threshold will rise by almost £3,000 from £9,880 to £12,570, to align it with the threshold for income tax. Employees and self-employed people across the UK will keep more of what they earn before any deductions are made, the Chancellor pledged.
It means people can earn £242 per week (up from £190), £1,048 per month (up from £823) or £12,570 per year before they need to pay any National Insurance or income tax. The Government says a typical employee will gain over £330 in the year from July 2022. The equivalent saving for the average self-employed person would be over £250.
From July, employees who earn £36,600 or under (around 70 per cent of workers) will pay less National Insurance, while 2.2 million people will no longer have to pay National Insurance because their wages are below the new threshold.
The changes come on top of the increase in the National Living Wage (for those aged 23 and above) and National Minimum Wage (for those under the age of 23) that came into effect in April 2022.
Based on the above figures, everyone could get around £1,080, and £550 at the very least.
