Roundup of recent DWP announcements
New Cost of Living Payments from Spring 2023
Millions of the lowest-income households across the UK will get up to £1,350 from the Government in 2023/4 to help with the cost of living. Exact payment windows will be announced closer to the time but are spread across a longer period to ensure a consistent support offering throughout the year. They will be broadly as follows:
- £301 – First Cost of Living Payment – during Spring 2023
- £150 – Disability Cost of Living Payment – during Summer 2023
- £300 – Second Cost of Living Payment – during Autumn 2023
- £300 – Pensioner Cost of Living Payment – during Winter 2023/4
- £299 – Third Cost of Living Payment – during Spring 2024
Those eligible will be paid automatically, and there will be no need to apply. For more information, please visit GOV.UK.
Winter Fuel Payment videos
DWP has created a further two short videos answering key questions about Winter Fuel Payments. The videos are now also available in British Sign Language and Welsh Language versions.
We would encourage you to share these videos:
Winter Fuel Payment - British Sign Language
Winter Fuel Payment - Welsh language
Winter Fuel Payment Information
Most of those eligible do not have to claim their Winter Fuel Payment, as it is awarded automatically.
People who have not been paid by 13 January 2023 are encouraged to check their bank account before contacting the Department's Winter Fuel Payment Centre.
Vital help with energy bills for more homes
Support with winter energy bills is on the way for millions more households across the UK with additional schemes that include:
- All households in Northern Ireland will receive a single payment totalling £600 to help with their energy bills, with payments starting in January
- Households across Great Britain that use alternative fuels like heating oil will receive a £200 payment this winter
- 900,000 households in England, Scotland and Wales without a direct relationship to an energy supplier – such as care home or park home residents – will be able to apply online for £400 of non-repayable help with their fuel bills.
These schemes sit alongside the Energy Price Guarantee which saves a typical household in Great Britain around £900 this winter and an equivalent level of support in Northern Ireland.
Read the press release for Great Britain
Read the press release for Northern Ireland
Holiday help: Children to continue to benefit from holiday activity clubs in 2023
To continue supporting families most in need, the Government has confirmed over £200m in funding for local authorities for the Holiday Activities and Food programme in 2023, enabling every local authority across England to continue to provide for their communities.
These free holiday clubs support parents with childcare costs over the Easter, Summer and Christmas holidays by providing free, nutritious meals and enriching activities, such as football, play sessions and cooking classes. Over 600,000 children benefitted from the scheme over summer 2022 across over 8,000 clubs in England.
Find out more
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