As the weather begins to turn and the prices continue to soar, many people are trying to figure out whether they should turn their heating on or not.
The good news is that millions of UK households will be due the second half of the £650 cost of living payment. Somerset Live reports that those eligible for Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) payments will see £324 paid into their accounts from November 8.
Meanwhile, those who claim Tax Credits will be receiving the second instalment of their cost of living payment by November 23. Read on below for all the information on the payments due to benefit claimants by the end of this year.
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Cost of Living payment - November 8 to November 23
The UK Government has confirmed that UK households will receive their second half of the £650 payment by November 23. The first payments of £324 are due to land from November 8.
Over 8 million families have already received the first Cost of Living payment, worth £326, which was sent out from 14 July this year.
Tax Credits Cost of Living payment - November 23 to November 30
His Majesty's Revenue and Customs (HMRC) have announced that those who claim Tax Credits will receive the above payment a little later than others. The automatic payment will be rolled out between November 23 and 30.
This is to stop duplicate payments being made, and money being lost. Those who are eligible should receive the payment if one of the following criteria applies to you:
if you received, or later receive, for any day in the period between August 26, 2022 and September 25, 2022 either a payment of tax credits for the tax year 2022 to 2023, or an annual award of at least £26 of tax credits for the tax year 2022 to 2023
if you receive both Child Tax Credit and Working Tax Credit, you will only receive a Cost of Living payment from HMRC for the Child Tax Credit only
If you get tax credits from HMRC and a low income benefit from the DWP, then you will only receive a Cost of Living payment from the DWP.
Winter Fuel Payment plus £300 Pensioner Cost of Living Payment - November
If you were born on or before 25 September 1956 you could be eligible for a Winter Fuel Payment of up to £600 to help you pay your heating bills.
People will receive this automatically if they are eligible. Eligibility criteria is as follows:
- if you get the State Pension or get another social security benefit (not including Adult Disability Payment from the Scottish Government, Housing Benefit, Council Tax Reduction, Child Benefit or Universal Credit)
Those eligible will include a cost of living payment for the household, worth up to £300. This payment will be made by the DWP from November 2022 onwards, as no official date has been set.
This payment will be made alongside any other cost of living payment, benefit, or tax credits. Depending on your unique circumstances, you can receive up to the following:
Those born Between September 26, 1942, and September 25, 1956
You qualify and live alone (or none of the people you live with qualify) - £500
You qualify and live with someone under 80 who also qualifies - £250
You qualify and live with someone 80 or over who also qualifies - £250
You qualify and live with a partner who qualifies, and either of you gets certain benefits - £500
You qualify and live with someone (not your partner) who qualifies, and either of you gets certain benefits - £500
You qualify, live in a care home and do not get certain benefits - £250
Those born on or before 25 September 1942
You qualify and live alone (or none of the people you live with qualify) - £600
You qualify and live with someone under 80 who also qualifies - £350
You qualify and live with someone 80 or over who also qualifies - £300
You qualify and live with a partner who qualifies, and either of you gets certain benefits - £600
You qualify and live with someone (not your partner) who qualifies, and either of you gets certain benefits - £600
You qualify, live in a care home and do not get certain benefits - £300
According to the Government, all payments should be made by January 13, 2023.
£400 Energy Bill rebate - October to March
Every UK household will receive a total of £400 off their energy bills 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 taken off.
Warm Home Discount Scheme - November
The Warm Home Discount scheme will open in November for the 2022/23 year. Eligible households will receive an extra £150 off their energy bills.
The Government has stated that in 2022, an additional 750,000 households will receive the discount due to changes made on the eligibility criteria. To get the discount, you need to be eligible for one of the qualifying means-tested benefits, such as Universal Credit, Income Support or Housing Benefit.
This discount will be applied automatically to bills by the person's energy supplier. All suppliers with more than 50,000 domestic customers have to take part in the scheme, but it is optional for smaller suppliers.
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