Five payments worth £1,500 to claim – and itll be a great boost for Christmas

2022-10-20

Winter is coming and the cost of living crisis shows no signs of slowing down.

The colder months expect to see an increase in the demand for heating and festive costs.

Household bills might rise even further which could see Brits scrambling for money this winter.

READ MORE: More than three-quarters of Brits want to shop local this Christmas

It comes as the Energy Price Guarantee was confirmed to be scaled back from April.

But a number of payments will be credited to millions of bank accounts to help people with soaring costs.

There are five specific payments and discounts which Brits could receive before Christmas.

1. Cost of living payment – £324

Millions of households have already received their first instalment of a £650 cost of living payment.

It is aimed to those entitled to certain benefits or tax credits and it's paid in two parts.

The first half was worth £326, while the second is £324 and it'll be sent to households between November 8-23.

Brits will be eligible for the payment if they receive any of the following:

Universal Credit
Income-based Jobseeker's Allowance (JSA)
Income-related Employment and Support Allowance (ESA)
Income Support
Pension Credit

2. Warm Home Discount – £150

The Warm Home Discount gives households £150 off their energy bills between November and March.

You should receive the payment automatically if your energy supplier is part of the scheme and if you, or your partner, receive the Guarantee Credit portion of Pension Credit.

Also you maybe entitled if you get a different "qualifying benefit" and have high energy costs.

The benefits that might mean you get the Warm Home Discount are:

Income-related Employment and Support Allowance
Income-based Jobseeker's Allowance
Income Support
Universal Credit
Housing benefit
Child Tax Credits and Working Tax Credits
Pension Credit (Savings Credit)

The deadline for submitting a claim for one of these benefits was August 21.

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3. Pensioner cost of living payment – up to £600

If you qualify for a Winter Fuel Payment for winter 2022/23 then you will get an additional £300 from November.

These are worth between £100 and £300, so the total amount you'll get for this year only is up to £600.

You could be eligible if you were born on or before September 25, 1956, and you lived in the UK for at least one day in the qualifying week.

The qualifying week for winter 2022/23 was between 19 and 25 September 2022.

You'll usually get a smaller Winter Fuel Payment if you live in a care home or nursing home and don't get one of the following benefits:

Pension Credit
Income-based Jobseeker's Allowance
Income-related Employment and Support Allowance
Income Support

4. Energy bill discount – £400

Millions of households have started to receive £400 off their energy bills, spread out over six months from October.

You will get a discount worth £66 in October and November, rising to £67 each month from December through to March 2023.

Direct debit customers will receive the energy bill discount automatically.

5. Cold weather payment – £25

As the temperatures start to drop, check if you'll qualify for a Cold Weather Payment.

They are worth £25 for each seven-day period when temperatures begin to fall to zero degrees or less.

The money is aimed at people on low incomes who receive a qualifying benefit.

It normally starts in November and ends in March.

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