NEARLY 30,000 workers are set to receive a payment worth up to £3,000 to help with the rising cost of living.
The Department of Health and Social Care (DHSC) has said more than 27,000 healthcare workers will receive two sets of one-off payments.
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The tens of thousands of frontline workers who are not directly employed by the NHS including community nurses, physiotherapists and cleaners, will receive the payments over the coming months.
Community nurses, sexual health workers, speech and language therapists, physiotherapists, and other crucial frontline workers are all set to benefit.
The payments will be worth a minimum of £1,665 but could go up to £3,000.
The DHSC said the payments recognise the vital role of social healthcare worked at social enterprises, charities, private providers and local authorities.
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Last year, more than one million NHS staff received two one-off payments alongside a 5% pay rise.
Health and Social Care Secretary Victoria Atkins said: “I hugely value the hard work of all our healthcare staff, and those working in non-NHS organisations offer vital support to patients.”
“I want to ensure that eligible staff receive these payments, which is why we chose to deliver this funding and why we have taken the decision to relax the financial eligibility criteria employers must meet.
“It will ensure that hardworking staff and the organisations they work for can fully benefit from the NHS pay deal.”
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How to access the extra cost of living payment?
The Department of Health and Social Care will contact eligible organisations as soon as possible to provide this funding.
Those organisations will then be responsible for distributing these funds to their employees.
Other support available?
If you’re not eligible for this extra £3,000 cost of living payment you may still be able to get support.
Councils in England are still rolling out support through the Household Support Fund which is worth £842million.
Chancellor Jeremy Hunt also extended the Household Support Fund (HSF) for the fifth time – adding a further £500million to the pot.
What you are entitled to will vary depending on where you live as each local authority sets specific eligibility criteria.
Three million people in total qualify for the Warm Home Discount this winter and most receive the £150 payment automatically.
But some have to apply by the March 31 deadline.
Struggling households can get free cash grants to help with the cost of living through the Turn2us Grants Search tool.
It contains a database of around 1,400 grants and support schemes and simplifies the process of checking if you are eligible for one.
It may seem obvious, but you should check if you could qualify for benefits if you haven’t already.
The most recent research from analytics company Policy in Practice reveals billions of pounds worth of benefits are going unclaimed, including £7.5billion in Universal Credit.
You may still be eligible for benefits even if you are in work.
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How to check what benefits you could be entitled to
The quickest way to see what benefits you may be able to claim is to use one of the three benefit calculators recommended by Gov.uk.
Each one is free to use. They are:
Before using the tools, make sure you have key financial information to hand, such as bank and savings statements, and information on pensions and existing benefits.
If you live with a partner or family, get their basic financial information together too as this could affect your claim.
For each of these, you’ll be asked information about your circumstances, such as your current employment and income.
You’ll also need to give information about yourself, including your age and who you live with.
You can then use the contact information on Gov.uk to get the ball rolling and apply for what you’re owed.
Of course, the tools only provide an indicator of what benefits you can claim – and usually don’t include means tested benefits, so you may be entitled to even more.
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