Resources for Financial Support

• The British Gas Energy Trust

• The EDF Energy Customer Support Fund

• The E.ON Energy Fund

• ON Next Energy Fund

• Scottish Power Hardship Fund

• Ovo Energy Fund

• Bulb Energy Fund

• Octopus ‘Octo Assist Fund

Help Available

Check with your energy company to find out how they operate their scheme.

The help available might include:

• Getting a boiler repair or replacement

• Assistance to pay energy debts

Some energy suppliers also offer other indirect help to their customers such as advice on using less energy and reducing energy-related debts.

You may be entitled to up to 3 Cost of Living Payments of £301, £300 and £299 if you get any of the following benefits or tax credits on certain dates:

• income-based Jobseeker’s Allowance (JSA)

• income-related Employment and Support Allowance (ESA)

• Income Support

• Pension Credit

• Universal Credit

• Child Tax Credit

• Working Tax Credit

The payment will be made separately from your benefit payments.

You will not get a payment if you are only getting New Style ESA, contributory ESA, or New Style JSA.

If you have a joint claim on the qualifying dates, a single payment of £301, £300 and £299 will be sent using the same payment method used between these dates, if you’re eligible.

£301 Cost of Living Payment eligibility

You are eligible for the first Cost of Living Payment of £301 if you were entitled to a payment (or later found to be entitled to a payment) of Universal Credit for an assessment period that ended in the period 26 January 2023 to 25 February 2023.

You are eligible for the first Cost of Living Payment of £301 if you were entitled to a payment (or later found to be entitled to a payment) of income-based JSA, income-related ESA, Income Support or Pension Credit for any day in the period 26 January 2023 to 25 February 2023.

You are also eligible if you are entitled to one of these benefits for any day during this period but you do not receive a benefit payment because your entitlement is between 1 penny and 9 pence.

You are eligible for the first Cost of Living Payment of £301 if you received a payment of tax credits for any day in the period 26 January 2023 to 25 February 2023, or you are later found to have been entitled to a payment for this period.

This guidance will be updated with the qualifying dates for the £300 and £299 Cost of Living Payments when they have been announced.

‘Nil awards’

You will not be eligible for the Cost of Living Payment if your benefit is reduced to £0 for the qualifying period. This is sometimes called a ‘nil award’.

Reasons your benefit may be reduced to £0 include:

• you got more than one payment of earnings in your Universal Credit assessment period

• your or your partner’s earnings went up

• your or your partner’s savings went up

• you started getting another benefit

• you got a ‘sanction’ because you did not do something you agreed in your claimant commitment

You may still be eligible for a Cost of Living Payment if your benefit is reduced to £0 and one of the following applies:

• money was taken off your benefit for other reasons, such as payments of rent to your landlord or for money that you owe

• you had a hardship payment because you could not pay for rent, heating, food or hygiene needs

If you’re entitled, you will get:

• £301 paid between 25 April 2023 and 17 May 2023 for most people on DWP benefits

• £301 paid between 2 and 9 May 2023 for most people on tax credits and no other low income benefits

• £300 paid during autumn 2023 for most people

• £299 paid during spring 2024 for most people

If you’re getting both Child Tax Credit and Working Tax Credit, you will receive a Cost of Living Payment for Child Tax Credit only, which will be paid by HMRC.

If you’re getting tax credits from HMRC and a low income benefit from DWP, you cannot get a Cost of Living Payment from both HMRC and DWP. You will usually be paid by DWP only.

Your payment might come later, for example if you’re awarded a qualifying benefit at a later date or you change the account your benefit or tax credits are paid into. You will still be paid the Cost of Living Payment automatically.

If you have received a Cost of Living Payment, but we later find that you were not eligible for it, you may have to pay it back.

This guidance will be updated with the payment dates before each payment starts.

The £301 payment for people on low income benefits and tax credits was paid between 25 April 2023 and 17 May 2023 for most people.

If you think you should have had the £301 payment, but you cannot see it in your bank, building society or credit union account, you can report a missing Cost of Living Payment.

If you have already reported a missing payment, you do not need report it again. We will reply to you as soon as we can.  Report a missing Cost of Living Payment - GOV.UK (dwp.gov.uk)

You may be entitled to a Disability Cost of Living Payment of £150 if you’re getting any of 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

You must have received a payment (or later receive a payment) of one of these benefits for 1 April 2023 to get the Disability Cost of Living Payment.

