Some families to get a total of £1,200 cash, to support with cost of living crisis.

[flashbac]

Highlights:
All families can now keep the 200 quid energy payment, no longer repayment based. This will be topped up to £400.
Low income families to get £650 straight into bank account.
(Non means tested) disabled benefit recipients to get £150.
All in all some will receive total of £1,200.
Funded by windfall tax.

Not considered needy enough because it’s not means tested. ESA and PIP claimants were supposed to be included in the warm home discount but the government reneged on it because of the cost.

@Sortilege ok thank you.

I don’t think contribution based ESA qualifies for the £150, I think it’s only PIP/DLA/Attendance Allowance.

Thank you. Yes, the food bank idea was exactly the sort of thing I was thinking of. I’ll see if I can do that locally.

It hasn’t been paid yet @Polyanne

It will be paid from October onwards and it’s now £400.

Why are people so quick to get angry, without checking?

The £ 400 across the board towards the energy bills will end up being as child benefits were once, everyone entitled regardless of income and so on, but not anything you can access to spend on other things. They won't let you have the money upfront.
Maybe the energy companies are hoping people won't be as frugal now and use more energy ? Do They might think this could happen ?
Then it'll go up in October , the money goes on your account, you use a bit extra , you may use up your allowance etc , so it goes on.
I hope people will still try and aware of the costs still. It'll still be hard for many to keep up.
Plus the cost is going up again in October too.

Adults who were 64 in 2013 when PIP replaced DLA stayed on DLA for as long as they were continuously eligible and some remain so now. Anyone over retirement age can’t claim either, for them it’s attendance allowance.

How is the £400 going to work for pay as you go customers? A lot of low income families are in these and I haven’t seen how they are mean to be get their £400 off their bills.

But some adults remain in receipt of DLA - those who were 64 or over when it was replaced by PIP were not migrated and remain on DLA for as long as they are eligible.

Thank you@RaspberryToo

Thank you. Yes, the food bank idea was exactly the sort of thing I was thinking of. I’ll see if I can do that locally.

YW. It’s lovely that some of you who don’t need the money are considering this.

icelolly12 no ivory tower here, but you're any fry with the wrong people. Be angry with the Tory government; they love working people turning on it the disadvantaged.

*angry not and fry! Fat fingers.

Thanks for clarifying @Danikm151

According to The Guardian;

England, Scotland and Wales, the money will be credited to the accounts of customers who pay by direct debit or with cash or a cheque. For those on prepayment meters the money will be applied to the meter or sent in vouchers.

I know they can send someone out to manually top up the meter if for some reason vouchers are unsuitable and they can’t add credit remotely. Also they sometimes send new keys with credit preapplied. I expect they’ll split it between gas and electricity, where appropriate.

Good for them. I don't envy people who consider £650 as a life changer. I only feel sorry for people with disabilities. £150 is nothing.

It just says 'disabled people' on the fact sheet so hopefully children will be eligible too.

Thank you @ClaudineClare

rainingsnoring
I was thinking the same as the last couple of posters. It's very unfair that wealthy pensioners who are already receiving the Winter Fuel Allowance are receiving another £300 but the disabled who are highly unlikely to be wealthy and are disabled only receive £150. The Tories always seem to support the elderly (as they vote for them, clearly) and disadvantage the disabled.
Many pensioners need to stay warm. I can turn my heating off and wear a hoodie if I want to save money. That simply doesn't work for old bones, and they will have to suck up the cost. My mum said she would absolutely put heating before eating! I don't begrudge them more money off their heating bills at all.

Just as so many disabled people will have to ‘suck up the cost’ of having to charge electrical disability equipment, or do without it more likely, as £150 is unlikely to cover it. And disabled pensioners who qualify for the winter fuel allowance will not just get an extra £300, they get the disability payment of £150 as well. I wouldn’t go as far as to say it’s unfair, but it’s certainly out of proportion to the additional needs of disabled people.

I'm a middle earner, my DD 17 is off to uni in September and will only get the minimum maintenance loan. So I'll have to top her up; part of the fortunately generous maintenance her father gives me now will go to her so I will be down on that.
My DS who is 24 has just had to move home after his PhD has finished for the summer as even with working he can't afford to rent.
I'll get the £400 and while it could be more. I don't begrudge others getting the extra payments. When my two eldest DS's were small years ago and I separated from their dad I struggled terribly, so I know how soul destroying it can be.

Our local foodbank seems the best option. I am pretty sure they do energy vouchers too.

Ah OK, thanks.

It is possible to claim non means tested and means tested together though so someone on cont based ESA could also claim PIP and therefore the disability payment. Or tax credits / UC and claim the other amount.

@Sortilege thank you

So it's not as simple as disabled just getting £150, if they are on a low income as well as being disabled, they should get the £650 as well.

There are some people who resent the unemployed disabled so much, saying there are roles out for them?!

What would you suggest?

If their disability is so severe that they are entitled to these notoriously hard to get (meeting exacting stands with proof from Dr’s) then they are not fit for any type of work.

People like this would have people with paraplegia licking f*ing stamps!! ffs 🤦🏻‍♀️