Benefits news: page 14
- January 2023
Gov.uk online portal and phoneline for energy support applications to open in January
Households in Great Britain without an electricity supplier can apply for £400 energy support through a Gov.uk online portal opening in January, with a phoneline for those unable to use the internet.
- December 2022
£400 energy bill support paid to households
£400 was taken off energy bills for almost all UK households, with payments made through suppliers from October 2022, though some households were excluded from the scheme.
Scottish Child Payment to be fully introduced by the end of 2022
The Scottish Government has committed to pay £10 a week for every eligible child under 16 by the end of 2022, after early introduction for under sixes from early 2021.
- November 2022
Auto-award of Early Learning and School Age Payments begins
Social Security Scotland began on 28 November 2022 paying Best Start Grant Early Learning Payment and School Age Payment automatically to eligible families already receiving Scottish Child Payment.
Autumn Statement sets benefits uprating at 10.1% and raises benefit cap
The Autumn Statement uprated most benefits by September's 10.1% CPI from April 2023, raised the benefit cap for the first time since 2016 and extended cost of living payments and energy support.
Chancellor announces second round of Cost of Living Payments
The Chancellor announced on 17 November 2022 a second round of means-tested Cost of Living Payments worth up to £900, paid in three instalments across 2023 and into spring 2024.
New housing element of Pension Credit postponed to 2028
The government has postponed the new housing element of Pension Credit until 2028, meaning pensioners who rent will keep receiving Housing Benefit in the meantime.
irESA migration to Universal Credit delayed until April 2028
The Department for Work and Pensions has delayed managed migration to Universal Credit for most people claiming income-related Employment and Support Allowance until April 2028, while some claimants move sooner.
Automatic payments introduced for Best Start Grant Early Learning and School Age Payments
Social Security Scotland now checks and pays Best Start Grant Early Learning and School Age Payments automatically for families getting Scottish Child Payment whose children meet the age conditions.
Scottish Child Payment set at £28.20 per week for children under 16
The Scottish Child Payment was extended to children aged 6 to 15 on 14 November 2022, with the weekly rate set at £28.20 per child under 16 and paid every four weeks.
Remaining provisions of S.S.I. 2022/271 come into force
The remaining provisions of the Council Tax Reduction and Council Tax (Discounts) (Miscellaneous Amendment) (No. 2) (Scotland) Regulations 2022 came into force on 3 November 2022, covering a cost of living payment capital disregard and revocations.
Amendment regulations extend Scottish Child Payment to children aged 6-15
Amendment regulations in force from November 2022 extended the Scottish Child Payment to children aged 6 to 15, and the weekly rate rose to £25 per eligible child.
Autumn Statement announces 2023/24 Cost of Living Payments
The 17 November 2022 Autumn Statement set out Cost of Living Payments for 2023/24, including £900 for people on means-tested benefits, £150 for disability benefit recipients and £300 for pensioners.
Chancellor announced cost of living support package
Jeremy Hunt's 2022 Autumn Statement introduced a package of cost of living support, including three payments worth £900 for means-tested benefit claimants and extra help for pensioners and disabled people.
Energy Bills Support Scheme £400 credit begins in Northern Ireland
Households in Northern Ireland began receiving the £400 Energy Bills Support Scheme credit from November 2022, paid automatically through electricity suppliers in six monthly instalments.
Full PIP rollout delayed, pausing managed migration of DLA claimants until April 2028
The November 2022 delay to the full rollout of Personal Independence Payment paused the managed migration of legacy Disability Living Allowance claimants until April 2028, saving £0.8 billion over five years.
Government support packages lift household incomes relative to no-support scenario
The Office for Budget Responsibility says government support announced since March 2022 lifts real household disposable income per person by 4½ per cent in 2022-23, softening the largest fall on record.
Scotland excluded from the scheme
A 2022 order inserted a fifth condition into the cold weather payment rules so that a claimant's home must be in England or Wales, taking Scotland out of the scheme.
Scotland to replace Cold Weather Payments with Low Income Winter Heating Assistance
Scotland is replacing the Cold Weather Payment from the winter of 2022 with a new Low Income Winter Heating Assistance, paying £50 to eligible households in February 2023.
Second UK Government Cost of Living Payment made
The second instalment of the 2022 Cost of Living Payment, worth £324, was paid in November 2022 to households on means-tested benefits, completing a £650 total for the year.
Warm Home Discount eligibility changes due to come into force
Changes to the Warm Home Discount due to take effect in November 2022 will remove entitlement from nearly 200,000 disabled people who receive disability benefits but not an income-replacement benefit.
- October 2022
Main £150 cost-of-living payment scheme closes
The Welsh Government's main cost-of-living support scheme closed on 30 October 2022 after paying £146.6m to 977,483 eligible households, according to a Welsh Government paper.
Warm Home Discount (Scotland) Regulations 2022 made, continuing the scheme in Scotland to 31 March 2026
The Warm Home Discount (Scotland) Regulations 2022 were made on 19 October 2022 and came into force the next day, continuing the scheme in Scotland until 31 March 2026.
JRF analysis shows constituencies affected by possible benefit uprating cut
The Joseph Rowntree Foundation has published constituency analysis showing which areas would be most affected if the Government does not uprate means tested benefits such as Universal Credit in line with inflation.
Scottish Child Payment to rise to £25 a week and extend to children aged 6 to 15
Scottish ministers have set out regulations to extend Scottish Child Payment to children aged 6 to 15 and raise it to £25 a week for all eligible children, with other changes to Best Start grants and foods.
Energy Bills Support Scheme to provide £200 off energy bills
Every domestic electricity customer in Great Britain will receive a £200 credit on their energy bill from October 2022 under the Energy Bills Support Scheme, with the money recovered through later bill instalments.
Government considering uprating some working-age benefits by earnings rather than inflation for April 2023
The Resolution Foundation reports the Government is considering raising some working-age benefits by average earnings of 5.5 per cent rather than September CPI inflation of around 10.1 per cent next April.
Government energy bills support scheme launched at the beginning of October 2022
The government energy bills support scheme began in October 2022, and StepChange recorded a 34% rise in visits to its page on government help with gas and electricity bills between September and October.
Warm Home Discount to rise to £150 in England and Wales
The Warm Home Discount will be worth £150 in England and Wales from October 2022, with a Scottish consultation proposing the same rate and 50,000 more eligible households.
- September 2022
BEIS announces £100 alternative fuels payment and EBSS extension
The UK government set out further detail on the Energy Price Guarantee on 21 September 2022, including a £100 payment for some off-gas-grid households and an extension of the £400 Energy Bills Support Scheme discount.