OVER 'EIGHT million households' will begin receiving the first £301 Cost of Living Payment next month the Department for Work and Pensions has announced.
The DWP has now confirmed Brits on certain benefits, including Universal Credit, will receive the £301 directly into their bank accounts between April 25 and May 17.
This is the first of three payments totalling up to £900 for those eligible.
The first Cost of Living payment will be sent out automatically and directly to recipients, meaning those eligible do not need to apply or do anything to receive it.
Those eligible need to have received either Universal Credit, Income-based Jobseekers Allowance, Income-related Employment and Support Allowance, Income Support, Working Tax Credit, Child Tax Credit or Pension credit between 26 January and 25 February 2023.
Read our Cost of Living blog below for the latest updates…
- Louis Allwood
Council tax checker
Council tax bills will go up in April, in another cost of living blow to millions of people.
Annual council tax bills in England will rise by an average of 5.1%.
It comes as millions of households already face rising broadband, mobile phone and grocery costs.
If you're not sure how much you'll soon be paying, The Sun has created a council tax tool.
You can use it to check how much council tax bills are going up in your area.
- Louis Allwood
Parking hack to save some cash
Many people across the country are facing increasing costs on all fronts, while certain destinations and specific venues have recommended parking charging upwards of £20 a day.
Research conducted by the online parking portal, YourParkingSpace.co.uk, asked 1,006 drivers whether rising economic costs would impact on planning future days out.
Nearly half (48 per cent) of respondents said they were likely to cancel their plans due to the rising cost of parking.
Using specific parking apps such as YourParkingSpace can save you a tidy sum, while others such as appyparking.com and myringgo.co.uk also provide ways in which you can reduce your parking payments.
Parking from 9-5 in Westminster, London can easily cost around £50, whereas the average price using YourParkingSpace is just £16.
The savings continue when you look at places such as Birmingham, York and Edinburgh where you can save around 50-60% on parking charges if you utilise the same digital approach.
- Louis Allwood
Five ways to save on train tickets
Following the rise of train fair prices passengers will be looking for ways to cut costs where they can.
Rail fares rose by 5.9% as of Sunday March 5.
While you won’t be able to avoid the hike completely, there are ways that you can save a bit of cash moving forward.
- Split tickets
- Buy a season ticket
- Book at least 12 weeks in advance
- Save money with a Railcard
- Use the train company’s own website
- Louis Allwood
Hundreds of thousands of drivers face paying £12.50 fee as Clean Air Zone expands in months
Almost 700,000 car drivers in London will face a daily £12.50 Ultra Low Emission Zone (ULEZ) fee a day when the scheme expands, according to new analysis.
The RAC, which carried out the research, said the expansion of the zone from August 29 will have a "massive financial impact on motorists and businesses”.
It comes a day after Transport for London (TfL) claimed that nine out of 10 cars seen driving in outer London on an average day meet the ULEZ standards, so will not be liable for the charge.
It also said that many drivers are switching from older, more polluting vehicles ahead of the expansion.
The zone is currently limited to the area within London's North and South Circular roads, but Mayor Sadiq Khan has decided to expand it to cover the whole of the capital, claiming this will boost air quality.
Most diesel cars registered before September 2015 and petrol cars registered prior to January 2006 are liable for the charge.
Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency figures obtained by the RAC show that 691,559 licensed cars in the whole of London fall into one of those categories.
This does not take into account other vehicles such as vans and lorries, or vehicles which enter London from neighbouring counties such as Essex, Hertfordshire, Surrey and Kent.
- Louis Allwood
Final days for households to apply for £500
Thousands of households have just four days left to apply for £500 to help cope with bills and financial struggles.
Families who have been hit hard by the cost of living crisis can claim support from the local council – if you fit certain criteria.
Residents in Camden, London could be eligible for supermarket vouchers and £500 direct into their bank account.
To apply, you must:
- be over 18 (over 16s can apply if you live independently)
- have lived in Camden for at least 6 weeks
- provide proof that you are in urgent financial need
The council will check the Council Tax database to confirm you are a Camden resident.
Households in Bracknell Forest can earn £75 worth of supermarket vouchers
Thousands of households in Bracknell Forest only have a few days left to collect £75 worth of supermarket vouchers, thanks to the Household Support Fund.
Those eligible have till March 31 to apply and collect the extra help.
You'll have to meet the following criteria to apply:
- Child is under 5 years old in an early years setting
- Child is 16 to 18 years old in full time education
- Young person is aged 16 to 25 years old in full time education with an Education, Health and Care plan
- Child is home educated
- Child attends an out of borough school where they are not eligible for equivalent support from their education authority
Free debt advice
If you’re in debt there are plenty of services you can take advantage of and they offer free advice on how to manage debt.
