Four cash payments and discounts you could get in February worth £1,074
If you’re struggling, there are four cash payments and discounts coming in February that are worth up to £1,074.
The help varies from direct payments into your bank account, to money off your energy bill. There is another cost of living payment coming next month for those who are claiming means-tested benefits.
A scheme which gives people money off their electricity bill is also continuing into February, while payments are also being issued during long periods of freezing weather. Finally, pensioners should be receiving further cost of living help.
Here is everything you need to know, including who is eligible and if you need to claim.
Cost of living payment - £299
The third and final cost of living payment, worth £299, will be sent to most eligible households between February 6 and February 22. To get the payment, you must have been entitled to a qualifying benefit between November 13 and December 12.
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If you claim Universal Credit, you must have been entitled to a benefit for an assessment period ending between these dates. The full list of benefits that qualify for the third cost of living payment are:
Universal Credit
Income-based Jobseeker's Allowance
Income-related Employment and Support Allowance
Income Support
Working Tax Credit
Child Tax Credit
Pension Credit
Warm Home Discount - £150
You can get £150 off your electricity bill through the Warm Home Discount scheme. The money is normally credited to your energy account or you may receive prepayment customers.
You should have already received a letter telling you about the discount if you’re eligible - if you haven't, and you believe you're entitled to the help, then you may need to apply. The deadline for this winter is February 29, 2024.
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First of all, you should check if your energy supplier is signed up to the Warm Home Discount scheme using this list on GOV.UK. Next, your eligibility depends on if you claim benefits. You should get the payment automatically if you, or your partner, receive the Guarantee Credit portion of Pension Credit - this is known as “core group one”.
You, or your partner, need to have been claiming Pension Credit on the qualifying date, which for the 2023/24 winter was August 13, 2023. You should also get the discount automatically in England and Wales if you claim certain benefits and have high energy costs. This is known as “core group two” and you can see the full list of benefits on GOV.UK.
If you live in Scotland and you claim benefits, you’ll need to apply for the Warm Home Discount through your supplier under the “broader group” criteria.
Cold weather payments - £25
Cold Weather Payments are triggered when the average temperature where you live is recorded as, or forecast to be, 0C or below over seven consecutive days. Each payment is worth £25 - but it is possible to get multiple payments if you go through several spells of freezing weather.
Some households have received £75 so far this winter in Cold Weather Payments. The scheme will run until March 31, 2024. You need to be living in England or Wales and claiming certain benefits or Support for Mortgage Interest to be eligible for a Cold Weather Payment.
If you live in Scotland, you might be entitled to an annual £50 Winter Heating Payment instead.
Winter fuel payment - £600
Most people should have received their Winter Fuel Payment - however, there are some people that need to claim it. The deadline for doing this is March 31, 2024. Winter Fuel Payments are worth up to £300, depending on your living arrangements and circumstances.
But the Government is then topping this up with an extra £300 pensioner cost of living payment for this winter - meaning some households will get up to £600. You can get a Winter Fuel Payment for winter 2023/24 if you were born before September 25, 1957. This date changes each winter.
You also need to have lived in the UK - although in some cases you can claim if you’ve moved abroad - for at least one day between September 18 to September 24, 2023. This timeframe also changes each year. You do not need to claim if you get any of the following benefits, as listed on GOV.UK.
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