MILLIONS of households will receive a welcome cash boost this year to help them with rising costs.
Different payments are: is handed out the coming months to help with the cost of living crisis.
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The much-needed cash will help households pay the sky-high utility bills, which are expected to rise to on average over £3,000 a year in October.
The money includes a payment of up to £650, for anyone who claims Universal credit and other means-tested benefits.
Payments are made in two installments.
More than eight million households are getting the first of two cost of living installments from today, Thursday 14 July.
This payment will be £326, with the remainder to follow in a second installment from the autumn.
Every UK household will get at least £400 to help cover rising energy billswhich are expected to increase by hundreds of pounds more this winter.
after a meeting with Martin Lewis from MoneySavingExpertenergy companies have said they will set clear guidelines for people to make sure they get the payment.
Retirees also get a helping hand with a additional £300 one-time payment during the coldest months.
The average payout for each household will be £550, the government has said, but the total amount could be more or less depending on what you qualify for.
The most needy can get as much as £1,500 through living expenses.
The money was announced in May by Chancellor Rishi Sunak with the aim of helping millions meet the cost of living.
Here are all the important dates when you can expect your payments.
July
In July, more than eight million households will receive the first part of their one-off £650 cash boost.
Those with the following means-tested benefits get the money: Universal Credit, means-tested jobseeker’s allowance (JSA), means-tested Employment and Support Allowance (ESA), income support, and retirement credit.
The first cash prize is worth £326 and will be paid between today, July 14, and the end of the month, the government has now revealed†
Payments automatically go to the bank account that claimants usually get their benefits from, and are separate from the usual amount you get.
To get the money, you must have a qualifying benefit or have a successful claim that is later than May 25 of this year.
If you miss that date and then claim Universal Credit, you may still be eligible for the second half of the payment later in the fall.
September
Six million people with disabilities will receive €150 in September.
This is to help them pay for all the energy-intensive equipment they have, which could drive up their bills.
A lot disability benefit recipients also get means-tested benefits – so this £150 amount is separate from the £650 payment.
And like the £650 cash boost, the £150 aid is tax-exempt, does not count towards the distribution limit and does not affect existing distributions.
Autumn
In the autumn, households should receive their second installment of the means-tested benefit of £650.
The date for the second piece worth £324 has yet to be confirmed for those with Universal Credit, means-tested job-seeker allowance (JSA), income-related employment and support allowance (ESA), income support and pension credit.
Autumn is also when people with tax credits get the first half of their £650 payments.
Employee rebates and child rebate applicants are eligible for the money, but will receive it at a later date.
That’s to prevent people from getting paid twice when they get other benefits on top of it tax credits†
The first payment of living expenses for people with a tax credit, who do not receive a DWP benefit, will be made from the fall of 2022 and the second payment from the winter of 2022.
The exact dates for both payments have not yet been confirmed.
From October
Every household will benefit from a € 400 discount on the energy bill from October.
From that moment on, the energy discount is paid and the payment is made in installments over the six consecutive months.
It replaces an earlier plan to € 200 energy discountthat households would have had to repay.
The £400 discount is a subsidy that you will NOT have to pay back in later years through higher utility bills, which is good news for bill payers.
Customers pay their energy bill must see that the money has been credited to their account via direct debit.
Those on prepayment meters get the money on their meter, or they receive a voucher.
November December
Either in November or December, a €300 one-time Pensioner Cost of Living Payment will be distributed to eight million households.
It will be given to those who have the Payment winter fuel – which is worth between £100 and £300 for those over state pension age.
The additional £300 help will be paid on top of this aid, meaning some eligible households will double their payments this winter.
You can check your eligibility for the Winter Fuel payment in our useful explanation.
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