HELPING HAND
Full list of six cost of living payments coming before Christmas – and they’re worth up to £2,585
Plus, we've explained how to get free debt help
MILLIONS of households are eligible for cost of living payments worth up to £2,585 this winter.
Gas and electricity costs will increase by £149 when Ofgem's new price cap comes into force next month.
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However, grants from major suppliers like British Gas, EDF, and E.ON offer substantial relief, with some grants reaching up to £1,700 to help families clear energy debts.
The household support fund, extended until April 2025, provides up to £500 in various forms, depending on where you live.
Pensioners on specific benefits can also expect winter fuel payments of up to £300, ensuring homes stay warm.
Additionally, prepayment meter vouchers and cold weather payments aim to support those most in need.
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Finally, eligible households on benefits will receive a £10 Christmas Bonus to ease festive expenses.
Here's all the help available this winter.
ENERGY GRANTS - £1,000s
Most suppliers offer grants of up to £1,700 to help hard-up families pay off their energy debts.
These include British Gas, EDF, E.ON, Octopus, Ovo Energy and Scottish Power.
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The British Gas Energy Trust Individual and Families Fund is open to everyone, not just the company’s customers.
To qualify, you need to have between £50 and £1,700 of energy debt with your supplier.
Save money on your energy bills with these cold weather tips
To check your eligibility and apply, visit bget.org.uk.
In June, British Gas also launched a £15million "You Pay: We Pay" initiative which sees it match 100% of a customer’s energy debt repayments to help them clear their arrears faster.
Elsewhere, fellow supplier EDF has a customer support fund which on average wipes £1,250 off customers' bills.
Eligibility criteria vary depending on the supplier and the amount you can get depends on your financial circumstances.
Check directly with your supplier to see what help is available.
HOUSEHOLD SUPPORT FUND - £500
Struggling households can apply for support via the Household Support Fund (HSF).
The scheme, which is funded by the Department for Work and Pensions, was first launched in 2021.
It was extended for the sixth time earlier this month, giving thousands of families a chance to get the extra support.
The current round of funding is due to end on September 30, but applications may still be accepted by some local authorities.
Each area will then open up the scheme again in October, with the new funding in place until April 2025.
In many areas, applications can be made under both the current scheme and future rounds.
However, what you're able to access depends on whereabouts you live, and the money will either be given to you as a direct cash transfer, shopping vouchers or in another form.
To find out what you may be eligible for, visit your local council's website.
If you're unsure of the name of your council, find out using the Government's tool.
Funding is given to local councils to distribute, so the amount handed out varies across the country.
But in the past, some families have had up to £500 help.
WINTER FUEL PAYMENT - £300
Households will now only go to retirees on pension credit and several other means-tested benefits.
Under the new rules, all households claiming the following benefits do not need to apply for this year's winter fuel payment, unless they live abroad:
- Pension credit
- Universal Credit
- Income support
- Income-based jobseeker's allowance (JSA)
- Income-related employment support allowance (ESA)
- Child tax credit
- Working tax credit
Only those living abroad and meeting certain conditions must apply for the cash this winter.
If you do not live in the UK, you're only eligible for the winter fuel payment if:
- You moved to an eligible country before January 1, 2021
- You were born before September 23, 1958
- You have a genuine and sufficient link to the UK - this can include having lived or worked in the UK and having family in the UK
You only need to claim winter fuel payment if you've not got it since you moved abroad.
To claim by post, you'll need to fill in the winter fuel payment claim form and post it to the Winter Fuel Payment Centre.
This will be available at www.gov.uk/winter-fuel-payment/how-to-claim from September 30.
Payments will be worth £200 for eligible households or £300 for eligible households with someone aged over 80.
That means you could receive up to £300 in free cash depending on your circumstances.
Most payments are made automatically in November or December.
You’ll get a letter telling you:
- How much you'll get
- Which bank account it will be paid into
If you do not get a letter or the money has not been paid into your account by January 29, 2025, you must contact the Winter Fuel Payment Centre on 0800 731 0160.
Are you missing out on benefits?
YOU can use a benefits calculator to help check that you are not missing out on money you are entitled to
Charity works out what you could get.
Entitledto's determines whether you qualify for various benefits, tax credit and Universal Credit.
MoneySavingExpert.com and charity StepChange both have benefits tools powered by Entitledto's data.
You can use to determine which benefits you could receive and how much cash you'll have left over each month after paying for housing costs.
Your exact entitlement will only be clear when you make a claim, but calculators can indicate what you might be eligible for.
PREPAYMENT METER VOUCHERS - £50
You can get temporary credit from your supplier, but you will have to pay this back.
In many cases, suppliers offer around £10 to £20 if you run out and can't top up straight away to ensure that you don't go without heat or lights.
Beware that when you do top-up, this amount will be deducted.
You may also be able to get a fuel voucher through a little-known scheme.
This is a code given to you in a letter, text message or email which you can use to add credit to your gas card or electricity key.
Exactly how much it is can vary, but in many cases, it's £49, and you won't have to pay it back.
If you get a fuel voucher, don't forget that when you top up, come off the credit will go towards paying off any debt, for example, emergency credit.
If you haven't topped up for a period of time, you may also owe standing charges, a daily flat fee for energy use that is separate from your usage.
Contact your local council, food bank or Citizens Advice to find out more.
COLD WEATHER PAYMENTS - £25
Cold weather payments are issued to low-income households in England, Wales and Northern Ireland to cover the cost of extra heating during the chilliest weeks.
Payments are made between November 1 and March 31.
Eligible households are paid £25 for every seven-day period where temperatures are, or are forecast to be, below 0°C on average.
You are eligible for a cold weather payment if you receive a number of means-tested benefits, including Universal Credit, and meet certain conditions.
To find out more visit gov.uk/cold-weather-payment/eligibility.
CHRISTMAS BONUS - £10
The £10 payment, known as the benefits Christmas bonus, is typically paid to eligible households in December to help with extra costs during the festive season.
The bonus was first introduced in 1972.
Anyone entitled to the payment doesn't need to apply and will have it paid automatically.
And as it's a bonus it doesn't need to be repaid and won't affect any other benefits you receive.
If you're getting any of the benefits below, will be paid to you automatically.
- Armed forces independence payment
- Attendance allowance
- Carer's allowance
- Child disability payment
- Constant attendance allowance
- Contribution-based employment and support allowance
- Disability living allowance
- Incapacity benefit at the long-term rate
- Industrial death benefit (for widows or widowers)
- Mobility supplement
- Pension credit (guarantee credit)
- Personal independence payment (PIP)
- State pension
- Severe disablement allowance
- Unemployability supplement or allowance
- War disablement pension
- War widow's pension
- Widowed mother's allowance
- Widowed parent's allowance
- Widow's pension
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You'll get it paid into the same account where you normally receive your benefit payments.
But it's worth keeping an eye on your account to make sure that you received it in December.
How to get free debt help
There are several groups which can help you with your problem debts for free.
- Citizens Advice - 0800 144 8848 (England) / 0800 702 2020 (Wales)
- StepChange - 0800138 1111
- National Debtline - 0808 808 4000
- Debt Advice Foundation - 0800 043 4050
You can also find information about Debt Management Plans (DMP) and Individual Voluntary Agreements (IVA) by visiting MoneyHelper.org.uk or Gov.UK.
Speak to one of these organisations - don't be tempted to use a claims management firm.
They say they can write off lots of your debt in return for a large upfront fee.
But there are other options where you don't need to pay.
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