MILLIONS of households can apply for cost of living payments worth thousands of pounds this winter.
The Chancellor Rachel Reeves confirmed in her maiden Budget today the Household Support Fund will be extended from 2025.
Millions of households can get help paying their bills this winter[/caption]
The National Minimum and National Living wages and state pension will also be hiked from next April.
The “trick and treat” Halloween package unveiled by Rachel Reeves today included:
- A freeze to fuel duty for a 15th consecutive year in a win for The Sun’s Keep It Down campaign
- A penny off a pint by cutting draught beer duty, but raising booze taxes on other drinks
- A gloomy forecast of sluggish growth in a blow to Labour’s flagship mission
- A stamp duty rise for second-home buyers of two percentage points
- A hike to a packet of cigarettes as smoking duties were raised
- A new tax on vapes ahead of the looming ban on disposable e-cigs
- Higher taxes on air passenger duty for private jets that hits the wealthy
- A benefits crackdown with Ms Reeves telling jobless Brits to “get back to work”
- An inheritance tax raid through freezing the rates people pay
- An increase to the Carer’s Allowance to give cash to 60,000 more carers
But with energy bills increasing by £149 a year this month under the current Ofgem price cap and the cost of living still a struggle for millions, you may be keen to know what help is available now.
The current round of the Household Support Fund has only just opened while energy firms are offering a range of support to struggling customers.
Additionally, prepayment meter vouchers and cold weather payments will support those who are in financial need.
Here is all the help you can get NOW.
Household Support Fund
Households who are struggling to afford to pay for energy, water, food or essential items may be able to get help from their local council through the Household Support Fund (HSF).
The scheme was first launched in 2021 and is funded by the Department for Work and Pensions.
It was extended in September to give thousands of families the opportunity to get extra support.
The current round of funding ends in April 2025 and applications are being accepted by many local authorities.
But whether you are eligible and the amount of money you may receive will depend on where you live.
However, some families have been given up to £500 from the fund.
How you will receive the cash can also vary as some councils will offer support via bank transfer, shopping voucher or another way.
Cornwall Council is giving pensioners who received Council Tax Support on October 21, 2024, £80.
Meanwhile, West Berkshire Council is giving eligible households direct cash payments worth up to £300 as well as cash to pensioners.
What water bill support is available?
IT’S always worth checking if you qualify for a discount or extra support to help pay your water bill.
Over two million households who qualify to be on discounted social water tariffs aren’t claiming the savings provided, according to the Consumer Council for Water (CCW).
Only 1.3million households are currently issued with a social water tariff – up 19% from the previous year.
And the average household qualifying for the discounted water rates can slash their bills by £160 a year.
Every water company has a social tariff scheme which can help reduce your bills if you’re on a low income and the CCW is calling on customers to take advantage before bills rise in April.
Who’s eligible for help and the level of support offered varies depending on your water company.
Most suppliers also have a pot of money to dish out to thousands of customers who are under pressure from rising costs – and you don’t have to pay it back.
These grants can be worth hundreds of pounds offering a vital lifeline when faced with daunting water bills.
The exact amount you can get depends on where you live and your supplier, as well as your individual circumstances.
Many billpayers across the country could also get help paying off water debts through a little-known scheme and even get the balance written off.
Companies match the payments eligible customers make against the debt on their account to help clear it sooner.
If you’re on a water meter but find it hard to save water as you have a large family or water-dependent medical condition, you may be able to cap your bills through the WaterSure scheme.
Bills are capped at the average amount for your supplier, so the amount you could save will vary.
The Consumer Council for Water estimates that bills are reduced by £307 on average through the scheme.
Plus Reading Borough Council is handing out food vouchers to families whose children are on free school meals or pupil premium.
Around 3,900 households are expected to receive the vouchers, which will be sent from December and are worth £125 per household.
To find out what you may be able to claim visit your local council’s website.
You can find your local council by using the Government’s council locator tool.
Energy grants
Most energy suppliers offer grants to help families struggling to pay their bill to clear their energy debt.
These include British Gas, E.ON Next, EDF, Octopus, Ovo and Scottish Power.
Crucial to claim Pension Credit if you can
HUNDREDS of thousands of pensioners are missing out on Pension Credit.
The Sun’s Assistant Consumer Editor Lana Clements explains why it’s imperative to apply for the benefit..
Pension Credit is designed to top up the income of the UK’s poorest pensioners.
In itself the payment is a vital lifeline for older people with little income.
It will take weekly income up to to £218.15 if you’re single or joint income to £332.95.
Yet, an estimated 800,000 don’t claim this support. Not only are they missing on this cash, but far more extra support that is unlocked when claiming Pension Credit.
With the winter fuel payment – worth up to £300 now being restricted to pensioners claiming Pension Credit – it’s more important than ever to claim the benefit if you can.
