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Second Cost of Living Payment due

If we’re on Universal Credit or certain other benefits we’ll get an extra £324 this month

Lots of us are due to receive the second Cost of Living Payment of £324 from November 8.

The government promised people on UC and certain other benefits an extra £650 to help us cope as the cost of living keeps going up.

The first payment of £326 was made in July – if we received this then we’re due the second instalment now.

We’re not guaranteed to get it on November 8 but all the cash should be paid by November 23. We don’t have to apply for it – if we’re eligible the money will go into our bank account.

If we think we’re eligible but haven’t received it by November 23 we can get help here.

Household Support Fund

As well as the Cost of Living payment, there is also some other help available this winter.

The Household Support Fund is a pot of cash that’s shared around councils. We can apply for a grant if we’re struggling to afford essentials.

We’ll also be getting a £66 discount on our energy bills this month, and £67 a month from December through to March 2023.

If we pay our energy bill by Direct Debit, the discount will come off automatically. 

But if we’re on a prepayment meter it’s a bit different. With a smart prepayment meter our account will be topped up. And with an older-style prepayment meter we’ll get a discount voucher in the first week of the month (either by post, text or email).

What’s happening with energy bills?

With all the political upheaval, we can be forgiven for not knowing what’s going on with energy prices!

As of early November 2022, there’s an energy price guarantee in place.

Bills for typical energy use will be about £2,500 a year until April 2023. 

But it’s the cost per unit of energy that’s capped – not our bills. That means that if we use more our bills will be higher.

It’s the same if we have a prepayment meter. The higher unit price (even though it’s capped) will mean the money we put on it won’t last as long as it used to.

The government hasn’t said what it’ll do about the guarantee after April.

Image: Alaur Rahman / Pexels

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