MILLIONS of households are set to get a cash boost when they receive a £150 cost of living payment next week.
The £150 cash support will be paid directly into people’s bank accounts from Tuesday.
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Former Chancellor Rishi Sunak announced a support package to tackle the cost of living crisis worth up to £1,500 for some people in May.
As part of that package, people claiming disability benefit are eligible for the one-off cash sum.
The payment is to help those with disabilities pay for any energy intensive equipment they might have.
The cash will start hitting people’s bank accounts only one week after Liz Truss announced a price freeze to energy bills for two years, with the typical family paying £2,500 a year from October.
Energy bills had been due to hit £3,500. However, the new Energy Price Guarantee, which replaces the price cap, only limits the amount suppliers can charge.
It doesn’t limit the amount a household will pay, this is based on their energy usage and size of their property.
But there are also some people who will not receive the £150 cost of living payment.
If you’re not claiming a disability benefit then you won’t get the 1650 payment.
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But you may be able to get help if you claim other benefits, or get help under separate schemes.
People on means-tested benefits and Universal Credit are eligible for a one-off £650 payment.
The payment is to help poorer households pay for things like energy bills, fuel and food, which have all soared in recent months.
The first chunk of the £650 grant was paid on July 14.
Households will get £326 paid into their bank accounts – with another £324 to come at a date later in the autumn.
Who IS eligible for the £150 payment?
Millions of people on disability benefits are eligible for the one-off payment.
You can get the cash if you claim one of the following:
- Disability Living Allowance
- Personal Independence Payment
- Attendance Allowance
- Armed Forces Independence Payment
- Constant Attendance Allowance
- War Pension Mobility Supplement
- Adult Disability Payment (in Scotland)
- Child Disability Payment (in Scotland)
Claimants must have received, or begun an eventually successful claim for one of these benefits, as of May 25 this year to be eligible for the £150 payment.
The money is on top of the £650 payment you can get if you’re on certain means-test benefits including Universal Credit.
What benefits won’t qualify for the £150 payment?
The following benefits on their own won’t qualify you for the £150 one-off cost of living payment.
Anyone can check if they are eligible for benefits using a simple calculator tool.
You can use a free benefits checker from Turn2Us, Policy in Practice or EntitledTo to see.
You could also qualify for a different one-off payment instead, for instance if you are are over state pension age – see more in the sections below.
- Income-based Jobseekers Allowance
- Income-related Employment and Support Allowance
- Income Support
- Working Tax Credit
- Child Tax Credit
- Pension Credit
- Child benefit
- Contributory, or “new style”, Employment and Support Allowance (ESA)
- Guardian’s allowance
- Contribution-based, or “new style”, Jobseeker’s Allowance (JSA)
- Maternity allowance
- Personal Independence payment
- State pension
- Statutory adoption, maternity, paternity and shared parental pay
- Statutory sick pay
Who IS eligible for the £650 payment?
Those on the following benefits will get the £650 Cost of Living grant:
- Income-based Jobseekers Allowance
- Income-related Employment and Support Allowance
- Income Support
- Working Tax Credit
- Child Tax Credit
- Pension Credit
If you get any of these benefits, you’ll get the payment – find out how it’s paid and when here.
Who will qualify for the £300 payment?
Millions of pensioners will get a £300 payment, known as the pensioner cost of living payment.
The payment will be made in November or December and is will help many heat their home this winter.
The cash is on top of the existing Winter Fuel Payment worth between £100 and £300 that those over state pension age get already.
Up to a million pensioners could be missing out on the £650 payment on top though.
That’s because they are eligible for pension credit – and so the £650 payment too – but have not applied.
Pensioners on low incomes are being being urged to claim so t hey can get the support.
What other energy bill help is coming?
From October the first, all households will start to receive a £400 energy bill discount.
The payment will be dished out by your energy supplier and will be split across six discounts between October and March next year.
Households will receive a £66 energy bill discount in October and November and a discount worth £67 in December, January, February and March.
Millions of households are in line to get the £150 Warm Home Discount between December and March 2023.
The Household Support Fund is a scheme that was launched in October last year to help Brits pay their way through winter amid a cost of living crisis.
It was only due to run until March, but has since been extended until the end of this month.
Each local authority has can dish out the cash to people in their area and the help available depends on where you live.
Many councils have published guidance on their websites, so once you know your council, it’s probably best to google and see how to apply.
You can do that using the government’s local council checker tool by inputting your postcode.
Check if you can get an energy grant
There are plenty of energy grants and schemes open to help you out if you’re struggling.
British Gas has recently confirmed that it’ll pay its most vulnerable customers grants worth £750 to help with sky-high bills.
The British Gas Energy Trust has previously paid struggling households up to £1,500 – and you don’t need to be a British Gas customer to apply for this help.
Ask your supplier what’s on offer and how to apply, or check here:
You can get free debt advice
If you’re in debt there are plenty of services you can take advantage of and they offer free advice on how to manage debt.
Most of them can offer you free guidance and help in person, over the telephone or online.
Cost of living payments: what you need to know
Meanwhile, The Sun has listed 13 big money changes coming before Christmas, including Universal Credit direct payments.
We also explain how three major energy firms are bringing in a change for customers on fixed tariffs – and it will save you money.
