As the cost of living crisis continues, millions of people across the UK continue to struggle with soaring bills.
A variety of supports are available, from the Energy Support Scheme to the Warm Home Discount.
But keeping track of different initiatives and their duration can be difficult. Below, we’ll look at the support households can claim and important dates to keep an eye on to make sure you don’t miss out.
energy price guarantee
Jeremy Hunt’s budget on March 15 had some good news for consumers. The Prime Minister announced the Energy Price Guarantee (EPG) introduced by Liz He Truss last September. The government will subsidize the remainder allowed by Ofgem’s energy price cap. This period is further extended by him for three months.
Mr Hunt had been tempted to raise the EPG to £3,000 from 1 April, which was not a fairly generous offer to ease the burden on the state, but in the end he considered it well.
“High energy prices are one of the biggest concerns for families, so we are keeping our energy price guarantee at the current level,” the Prime Minister told parliament.
“With energy prices dropping from July onwards, this temporary change will help bridge the gap and ease the pressure on families while also helping to lower inflation.”
Without that support, the average household would have paid £4,279 in bills annually between January and April, but the EPG will allow the government to recover the remaining £1,779, reducing it to £2,500. was done.
Ofgem has since lowered the cap for the second quarter of this year by 23% to £3,280. Hunt’s decision means the public will continue to be protected instead of paying the full amount, but the state will pay significantly less. £780 per household.
Energy bill support scheme
While that may sound like a positive development, the Energy Bill Support Scheme, introduced by Rishi Sunak a year ago when he was at 11 Downing Street, meant that the last £67 installment of a total of £400 would go into a bank account. It will expire at the end of March on the same day.
Campaigners like Dame Clare Moriarty, chief executive of Citizens Advice, say the change will make many families pay more, even though the country’s fortunes are actually turning around. It is a warning that it means that there is a possibility that
“The withdrawal of the Energy Bill Assistance Scheme means that average monthly bills will rise by £67 from April,” she said. “With millions of people already unable to afford their bills and energy prices to remain high for years to come, governments will need to consider long-term solutions to the problem.
“Many people, especially those on low incomes, will need continued help, not just to pay their bills, but to improve energy efficiency and make their homes safer and warmer.”
Sarah Coles, Head of Personal Finance at Hargreaves Lansdown, agrees, commenting: Monthly discount losses from April will still hit hard as you will have to find another £67 from somewhere each month.
“Already 48% of people find it difficult to pay their utility bills, rising to 54% among those in their 30s and 40s. (6%), which is 1 in 7 people in the fifth lowest income group.
“For these people, removing the £67 monthly discount would mean an even bigger nightmare.”
Winter support measures end soon
Additionally, two more schemes that provided financial assistance to low-income families this winter will also expire at the end of March. Both the warm home discount and the cold payment scheme will no longer apply.
Moreover, UK inflation remains in the double digits of 10.1%, keeping supermarket shelf prices high while the Bank of England’s Monetary Policy Committee has pushed interest rates to 4%. pulling up.
Main dates for benefits during the Easter period
Despite this pessimistic situation, the usual state aid in the form of benefits and pensions will come into effect in April, but be aware that the arrival of Easter weekend will complicate things somewhat. It’s worth keeping to.
Good Friday (April 7th) and Easter Monday (April 10th) are both bank holidays, so you may receive any of the following payments from the Department of Work and Pensions (DWP) on either of these dates: those who are expecting will receive the money earlier instead. Thursday, April 6th instead:
- universal credit
- national pension
- pensioner
- Disability living allowance
- individual self-reliance payments
- Nursing care allowance
- Nursing care allowance
- Employment support allowance
- income support
- Job Seeker’s Allowance
If no payment is due on any of these dates, it will be paid as normal and not subject to minor disruptions.
For more information on when and how state benefits are paid, visit government website.
When to claim additional £1,350 support
It’s also worth bearing in mind that the DWP has announced that millions of low-income households will receive up to £1,350 worth of cost of living assistance this year.
According to the DWP, 8 million eligible means-tested benefit claimants, including those on universal credits, pension credits and tax credits, will receive £900 in installments from this spring, which will be paid in three installments. The payment will be directly transferred to your bank account.
In addition, over 6 million people with disabilities will receive an additional £150 and over 8 million pensioners will receive a further £300.
The announced payment windows are:
- £301 – first cost of living payment – Spring 2023
- £150 – Disability Allowance – During Summer 2023
- £300 – Second cost of living payment – Fall 2023
- £300 – Pensioner Payment – Winter 2023/4
- £299 – 3rd cost of living payment – Spring 2024
