DWP advantages information: December 2024 dates for Universal Credit and pensions | EUROtoday

Across the UK, thousands and thousands proceed to battle because the rampant inflation of the previous few years has left necessities costing greater than ever earlier than. Household payments, groceries, mortgages and rents have all hit document highs, because the nation navigates the continued price of residing disaster.

Inflation noticed an unwelcome spike to 2.3 per cent in October, marking the steepest rise in two years. Experts had predicted a smaller improve from August’s 1.7 per cent, blaming increased vitality payments for the rise.

Many had hoped that the determine would stay under the Bank of England’s 2 per cent goal, with residing prices vastly outpacing wage progress over the previous few years.

In October, Labour unveiled its first Budget in energy with Rachel Reeves promising to “support people with the cost of living.” The chancellor confirmed that the nationwide residing wage would rise by 6.7 per cent subsequent yr, whereas advantages will probably be uprated by 1.7 per cent.

However, the most recent tales from low-income households nonetheless paint a bleak image of the UK’s financial state of affairs. Recent analysis from The Joseph Rowntree Foundation 100,000 extra youngsters and 300,000 adults are set to be in poverty by October 2029 if additional motion will not be taken by the federal government.

Meanwhile, hundreds of susceptible pensioners will face their first winter in many years with out the £200-300 winter gasoline fee as Labour opts to push forward with their controversial stripping again of the measure.

Against this difficult financial backdrop, right here is an summary of the monetary help out there to households this December and key dates for advantages recipients to look out for:

Benefits going out as typical

Benefits and pension funds will probably be going out as typical for probably the most half in December. These are:

However, there’s one financial institution vacation to concentrate on: 25 December, Christmas Day. If your typical fee date falls on Christmas, then you may count on it the working day earlier than (24 December).

For extra data on how and when state advantages are paid, go to the federal government’s web site.

A report from Policy in Practice this yr reveals that almost £23bn in advantages goes unclaimed a yr – they provide a useful calculator to work out what you is perhaps entitled to.

Have you been having points with the DWP just lately? Get in contact through e-mail: albert.toth@unbiased.co.uk

Household help fund

In August, Labour confirmed that they may lengthen the Conservative-created Household Support Fund (HSF) for an additional six months past the September 30 finish date. This means it ought to now proceed till the tip of March 2025.

The HSF is funding given to all native councils to help susceptible households of their space. Councils are free to allocate the funds nonetheless they really feel is greatest.

For occasion, some have supplied money grants, grocery store vouchers, or vitality invoice help. Visit your native council’s web site to search out out what assist could also be out there.

To discover out what help is obtainable, the End Furniture Poverty charity affords a useful help finder software.

Other assist out there

Budgeting advance loans

The authorities affords a ‘budgeting advance loan’ for folks on Universal Credit who face an emergency lack of cash. The mortgage has a most compensation interval of two years.

These loans are interest-free, and routinely deducted from Universal Credit funds. You can borrow an ‘advance’ of as much as:

Following the Labour Budget in October, a brand new cap has been launched on the quantity the DWP can deduct from profit funds to repay loans and money owed, together with budgeting advance loans.

From April 2025, deductions from common credit score will probably be capped at 15 per cent of the usual allowance, down from 25 per cent.

Charitable grants

If you might be struggling financially, you might be eligible for sure charitable grants. There are a variety of grants out there relying in your circumstances.

However, these grants will sometimes require you to fulfill particular standards and solely be capable of supply restricted funds.

Charitable grants can be found for people who find themselves disabled or ailing, carers, bereaved, unemployed, college students – and plenty of extra. The charity Turn2us has a web based software to seek for grants which can be out there to you.

Energy supplier assist

A variety of vitality suppliers supply assist for these combating their vitality payments. These embrace Scottish Power, EDF, E.ON and Octopus. It is value contacting your vitality supplier to search out out if you’re eligible.

British Gas additionally supply a grant of as much as £2,000 to clients of any vitality supplier. You might want to meet particular standards to be eligible, and might apply on the British Gas Energy Trust web site.

Council tax discount

If you meet sure standards or are on sure advantages, you could possibly apply for a reduction in your council tax low cost of as much as 100 per cent.

Your native council should still be capable of give you a discretionary discount if you’ll be able to exhibit you might be going through extreme hardship and might’t afford to pay your council tax.

To apply for a council tax discount, you may contact your native council through the federal government’s web site.

Warm dwelling low cost

The heat dwelling low cost is a one-off £150 low cost in your electrical energy invoice. It will probably be taken routinely out of your vitality payments if you’re eligible.

To qualify, the invoice payer have to be on a low revenue with excessive vitality prices or get the assure credit score aspect of pension credit score.

Up to 30 hours of free childcare

All working mother and father within the UK are at present entitled to 30 hours of free childcare for kids aged 3 to 4. From April 1, this entitlement expanded to incorporate 15 hours of free childcare for 2-year-olds.

From 1 September, this was expanded once more to incorporate all youngsters from the age of 9 months.

You should apply on-line and reconfirm your eligibility each three months, in time for every faculty time period. Working mother and father can even apply for tax-free childcare, giving again 20p for each 80p you place in direction of childcare, as much as a most of £500 a yr.

The remaining enlargement to free childcare, coming in September 2025, will see all youngsters underneath 5 eligible for 30 hours.

Will profit charges be going up quickly?

Following the chancellor’s Budget announcement, it was confirmed that each one advantages will probably be uprated by 1.7 per cent, matching the September CPI determine.

While this isn’t uncommon, campaigners had referred to as for Labour to contemplate a barely increased improve. Inflation had been increased in earlier months, starting at 4 per cent in January. It can also be anticipated to rise and stay above 2 per cent once more from October.

The improve will apply to all working-age advantages, together with common credit score, PIP, DLA, attendance allowance, carer’s allowance, ESA and extra.

The improve will take impact from 7 April 2025.

Energy Price Cap: Will it go up or down once more in 2024?

Ofgem’s vitality value cap has risen from £1,568 to £1,717 for October to December – a rise of 10 per cent. This will imply increased payments for many households as we head into the colder months.

The vitality value cap is the utmost quantity vitality suppliers can cost you for every unit of vitality in the event you’re on a normal variable tariff. That contains most households. It is expressed as an annual invoice for a mean dwelling.

The change in costs is reflective of the price of wholesale vitality – the quantity vitality corporations pay for his or her electrical energy and fuel earlier than supplying it to households.