Help with Cost of Living

Please find details of the current cost of living payments provided by central government that people may be eligible to receive:

1. Energy Bills Support Scheme – £400 per household
   1. All households will be eligible to receive this. Individuals in residential care will not receive any funds through the Energy Bills Support Scheme
   2. This amount will be paid via energy suppliers over 6 months from October 2022. Direct debit and credit customers will have money credited to their account. People with a prepayment meter will have the amount applied to their meter or paid via a voucher.
   3. Where people live in households where rent includes utility costs, landlords should be responsible to pass on any payments received.
       
2. Pensioner Cost of Living Payment – £300 per household
   1. You must be over State Pension age (aged 66 or above) as at week ending 25^th Sep. 2022 and be receiving the Winter Fuel Payment.
   2. Payment will be automatic as a top-up to their annual Winter Fuel Payment in November/ December 2022. For most pensioner households, this will be paid by direct debit.
   3. Eligible individuals include:
      1. People in hospital receiving free treatment for more than a year
      2. People who require permission to enter the UK and whose granted leave states they cannot claim public funds
      3. People in prison for the whole week from 19 to 25 Sep. 22
      4. People who lived in a care home for the whole time from 27 Jun. to 25 Sep. 22 and received Pension Credit. This only applies to residential care as people who live in supported living or housing with care and meet the criteria will receive the payment. However, if people live in residential care and receive a state retirement pension without pension credit, they can receive a winter fuel payment. Further information can be found at Winter Fuel Payment Eligibility
          
3. Cost of Living Payment – £650 per household (paid in 2 instalments of £325)
   1. People receiving certain means-tested benefits are eligible for these payments. This will automatically paid by the DWP in 2 instalments , the first in July 2022 and the second in Autumn 2022.
   2. Eligible benefits include: Universal Credit or Income Based JSA, Income Related ESA, Income Support, Working Tax Credit/Child Tax Credits or Pension Credit.
   3. People in residential care are eligible provided they receive one of the eligible benefits
       
4. Disability Cost of Living Payment £150 per claimant Claimants on DLA/ PIP/ AA/Armed Forces Independence Payment/ Constant Attendance Allowance/ War Pension Mobility Supplement at 25/5/2022. Automatically in September 2022. Nothing has been seen to suggest that people in residential care will not get the payment.  Information from the DWP is awaited but again it is suspected  there will be no guidance.  Supported living people should have no issues with getting the payments as they do not have benefit suspended.
    
5. Council Tax Rebate £150 per household in England in Council Tax bands A-D. Those who pay Council Tax by direct debit will be paid automatically into their bank accounts from April 2022. People in residential care will not have a payment unless they have a council tax liability. The same for those in supported living they would only receive it if they have a council tax liability. Usually people in support living do not have a council tax liability so the majority will not get the payment. There is a discretionary scheme run by districts where you can apply if you live in a property above a band D. Council Tax Rebate information