Pension Credit also opens up help with housing costs, council tax or heating bills and even a free TV licence if you are 75 or older.
All this extra support can make a huge difference to the quality of life for a struggling pensioner.
It’s not difficult to apply for Pension Credit, you can do it up to four months before you reach state pension age through the government website or by calling 0800 99 1234.
You’ll just need your National Insurance number, as well as information about income, savings and investments.
The British Gas Energy Trust is available to British Gas and non-British Gas customers.
To be able to claim you need to have between £50 and £1,700 of energy debt.
You can only claim a grant from the trust every two years.
If your application is successful the money will be applied to your energy account.
Meanwhile, EDF’s customer support fund slices an average of £1,250 off customers’ bills.
Whether you are eligible and the amount you can get will depend on your supplier and your financial situation.
Contact your energy supplier to see what help you can get.
WATCH RACHEL REEVES ON NEVER MIND THE BALLOTS
By Ryan Sabey, Deputy Political Editor
RACHEL Reeves will be grilled in a special Budget edition of The Sun’s Never Mind The Ballots show today.
Our Political Editor Harry Cole will put the Chancellor on the spot shortly after she’s finished delivering her crucial address in the House of Commons.
It will be available to watch on thesun.co.uk, YouTube and Sun social channels at 5.30pm.
Topics will include her decision on whether to spare motorists a fuel duty rise, and the expected eye-watering tax rises she will impose.
Since its launch earlier this year, NMTB has cemented its place at the heart of British politics.
During the General Election campaign The Sun was the only print publisher to host back-to-back grillings of Rishi Sunak and Sir Keir Starmer.
Footage from The Election Showdown has been viewed over 15 million times.
NMTB has also featured interviews with ex-PMs Boris Johnson and Liz Truss, as well as senior politicians Nigel Farage, James Cleverly, Wes Streeting, Steve Reed and Bridget Phillipson
Winter fuel payment
A rule change this year means that only retirees on pension credit and several other means-tested benefits will get a winter fuel payment this year.
Only households claiming the following benefits will receive the payments and do not need to apply for the payment:
- Pension credit
- Universal Credit
- Income support
- Income-based jobseeker’s allowance (JSA)
- Income-related employment support allowance (ESA)
- Child tax credit
- Working tax credit
Only those living abroad who meet certain conditions must apply for the cash this winter.
You can check if you are eligible on the government website.
If you live alone you will get £200 if you were born between September 23, 1944 and September 22, 1958.
This climbs to £300 if you were born before September 23, 1944.
If you live with a partner and you both jointly claim any of the benefits one of you will get £200 if one or both of you were born between September 23, 1944 and September 22, 1958.
Or £300 if one or both of you were born before September 23, 1944.
Most payments will be made automatically in November or December.
You should get a letter telling you how much money you will get and which bank account it will be paid into.
If you do not receive a letter or the cash has not been paid into your account by January 29, 2025 then you should contact the Winter Fuel Payment Centre on 0800 731 0160.
Cold weather payments
Cold weather payments are made to the most vulnerable households to help pay for extra heating costs when temperatures drop.
To be eligible for the payment you must receive one of the following benefits:
- Pension Credit
- Income Support
- income-based Jobseeker’s Allowance (JSA)
- income-related Employment and Support Allowance (ESA)
- Universal Credit
- Support for Mortgage Interest
You will get a payment if the average temperature in your area is recorded as or forecast to be zero degrees celsius or below for seven consecutive days.
You will receive £25 for every week of very cold weather between November 1 2024 and March 31 2025.
That means in some circumstances you can get payments worth £50 or £75 if weather stays cold for long enough.
Christmas bonus
The Christmas Bonus is a one-off £10 payment which is paid to people who get certain benefits in the qualifying week.
This is normally the first full week of December.
The payment is tax-free and will not affect any other benefits you receive.
You must present or “ordinarily resident” in the UK, Channel Islands, Isle of Man or Gibraltar during this week.
You need to also get at least one of the following benefits during this week:
- Adult Disability Payment
- Armed Forces Independence Payment
- Attendance Allowance
- Carer’s Allowance
- Carer Support Payment
- 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
You do not need to claim the payment, it should be paid into your bank account automatically.
Look out for the code DWP XB on your bank statement.
Prepayment meter voucher
If you need to top up your prepayment meter but cannot afford to do so then you could get temporary credit from your supplier, which you will have to pay back.
Most suppliers will offer up to £20 if you run out of cash and can’t top up straight away to make sure you don’t go without heating or lighting.
If you do top up this amount will be deducted from your payment.
If you have not topped up for a period of time you may also owe standing charges, which is a daily flat fee for having energy use which is separate to your usage.
Contact your local council, food bank or Citizens Advice for help.
Do you have a money problem that needs sorting? Get in touch by emailing money-sm@news.co.uk.
Plus, you can join our Sun Money Chats and Tips Facebook group to share your tips and stories