If you were getting a qualifying benefit from the Ministry of Defence and a qualifying benefit from DWP, you will get a Disability Cost of Living Payment from DWP only.

If you receive a Disability Cost of Living Payment, but we later find that you were not eligible for it, you may have to pay it back.

Most people will be paid the £150 Disability Cost of Living Payment automatically between 20 June 2023 and 4 July 2023.

Payments will be made to people who were getting a qualifying disability benefit from DWP before payments to people who were getting a qualifying benefit from the Ministry of Defence.

Your payment might come later, for example if you’re awarded a qualifying benefit at a later date or you change the account your benefit is paid into. You will still be paid the Cost of Living Payment automatically.

If you’re entitled to a Winter Fuel Payment for winter 2023 to 2024, you will get an extra £150 or £300 paid with your normal payment from November 2023.

The full amount of Winter Fuel Payment (including the Pensioner Cost of Living Payment) you will get for winter 2023 to 2024 depends on when you were born and your circumstances during the qualifying dates.

You can get a Winter Fuel Payment for winter 2023 to 2024 if you were born before 25 September 1957.

This guidance will be updated with the qualifying dates for the payment when they are published.

You will be sent a letter in October or November telling you how much Winter Fuel Payment you’ll get if you’re eligible.

This guidance is about Cost of Living Payments being made in 2023 and 2024. You can read about the Cost of Living Payments in 2022 in separate guidance.

Get help through Extra Care Assessment. This assessment can help you to find out if you are eligible for one of their discounted tariff's and other support schemes. This may help you to save some pennies and help to maximise your income. Get discounts of up to 50% Switch to a water meter, you could save up to £150 per year. 

You can complete this online at anglianwater.co.uk/extra-care or by speaking to the Extra Care Support team on 0800 169 3630.

Social Tariffs are cheaper than broadband and phone packages for people claiming Universal Credit, Pension Credit, and some other benefits. Some providers call them 'basic' or 'essential' broadband. They are just like normal broadband packages, just at a lower price. All the main providers may also include people who are on Employment and Support Allowance (ESA) , Jobseeker's Allowance and Income Support. Some providers might also include other benefits such as Personal Independence Payment (PIP) and Attendance Allowance (AA). For some of these to apply, the person receiving the benefit needs to be the main person on the contract. You can contact your provider directly to see if you or anyone in your house is eligible.

It's cheaper than a regular package. Current prices (May 2023) range from £10 to £20. Fast, unlimited broadband - helps you to keep in contact with friends and family, shop online etc. It could cost nothing to switch. If your provider offers it, you can switch at any time, free of charge. The price wont increase mid-contact. It costs nothing to leave.

Low cost broadband and mobile phone tariffs - GOV.UK (www.gov.uk)

TV If you’re 75 or over You can get a free TV licence if you’re 75 or older and you either: get Pension Credit live with your partner who gets Pension Credit The licence covers everyone living at your address. You can apply when you’re 74 if you already get Pension Credit. You’ll still need to pay for your licence until the end of the month before your 75th birthday. After that you’ll be covered by your free licence. How to apply? Call: 0300 790 6071 or visit the website at www.tvlicensing.co.uk and fill in the form.

 Information form: https://www.gov.uk/free-discount-tv-licence

Find out what other benefits and financial support you might be able to get to help with your living costs.

Use an independent benefits calculator to find out what benefits you could get.

You may be able to get other kinds of support, including:

• help from the Household Support Fund from your local council in England

Age UK Norwich - 01603 496 333

Age UK Norfolk - 0300 500 1217

Money Helper - 0800 1380 0555

National Debt Line - 0808 808 4000

Step Change - 0800 138 1111

TV Licence - 0300 790 6071

Anglian Water - 03457 919 155

Citizens Advice Helpline - 0808 223 1133

Norwich Advice Network - 0333 996 8333

Department of Work and Pensions (DWP): Pension Service - 0800 731 7898

Attendance Allowance (AA) - 0800 731 0122

Disability Living Allowance (DLA) - 0800 121 4600

Personal Independent Payment (PIP) - Born after 8 April 1948 - 0800 121 4433 Born before 8 April 1948 - 0800 731 0122

Jobcentre Plus Helpline - 0800 055 6688

Jobseeker's Allowance - 0800 055 6688

Universal Credit - 0800 328 5644