As the colder weather returns to Northern Ireland, people across the country are feeling the strain of having to heat their homes amid the cost of living crisis.
The Government has, however, announced a number of payments and support available in Northern Ireland, despite the lack of a functioning Executive here.
They include:
- Low income cost of living payment
- Disability cost of living payment
- Winter fuel payment (for pensioners)
- Further help for pensioners
- Energy support payment
- Energy price guarantee
£100 credit for home heating oil customers
Here is a breakdown of each and who is eligible:
Read more: Cost of living: Northern Ireland £100 credit for home heating oil customers explained
Low income cost of living payment
The first low-income cost of living payment of £326 was paid to most eligible people on low income benefits from July 20 to 30, 2022.
The second payment of £324 will be made from November, 8 to November, 23 2022, if you’re entitled.
To be eligible you will need to have been entitled to (or later become entitled to) one of the following benefits
- Universal Credit
- Income-based Jobseeker’s Allowance (JSA)
- Income-related Employment and Support Allowance (ESA)
- Income Support
- Pension Credit
You may get the low income cost of living payment of £650, paid in two installments of £326 and £324, if you have an award for either of the following:
- Child Tax Credit
- Working Tax Credit
Your payment might come later, for example if you are awarded qualifying tax credits at a later date or you change the account your tax credits are paid into. You will still be paid the payment automatically.
Disability cost of living payment
You may get a lump sum payment of £150 if you get any of the following:
- Attendance Allowance
- Constant Attendance Allowance
- Disability Living Allowance for adults
- Disability Living Allowance for children
- Personal Independence Payment
- Armed Forces Independence Payment
- War Pension Mobility Supplement
If you get more than one of these disability benefits, only one disability cost of living payment is payable.
Most people should have received their payment in the beginning of October 2022.
Winter fuel payment
If you are eligible you could get between £250 and £600 to help you pay your heating bills. This is known as a 'Winter Fuel Payment'.
If you were born on or before 25 September 1956 you could get between £250 and £600 to help you pay your heating bills. This is known as a ‘Winter Fuel Payment’.
You’ll usually get this automatically if you are eligible and get State Pension or another social security benefit (not Housing Benefit, Child Benefit or Universal Credit). If you’re eligible but don’t get paid automatically, you will need to make a claim.
The full amount of winter fuel payment you will get for winter 2022 to 2023 will depend on your circumstances.
For more info, CLICK HERE.
Further help for pensioners
Pensioner households will receive an extra £300 Pensioner Cost of Living Payment this year to help them cover the rising cost of energy this winter.
If you are entitled to a Winter Fuel Payment for winter 2022 to 2023, you will get this extra £300 paid with your normal payment from November 2022.
You will get this Pensioner Cost of Living Payment as well as any Cost of Living Payment you may receive with your qualifying benefit or tax credits.
People will be eligible for this payment if they are over State Pension age (aged 66 or above) between 19 and 25 September 2022.
Energy support payment
Every household in Northern Ireland will receive a £400 electricity payment.
This will be a "one-off payment" made in November, Minister for the Economy Gordon Lyons has said.
Customers do not need to take any action to receive this support.
For pay as you go customers:
- Top up £5 and you will receive £170.
- Top up £5 and you will receive £170.
- Top up £5 and you will receive £60.
For those with accounts, £400 will be credited into the account holder's account.
For customers in Northern Ireland, both the Energy Price Guarantee and Energy Bills Support Scheme will work very similarly to those in Great Britain.
Householders will receive an equivalent level of support. Here are full details from Gov.uk.
Energy price guarantee for NI homes
The scheme will still work through your electricity and gas bills. There is no need to take any action, and the scheme will provide households in Northern Ireland with equivalent financial support with their electricity and gas bills as for those in Great Britain.
Your energy supplier will reduce your bills by a unit price reduction of up to 17p/kWh for electricity and 4.2p/kWh for gas, and you don’t need to take any action to receive this support. This will take effect in November. Gov.uk say they'll ensure you receive support so you will see the same benefit overall as those households in Great Britain, backdating support for October bills through bills from November.
For pre-payment meter customers in Northern Ireland, the Energy Price Guarantee will be applied to the rate you pay for each unit of energy at the same rate as for all other customers (17p/kWh for electricity and 4.2p/kWh for gas), so the money you put on the meter will last longer than would otherwise have been the case this winter.
The Energy Price Guarantee limits the amount you can be charged per unit of gas or electricity, so your exact bill amount will continue to be influenced by how much energy you use.
£100 credit for home heating oil customers
Home heating oil is used by two-thirds of households in Northern Ireland.
The £100 payment from the government will be in the form of a credit to electricity bills.
It is not yet clear when the £100 will be paid, but it will be this winter.
A statement said: "Households eligible for these payments will receive £100 as a credit on their electricity bill this winter.
"The £100 payment has been calculated to ensure that a typical customer using heating oil does not face a higher rate of growth in their heating costs since last winter, in comparison to those using mains gas who are supported by the Energy Price Guarantee."
To read more, CLICK HERE.
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