Most of them can offer you free guidance and help in person, over the telephone or online.
- Money Helper – 0800 138 7777
- Citizens Advice – 0808 800 9060
- StepChange – 0800 138 1111
- National Debtline – 0808 808 4000
How thousands of women are still missing out on £1,000 a year in state pension
Thousands of women whose husbands reached state pension age before March 17, 2008, are missing out on a payment boost of up to 60%.
Those women who paid the married woman's stamp or missed out on contributing years can get a £1,000-a-year boost.
When their husbands retired at 65 before March 17, 2008, they had to make a second claim to get an uplift which could see them earn an additional £20 a week.
Pensions expert Steve Webb said: "It is shocking that the government knows that hundreds of thousands of older married women could be on a higher pension but has done nothing to make them aware in the fifteen years or more since their husband retired.
"I would encourage any married woman with a husband over 80 and who has a basic pension under £85 per week to check if she may be entitled to a higher pension."
A DWP spokesperson said: “Our priority is ensuring pensioners receive the financial support to which they are entitled and the action we are taking now will correct historical underpayments made by successive governments.
“As upheld by a court last year, married women whose husbands reached state pension age after them, but before March 17 2008, are required by law to make a claim for an uplift to their State Pension.”
Let's tackle April bill rises – Energy
The Chancellor might have postponed the increase of the energy price guarantee to £3,000 until July, however, families will still find themselves squeezed as the energy bill support scheme comes to an end in April – adding around £67 to energy bills.
If you're struggling to make ends meet, we suggest speaking to your energy provider and ask about their hardship fund.
Reena from Which? also suggested switching to direct debit as she said: "Ensure that you question any direct debit increases that seem too high.
"Your energy company should be able to explain the changes and your usage, and payments should balance out over a year.”
- Louis Allwood
Top tips for saving money whilst driving
Drivers need to save money anywhere they can find it, so automotive business, Peter Vardy, has come up with some top tips to help you save money when driving your car.
He claims supermarket garages are always generally cheaper than branded filling stations, so perhaps think about combining topping your fuel up when you’re on a shopping trip.
It has been calculated that overall, people could save up around £74 a year by using supermarket pumps.
You should also never allow your car insurance to auto-renew.
Why? Because you’ll almost certainly find a better deal by trying new providers and haggling for the best price.
Comparison sites are useful, but you may wish to try individual insurance companies yourself and then try to drive the separate quotes down.
- Louis Allwood
What other help is coming?
Millions of people with disabilities and pensioners will receive cost of living payments worth up to £300 later this year and into 2024 too.
Over six million people will receive a £150 disability cost of living payment this summer.
You may be entitled to the payment if you receive any of the following benefits:
- Attendance Allowance
- Constant Attendance Allowance
- Disability Living Allowance for adults
- Disability Living Allowance for children
- Personal Independence Payment
- Adult Disability Payment (in Scotland)
- Child Disability Payment (in Scotland)
- Armed Forces Independence Payment
- War Pension Mobility Supplement
Millions of pensioners will receive a £150 or £300 cost of living payment from November this year too.
You will be eligible for the payment if you are entitled to a Winter Fuel Payment for winter 2023/24.
'Financial boost to more than eight million'
Mel Stride, secretary of state for Work and Pensions, said: “These payments will give a financial boost to more than eight million households as we continue to wrap our arms around the most vulnerable, while the best way we can protect people from high costs is to halve inflation by the end of this year.
“In the long-term, we know work is the best route out of poverty, which is why we recently announced additional Work Coach support to help more people find work or increase their hours.
"Anyone looking to boost their skills or progress their career should speak to their work coach to ensure they’re accessing all the support the DWP can provide.”
What benefits do you need to be on to be eligible?
The full list of benefits that qualify people for the payment is:
- Universal Credit
- Income-based Jobseekers Allowance
- Income-related Employment and Support Allowance
- Income Support
- Working Tax Credit
- Child Tax Credit
- Pension credit
If you were receiving any of the above benefits between January 26 and February 25 this year you will receive the £301 payment.
Exact date £301 cost of living payment will be paid
Millions of households will receive £301 in free cash from April, the government has said.
The Department for Work and Pensions has now confirmed the dates when the first instalment of the £900 cost of living payment will be made.
Millions of households on certain benefits, including Universal Credit, will receive the £301 directly into their bank accounts between April 25 and May 17.
Those eligible for the tax-free payment won't have to do anything as it will be made automatically.
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