Roundup of recent DWP announcements
Pension Credit Cost of Living Payment eligibility
Pensioners in receipt of Pension Credit will automatically be paid the Cost of Living Payments. In total, they could be entitled to an extra £650, paid in two instalments.
To be eligible for the first Cost of Living Payment, a person must be entitled to a payment of Pension Credit on any day from 26 April to 25 May 2022. However, new claims for Pension Credit can be backdated for a maximum of three months provided the entitlement conditions are met throughout the three months.
To guarantee that 25 May will be included in the first Pension Credit payment for pensioners wishing to backdate a new claim, we are advising that claims should be made as soon as possible and no later than 18 August.
We would like to ensure everyone who is eligible for Pension Credit, claims it as soon as possible so they do not miss out on the Cost of Living Payment. Pensioners, or friends or relatives on their behalf, can use this calculator to check if they qualify.
£400 energy bills discount to support households this winter
Millions of households across Great Britain will receive non-repayable discounts on their energy bills this winter with the Energy Bills Support Scheme.
The £400 discount, administered by energy suppliers, will be paid to consumers over six months with payments starting from October 2022, to ensure households receive financial support throughout the winter months.
Those with a domestic electricity meter point paying for their energy via standard credit, payment card and direct debit will receive an automatic deduction to their bills over the six-month period – totalling £400.
In all cases, no household should be asked for bank details at any point. Consumers are being urged to stay alert of potential scams and report these to the relevant authorities where they are suspected.
Read the full press release
Consultation on Dormant Assets funding in England
The Government is seeking views on how the Dormant Assets scheme can deliver the greatest impact in England over the coming years. The consultation will inform what broad social and/or environmental causes should be prescribed in future secondary legislation. This is an open consultation with no government position and invites views on four causes:
- Youth
- Financial inclusion
- Social investment
- Community wealth funds
It also provides the opportunity to suggest other social and environmental causes and will potentially unlock around £880 million for good causes across the UK.
The consultation closes on Sunday 9 October.
Childcare Choices toolkit
Over a million families in the UK are entitled to support with the costs of childcare from the Government, but many are missing out because the childcare providers in their area haven't signed up to accept the various offers.
This also means that many childcare providers are missing out on boosting their businesses by increasing demand as they aren't accessible to families who use government childcare offers.
With the school summer holidays approaching, it is more important than ever that parents and carers can access the financial aid they qualify for. It can reduce their costs, help them to stay in work, or help them work more hours if they choose.
To support as many parents as possible, the Department for Education has launched a campaign to increase awareness of the support families could be entitled to, along with the number of childcare providers who are accessible to parents using the different kinds of offers.
Further information and assets to support the campaign can be found in the
Childcare Providers information and communications toolkit
Faith New Deal fund
Sixteen faith-based groups working with the most vulnerable people in local communities will receive a boost to support their work through the Government's £1.3 million Faith New Deal pilot scheme.
The groups will work in partnership with councils, schools, police, health providers and voluntary groups to develop innovative interventions to tackle social issues affecting those in most need of support.
Projects will include providing debt and employability advice, tackling food poverty, providing support for mental health issues and combatting loneliness and isolation.
The fund will also help faith groups to build on the collaboration with national and local government that happened during the pandemic.
More information
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