Nine ways to get up to £3,700 if you're struggling as Cost of Living payments end

nine ways to get up to £3,700 if you're struggling as cost of living payments end

Amid the Cost of Living crisis, UK households can move to act and get help.

Nine different ways to get up to £3,700 have been revealed for those struggling as Cost of Living payments from the Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) end. This includes help with energy bills during the ongoing cost of living crisis.

The energy crisis has caused bills to soar for households across the UK. The Ofgem price cap is currently set at £1,928 a year for the average dual fuel household paying by direct debit.

Experts at Cornwall Insight predict it will drop to £1,620 a year from April 1. During this tough time, UK households can apply for various schemes to give them a financial boost.

One such scheme is the Household Support Fund, which offers up to £450. This fund is given to local councils by the Government to support struggling households in their area. Each council decides how they spend the money, with some offering supermarket vouchers and others cash payments.

Another way to get help is through a switching bonus, which could be up to £200.

NatWest has introduced a new £200 bank switch offer for both new and existing customers. To get the cash, you need to move your current account to either a Reward or Select account. You must then deposit £1,250 into the new account and log into the mobile app within 60 days of switching. The money will be paid within seven days after you’ve done this.

Winter Fuel Payment is worth up to £600 this winter and is awarded to pensioner households. Winter Fuel Payments are worth up to £300 as standard, depending on your living arrangements and circumstances. But the Government is topping this up with an extra £300 pensioner cost of living payment for this winter – meaning some households will get up to £600. You can get a Winter Fuel Payment for winter 2023/24 if you were born before September 25, 1957. This date changes each winter.

Cold Weather Payments are sent out when the average temperature is recorded as, or forecast to be, 0C or below over seven consecutive days. Each payment is worth £25 – but it is possible to get multiple payments if you go through several spells of freezing weather. The scheme is live now and will run until March 31, 2024.

Winter Heating Payment helps people on low income benefits who might have extra heating needs. It’s automatically paid once a year. Payments for winter 2023 to 2024 will begin from the middle of December.

Social Security Scotland is planning to give most people who qualify their money by the end of January 2024. Before they send the cash, they’ll pop a letter in the post to let you know.

When you check your bank account, look for ‘WHP’ in the payment reference. That stands for Winter Heating Payment and it means you’ve got your heating help.

You can also save £150 on your electricity with the Warm Home Discount. This gets taken off your bill or given as a voucher. To see if you can get it, first make sure your energy company is part of the scheme by looking on GOV.UK.

If you’re on the list and you or your partner were getting Guarantee Credit part of Pension Credit on August 13, 2023, you should get the £150 without having to do anything. That’s for “core group one” folks this winter. In England and Wales, if you claim certain benefits and your energy bills are high, you might get the discount without asking too that’s “core group two”.

If your energy bills are really tough to pay, you could get some extra help. Big energy companies have funds to help out. For example, the British Gas Energy Trust could give you up to £2,000, even if you’re not their customer, as long as you fit their rules.

Other companies like EDF, OVO Energy, Octopus Energy and Scottish Power also have active schemes. But remember, you might need to first seek help from a free money advice service like Citizens Advice before you can get a hardship payment.

Rent help – up to £965

If you’re finding it hard to pay your rent, you could get some help from your local council through a Discretionary Housing Payment (DHP). If you’re getting housing benefit or the housing part of Universal Credit, you might be able to get this.

The average DHP was £965, according to information requests sent to 30 of the biggest councils.

Fuel vouchers – worth £50

If you’re struggling to top up your prepayment meter, you might be able to get a fuel voucher. You’ll receive the voucher as a code in a letter, text message or email. You can use it to add credit to your gas card or electricity key. If you don’t have one of these, get in touch with your supplier to get one.

You can use a fuel voucher at a shop that uses PayPoint – find a shop near you on the PayPoint website or a Post Office or shop that uses Payzone – find a Post Office or shop near you on the Payzone website.

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