As the price of energy bills continue to rise this winter, many people are relying on additional financial support to get them through the cold, dark months.
Everybody who owns a domestic electricity meter will be receiving £66 from their supplier as a discount throughout October, as the first instalment of the £400 rebate lands, reports Birmingham Live. For state benefit claimants, extra payments will be being made, as the exact dates for these were finally announced.
Also, disability benefit claimants are still awaiting a £150 payment that began its rollout on September 20. News of what the new Chancellor, Jeremy Hunt, and new Prime Minister, Rishi Sunak, has in store for household living costs is also still to come.
READ MORE - Exact times Scottish homes could be hit by 'worst case' blackouts this winter
Concerns are rising on if state benefits will only rise in line with wages, instead of matching current levels of inflation. So, here is what we know about what extra payments are coming in November, in addition to the next instalment of the £400 energy rebate - which is another £66.
£324 cost of living payment for DWP low-income benefits
This benefit boost will aim to drop into bank accounts between November 8 and November 23 for most people. Those receiving this cash payment include: Universal Credit claimants, income-based Jobseeker's Allowance (JSA) claimants, income-related Employment and Support Allowance (ESA) claimants, Income Support and Pension Credit claimants.
People claiming the above means-tested benefits from DWP are in line for a payment of £650 paid in two lump sums of £326 and £324. The first instalment was paid from July 14, and the second part is due in November.
Universal Credit claimants will also be eligible for the payment if they were entitled to (or later found to be entitled after an appeal or later application) to a Universal Credit payment during the assessment period. This period ran from August 26 to September 25.
That means that the payment assessment must have finished and paid on any day between the two above dates. You will not be eligible for the cost of living payment if your earnings reduced your Universal Credit to zero for the qualifying assessment period - which is referred to as a nil award.
However, if money has also been taken off for other reasons - such as payments of rent or for money you owed - you could still be eligible. Those on JSA, ESA, Income Support and Pension Credit should be eligible for the cash boost if they were entitled, or later found to be entitled, to these benefits between August 26 and September 25.
If you have a joint claim, you will only get one payment in total, not one each. The money will go into the same account as your regular benefits but as a separate amount.
£324 cost of living payment for HMRC Tax Credits
This payment will be made to those on Working Tax Credit and Child Tax Credit between November 23 and November 30. The payment date is different to those on DWP benefits, and to be eligible, you must have been receiving the benefits between August 26 to September 25.
The benefits must have been:
- 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 get both Working Tax Credit and Child Tax Credit, you will receive a payment for the latter benefit only, which will be paid by the HMRC. If you get tax credits from HMRC and one of the other low-income benefits from DWP, you will get a cost of living payment from DWP only.
Your payment might come later if you are awarded a qualifying benefit at a later date or you change the account your benefit or tax credits are paid into. You will still get the cost of living payment automatically.
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