December can be an expensive month for many as Christmas looms, but with the cost of living and energy crisis putting a strain on peoples' budgets, splashing out on festivities may be the last thing on many will want to do. For those who are vulnerable or on low income, saving money where possible is a must.
Fortunately, there are a number of payments due to be dished out by the end of the year. People who are eligible are set to see a cash boost land in their bank accounts thanks to several schemes run by the government - which is sure to be welcomed by all involved.
Most are aimed at Brits claiming certain benefits - including Pension Credit, Carer's Allowance and Personal Independence Payment, with a £10 Christmas bonus to be given out this week to anyone on more than 20 Department For Work and Pensions (DWP) different benefits. However, millions are due to see a £66 discount off their energy bills thanks to the Energy Bills Support Scheme (EBSS).
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Below is a look at all the payments to be handed out before the new year in England.
Warm Home Discount Scheme
You could get £150 off your electricity bill for winter 2022 to 2023 under the Warm Home Discount Scheme. The money is not paid to you - it’s a one-off discount on your electricity bill, between October 2022 and March 2023. You may be able to get the discount on your gas bill instead if your supplier provides you with both gas and electricity and you’re eligible. Contact your supplier to find out.
If you live in England, you qualify if you either:
- get the Guarantee Credit element of Pension Credit
- are on a low income and have high energy costs
Full details on eligibility are available on GOV.UK.
Outstanding cost of living payment
The payment window for the second part of the £650 cost of living payment closed on November 30. If you are still waiting on yours, do not worry, payments are still being made to everyone who is eligible. You can report a missing payment online at GOV.UK.
Pensioners could be eligible for the payment too if they claim Pension Credit. The deadline to claim for the benefit and get the £324 cost of living payment backdated is December 18 - so you'll have to act fast if you think you are eligible.
Successful Pension Credit claims can be backdated for up to three months – as long as the applicant was also eligible to receive it during that time. The average Pension Credit award is worth over £3,500 a year and even a small Pension Credit award can provide access to a wide range of other benefits – such as help with housing costs, council tax or heating bills – in addition to the extra cost of living payments.
Energy discount
The third instalment of the UK Government’s Energy Bills Support Scheme should be paid by the end of the month. The government’s Energy Bills Support Scheme is being provided in monthly instalments over six months from October 2022, totalling £400 in all.
The non-repayable discount is applied automatically to consumers’ energy bills. See more details on the design and delivery of the Energy Bills Support Scheme on GOV.UK, including how support is delivered to customers who pay for energy as part of all-inclusive bills.
DWP Christmas bonus
Millions of benefit claimants are set to get a "Christmas Bonus" from this week, worth £10. The one-off payment is tax free and is handed out to those who are eligible for it automatically. Those who qualify include people on State Pension or 20 DWP benefits during a specific qualifying period, which is typically the first full week of December.
Qualifying benefits:
- Adult Disability Payment
- Armed Forces Independence Payment
- Attendance Allowance
- Carer’s Allowance
- Child Disability Payment
- Constant Attendance Allowance (paid under Industrial Injuries or War Pensions schemes)
- Contribution-based Employment and Support Allowance (once the main phase of the benefit is entered after the first 13 weeks of claim)
- Disability Living Allowance
- Incapacity Benefit at the long-term rate
- Industrial Death Benefit (for widows or widowers)
- Mobility Supplement
- Pension Credit - the guarantee element
- Personal Independence Payment (PIP)
- State Pension (including Graduated Retirement Benefit)
- Severe Disablement Allowance (transitionally protected)
- Unemployability Supplement or Allowance (paid under Industrial Injuries or War Pensions schemes)
- War Disablement Pension at State Pension age
- War Widow’s Pension
- Widowed Mother’s Allowance
- Widowed Parent’s Allowance
- Widow’s Pension
Pensioner cost of living payment and Winter Fuel Payments
In total, these combined payments are worth up to £600 in heating bill help. The £300 one-off payment is being added to the annual Winter Fuel Payment which will arrive before January 13, 2023 - no specific payment windows have been given. It is not taxable and does not affect eligibility for other benefits. However, the full amount you will get for winter 2022 to 2023 depends on your household circumstances.
If you live alone or no one you live with is eligible for the Winter Fuel Payment, you’ll get either:
- £500 if you were born between 26 September 1942 and 25 September 1956
- £600 if you were born before 26 September 1942
If you live with someone else who’s eligible for the Winter Fuel Payment, your payment may be different if you get one of the following benefits:
- Pension Credit
- income-based Jobseeker’s Allowance (JSA)
- income-related Employment and Support Allowance (ESA)
- Income Support
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