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.

So many almost jealous people on here as someone else may be getting more than them , so what if a few richer pensioners get it , the fact is most aren't rich
Heaven forbid someone is on low income and getting UC etc and gets the extra £650 and those on better salaries inky get the £400
Im a middle earner family so we will get the £400 and still will be a struggle but any help im grateful for and im not thinking i deserve it more than xyz etc
Some richer people who may not need it will maybe donate or pass the money on so others will benefit anyway
Its as fair a way as can be to do it really

The pp must be getting PIP (or equivalent depending on age) because her father is receiving carer’s allowance for caring for her, which you cannot get without receiving PIP (or equivalent).

I wondered that but she said “my dad is A carer”, not “my dad is MY carer” so possibly not. Maybe she will come back and tell us.

@YorkshireDude you can't be independent from the world in this day and age , especially when just a small island

@Legofigure Patronising much? I think I should know how much I have to live on. No, my rent is covered because I am in social housing. It is £55 a week because they are removing 25% for old debts from years ago.

Even if they weren't removing debts it would be £74 a week to live on total. Please tell me how anyone could live on that now that energy prices are soaring and soaring (almost doubling) and food is going up too??

And as for "You will be getting at least £61 a week in PIP" - yeah right!! I don't receive PIP at all, I've tried and appealed. Apparently I am not disabled enough.

Yes, I've been to two different welfare rights including my housing.

But of course, you know better..

I inferred she meant a carer for her given she mentioned it in the same paragraph as her being disabled. But since she has not returned to the thread and appears to have name changed in order to post who knows.

Why on mumsnet do people always bash what pensioners get as there are many rich ones apparently , every person who has said that have not questioned all the rich people who will get the £400

I think this should be means tested. I don’t think dh and I need the payments/support, and I’d rather the money was going to people who need it. I shall be suggesting to dh that we use the money to make donations to food banks - I wonder whether they can do electricity/gas top ups, if we give them money?

FFS I was trying to help you by mentioning checking your award and DHP. No, not patronising, people do need to check as many are not receiving the right award. If you have checked fine, but not everyone has. I didn’t say it was enough, I said £55 couldn’t be right in the absence of high rent or debt. That is a very different thing.

I mentioned PIP because you mentioned your DF’s CA in the same paragraph as your claim and disability so I presumed you meant he cared for you, in which case you would need to be receiving CA.

Sorry to hear that @ajosi That’s a horrible position to be in. 💐

The second anything worsens, or you acquire more “aids” or gadgets, reapply for PIP. I read about a case in which use of a sock-putting-on device was enough to get two extra points and push someone over the threshold into qualifying.

Sheffield City Council are now asking anyone who doesn't need their £400 energy rebate & the £150 council tax rebate to donate it back to the household support fund, they can get stuffed, they have held back the council tax rebate until the last minute.

@SDTGisAnEvilWolefGenius as everyone has said means testing costs more
If you don't need it donate it but why do you need to discuss with your dh ?

It is a bit unfair. But the contribution based ESA is much more than the income based. I know 2 people on it, and one gets almost double the amount the other gets. So one gets roughly £500 a month, the other gets roughly £290. SO in 2 or 3 months, the one with the higher amount will get that extra £650.

Re; the people saying 'I don't NEED the £400 energy grant, how can I refuse it.' I am willing to bet a lot of money that the vast VAST majority of people saying this will still take the money. These threads don't half bring out the virtue signallers!

I shall be suggesting to dh that we use the money to make donations to food banks - I wonder whether they can do electricity/gas top ups, if we give them money?

Some do. The information should be on their website.

@ajosi you should check how much debt they are removing as that seems like to much (they can only remove a certain amount); I'm having the maximum removed which is 45 pounds per month - I believe this is universal across the board for being in the limited capability to work or work related activity.

Also they cannot remove debts after a certain time - so you should check that bit out as well.

@PurpleButterflyWings people cannot refuse the money due to how it's being credited to energy accounts. They are wanting to then make a similar-scale donation elsewhere.

People really need to read the full thread.

@BensonStabler I don’t have a husband working who can financially support me. He is my full time unpaid carer. He gets a pittance of caters allowance. your ESA will be means tested then so you will get the £650. Apologies it’s because your first post said it wasn’t means tested I understand it can all be confusing. It does seem like you will get £150 x 2 plus £400 plus £600. As you don’t get severe disability payment for leaving alone I would look at UC. The charity universal credit essentials is very good.

I wouldn’t post that otherwise pp will accuse you of being patronising.

Because we make decisions like this jointly, @worriedatthistime , and because, if he makes the donation, he can Gift Aid it, so the charity gets more.

@Legofigure oh well, I've already been called a lazy feckless fucker or something upthread... I'll take patronising on top of that :)

Re disability element. DS (7) gets DLA so I get Carers and disability tip up in tax credits.

I assume we won't qualify as he doesn't pay the billls?

Bless you what a lovely gesture!

@legofigure In one of your posts you inferred that my dad is caring for "his partner" , and in another you say he must be caring for me!! Which is it?? Actually neither, he cares for his own mother, my grandmother.

The previous poster who said that people like you always come on and say oh that low an amount to live on cannot be right, unless >insert extremely common situation here< or >insert another extremely common situation here< , is exactly right!! People fall through the so called net all the time and it shouldn't happen. It's meant to BE a net.

I am telling you I receive £55 a week to live on. This is absolutely true. I am so happy for this payment as I might be able to put the heating on sometimes.

Even if I got the "full" grand total of £74 a week - which has been cut and cut over the last decade - then people on this amount will freeze this winter with the massive rises. That is why they are helping - too many people freezing is bad publicity!! So those frothing about it and saying they will give up work to go live on 70 quid a week is just kicking-down nonsense, that is what I am saying.

I actually don't agree with this, it should have been pro rata on your bill

And this benefits people who haven't been able to afford to put on their heating this past year how? People have low bills currently because they simply cannot afford the cost already.

Perhaps someone like Shelter?

I agree, but successive governments haven't even tried to safeguard essentials, such as energy. And since Russia/Ukraine kicked off they've had months to allow fracking to start, but they haven't done anything, because they are slaves to Net-Zero Carbon.

It's totally stupid, importing gas at extremely high cost, when we have our own just waiting to be released by fracking. And Russian gas isn't any more or less 'green' than our own gas.