Ukrainian Information Centre
Cost of Living Support
Both sponsors and Ukrainian guests may be eligible for Cost of Living Support, which includes:
Energy Bills Support Scheme
Households will get £400 of support with their energy bills through an expansion of the Energy Bills Support Scheme. The full £400 payment will now be made as a grant and will not have to be paid back. Energy suppliers will deliver this support to households with a domestic electricity meter over six months from October. Direct debit and credit customers will have the money credited to their account, while customers with pre-payment meters will have the money applied to their meter or paid via a voucher.
This support is in addition to the £150 Council Tax rebate for households in England in Council Tax bands A-D.
£650 Cost of Living Payment for those on means tested benefits
Households on means tested benefits will receive a payment of £650 this year, made in two instalments. This includes all households receiving the following benefits:
- Universal Credit
- Income-based Jobseekers Allowance (JSA)
- Income-related Employment and Support Allowance (ESA)
- Income Support
- Working Tax Credit
- Child Tax Credit
- Pension Credit
The Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) will make the payment in two lump sums – the first from July, the second in the autumn. Payments from HMRC for those on tax credits only will follow shortly after each to avoid duplicate payments.
For recipients of DWP benefits: To get the first Cost of Living Payment, you must have been entitled to a payment (or later found to be entitled to a payment) of either:
- Universal Credit for an assessment period that ended in the period of 26 April 2022 to 25 May 2022 ii. income-based JSA, income-related ESA, Income Support or State Pension Credit for any day in the period of 26 April 2022 to 25 May 2022
- For recipients of tax credits: To get the first payment, you must have received a payment, or an annual award of at least £26, of tax credits on any day in the period 26 April 2022 to 25 May 2022.
HMRC and DWP will provide further guidance, and the government will set out the qualifying dates for the second instalment, in due course. This payment will be tax-free, will not count towards the benefit cap, and will not have any impact on existing benefit awards. The government will make these payments directly to households across the UK.
More information can be found at: Cost of living payment
One-off £300 Pensioner Cost of Living Payment
This additional one-off payment will go to pensioner households who receive the Winter Fuel Payment and will be paid on top of any other one-off support a pensioner household is entitled to, for example where they are on pension credit or receive disability benefits. Eligible households currently receive between £200-£300, so the payment will represent at least double the support for this winter.
The Winter Fuel Payment (including the extra Pensioner Cost of Living Payment) is not taxable and does not affect eligibility for other benefits.
All pensioner households will get the one-off Pensioner Cost of Living Payment as a top-up to their annual Winter Fuel Payment in November/December. For most pensioner households, this will be paid by direct debit. People will be eligible for this payment if they are over State Pension age (aged 66 or above) between 19-25 September 2022. There are certain circumstances where an individual above State Pension age does not qualify for the Winter Fuel Payment which can be found here on gov.uk (Winter Fuel Payment)
The government will make these payments directly to households across the UK.
£150 Disability Cost of Living Payment
Around six million people across the UK who receive the following disability benefits will receive a one-off payment of £150 from September:
- Disability Living Allowance
- Personal Independence Payment
- Attendance Allowance
- Scottish Disability Benefits
- Armed Forces Independence Payment
- Constant Attendance Allowance
- War Pension Mobility Supplement
Claimants must have received a payment (or later receive a payment) of, one of these qualifying benefits for as of 25th May 2022 to get the payment. For the many disability benefit recipients who receive means tested benefits, this £150 will come on top of the £650 they will receive separately. These payments will be exempt from tax, will not count towards the benefit cap, and will not have any impact on existing benefit awards.
The government will make these payments directly to eligible people across the UK.
More information can be found at Cost of Living Support
Help for Households
See what other support is available to help with the cost of living and find out how to save money with our energy saving tips.