MILLIONS of households claiming disability benefits are set to receive a £150 cost of living allowance today.
The £150 cash aid will be paid directly into people’s bank accounts from today. (Tuesday September 20).
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The one-time cash sum should help cushion the blow of rising inflation and soaring bills for people with disabilities.
The money will start rolling in from today, but most people will get their money in the first two weeks of October.
The payment is intended to help people with disabilities pay for any energy-intensive equipment they may have.
It comes after Prime Minister Liz Truss announced a price freeze on energy bills for two years, with the typical family paying £2,500 a year from October.
Energy bills were expected to reach £3,500. However, the new energy price guarantee, which replaces the price cap, only limits the amount that suppliers can charge.
This does not limit the amount a household will pay, this is based on their energy consumption and the size of their property.
Who qualifies for the £150 disability benefit?
Millions of people on disability benefits are eligible for the single payment.
You can get the money if you claim any of the following:
- Disabled allowance
- Payment for personal independence
- Attendance allowance
- Armed Forces Independence Payment
- Constant attendance allowance
- War pension mobility supplement
- Payment for Disabled Adults (in Scotland)
- Disabled Child Payment (in Scotland)
Claimants must have received, or started a possibly successful claim for one of these benefits, by May 25 this year to be eligible for the £150 payment.
The money is on top of the £650 payment you can get if you get certain means-tested benefits, including Universal Credit.
How do I claim Disability Cost of Living Payment?
You should not do anything to get the money if you are entitled to it.
The money must be paid directly into the account where you receive your benefits,
The money is also tax-free and will not count towards the benefit cap or impact existing benefits.
The money should start arriving from September, but it may take a few weeks before all the payments are made.
The government said the majority of people would receive their money in a few weeks and in early October.
It’s a good idea to keep an eye on your bank statements at this time to check that it arrives.
If you are still waiting for confirmation of your disability benefits from an application filed before May 25, your payment may take longer to arrive.
What other energy bill help is coming?
From October 1, all households will start receiving a £400 reduction on their energy bill.
The payment will be distributed by your energy supplier and will be spread over six remittances between October and March next year.
Households will get a £66 rebate on their energy bill in October and November and a rebate worth £67 in December, January, February and March.
In November, a one-time ‘pensioner cost of living payment’ of £300 will be paid to eight million households.
It will be given to those who are already receiving the winter fuel payment – which is worth between £100 and £300 for those over retirement age.
Millions of households are in line to claim the £150 Hot Homes Discount between December and March 2023.
Check if you can get an energy subsidy
There are many grants and energy programs open to help you if you are struggling.
British Gas recently confirmed it will pay its most vulnerable customers grants worth £750 to help pay sky-high bills.
The British Gas Energy Trust has already paid out up to £1,500 to struggling households – and you don’t have to be a British Gas customer to apply for the help.
Ask your provider what’s on offer and how to apply, or check here:
You can get free debt advice
If you are in debt, there are many services you can take advantage of and they offer free advice on how to manage debt.
Most of them can offer you free advice and help in person, over the phone or online.
