The Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) has confirmed that anyone receiving one of nine types of disability benefits will receive a lump sum as of June 20 to help aid the cost of living. It lands as rife levels of inflation continue to batter the wallets and purses of hard-working Britons, who are struggling to make ends meet.
The payment itself falls in conjunction with a separate £301 cost of living lumper which was paid to eight million UK households earlier in the year, although the Financial Conduct Authority recently detailed in a study that some 10million Britons could be struggling to meet financial obligations at present.
The Office for National Statistics (ONS) also revealed through data that food prices have increased at their most rapid rate in nigh-on 45 years for the year to April, with some 44 per cent across the country spending less on groceries and household essentials Lancs Live reports.
Read more: What to do if your DWP £150 disability cost of living payment has not arrived yet
Furthermore, 50 per cent of shoppers are buying less items, while 67 per cent have detailed an increase in their personal cost of living over the past month alone. Meanwhile, all but three per cent have admitted that they've been hit by the rising cost of groceries.
While costs continue to rise, a number of Government support packages have been announced - including an additional £150 for those claiming disability benefits. Here's all of the support available.
Extra support -
Households in their millions will see further cost of living support should they be on a low income. This could be worth up to £1,350 (inclusive of the assistance already rolled out).
Eight million means-tested benefit claimants will receive a £900 instalment as of the spring, which will land directly in bank accounts across the UK. On top of the disability benefit add-on, in excess of eight million pensioners may too see a payment of £300 into their accounts by early 2024.
This is among the second and third cost of living payments - weighing £300 and £299 across 2023 and 2024. With regards to benefits in general, they will be continuing as normal.
Remaining payment window dates:
- £300 second cost of living payment to be paid in autumn 2023
- £300 pensioner payment to be paid in winter 2023/24
- £299 third cost of living payment to be paid during spring 2024
Energy Price Guarantee -
The existing Energy Price Guarantee which was introduced to stop Britons paying through the roof for gas and electricity has now expired, with consumers now paying the Energy Price Cap set by Ofgem. The good news is that Ofgem have announced that this will drop to £2,074 as of next month, down substantially from the £3,280 set earlier in the year.
It's worth noting though that 1this level is based on typical use for the average UK household on a supplier's standard tariff. It's a cap on the energy unit price and not on total bills, meaning that if you use less than the average, you'll pay less than the average.
Cornwall Insight predict that July's decrease will be followed by another drop in three months' time - with average bills predicted to be £1,976 per year. But respectively, the experts also predict bills will rise again in January to £2,045.
Cornwall also does not expect energy rates to return to pre-pandemic levels before the end of the decade, with geopolitical incidents like the Russian and Ukrainian war having a detrimental impact.
