Energy bills: What cost-of-living payments are available and how do you claim?

Some groups volition beryllium eligible for payments of up to £900 to assistance with their vigor bills from April 2023.

Low-income households, pensioners and immoderate disabled radical should person present received their cost-of-living payments for 2022.

Everyone's vigor measure is besides already being chopped by astatine slightest £400 this winter.

From April, immoderate groups volition person payments to assistance with vigor costs:

The authorities says it volition people much accusation astir the nonstop timing of the payments.

Two payments totalling £650 person been made to much than 8 cardinal low-income households.

The archetypal instalment of £326 was paid betwixt 14 and 31 July. The 2nd instalment of £324 should person reached those eligible by the extremity of December.

They are disposable to households who person the pursuing benefits:

The outgo notation connected the recipients' slope accounts was their nationalist security number, followed by "DWP COL".

The 1.1 cardinal radical who person lone taxation credits, alternatively than immoderate of the different benefits received their 2nd instalment betwixt 23 and 30 November, consecutive into their slope accounts with the outgo notation "HMRC COLS". Their archetypal outgo was paid successful September.

People were not eligible for these payments if they person New Style Employment and Support Allowance, contributory Employment and Support Allowance, oregon New Style Jobseeker's Allowance - unless they get Universal Credit.

Anyone who thinks they should person received the assistance but did not should interaction the bureau that pays their payment oregon taxation credits, oregon report it here.

To suffice for the latest instalment, radical had to person been claiming a benefits outgo betwixt 26 August and 25 September, with the objection of pensioner households, who whitethorn beryllium capable to person a caller Pension Credit assertion backdated.

An estimated 850,000 pensioner households do not assertion Pension Credit, which is simply a gateway to these other payments.

None of these cost-of-living payments impact the taxation you pay, oregon the benefits oregon taxation credits you receive.

This volition beryllium applied implicit six months, with a £66 simplification successful October and November, and a £67 discount each period betwixt December and March 2023.

The discount volition beryllium made automatically by vigor suppliers successful England, Scotland and Wales. There is nary request to use oregon to springiness other information.

Direct debit and recognition customers volition person the wealth added to their relationship oregon automatically to their slope account.

Anyone who does not usage mains state and energy - specified arsenic those utilizing heating lipid - gets an other £100 connected apical of the £400.

Direct debit customers successful Northern Ireland volition person the wealth paid into their slope accounts. Other customers volition beryllium sent a voucher.

Households that person the Winter Fuel Payment - which is worthy £200-£300 and is paid to astir each homes with astatine slightest 1 idiosyncratic of pension property - should person received an other £300 successful November oregon December.

That should screen astir each pensioners crossed the UK.

Lower-income pensioners who assertion pension recognition volition person the wealth successful summation to the £650 enactment for those connected benefits.

This means a tiny radical of pensioners with disabilities volition person a full of £1,500.

About 80% of households should person received a £150 vigor rebate, often done their assembly taxation bill.

The outgo method is depended connected whether you wage your assembly taxation by nonstop debit and wherever you unrecorded successful the UK.

Some radical were fixed substance vouchers done the Household Support Fund, which is distributed by section councils.

The authorities launched an vigor terms guarantee successful October 2022, which limits a emblematic duel-fuel household's yearly vigor measure to £2,500.

It is not a headdress connected however overmuch customers really wage - your measure depends connected however overmuch vigor you really use.

The strategy was initially designed to past for 2 years, but was past reduced to six months.

However, the authorities confirmed the warrant volition proceed aft April 2023, but will summation to £3,000.

The program applies to each households successful England, Scotland and Wales, with the "same level of support" disposable successful Northern Ireland.

Support for firms successful the consequent 12 months volition beryllium overmuch little generous.

Heavy energy-using sectors, similar glass, ceramics and steelmakers, volition get a larger discount than others.

How is the rising outgo of surviving affecting you? Please get successful interaction by emailing: haveyoursay@bbc.co.uk.

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