Tag: Department for Work and Pensions

The press release issued by the Department for Work and Pensions on 30 January 2023.

Minister for Pensions Laura Trott announces shake-up of private pensions to create fairer, more predictable, and better-run pensions.

Measures include consultation on new Value for Money framework, defined contribution scheme charge cap reforms, further work on small pots, and extension of Collective Defined Contribution (CDC) pension schemes.

• These plans will help address the pension inequality gap which has risen since the decline of Defined Benefit (DB) and the emergence of Defined Contributions (DC).

Minister for Pensions Laura Trott has today (Monday 30th January) unveiled a package of measures to deliver value for savers and boost fairness, predictability, and adequacy across the private pensions sector.

The measures include a consultation on a new and much anticipated Value for Money (VFM) framework, developed in partnership with The Pensions Regulator and the Financial Conduct Authority, which sets out how schemes will be expected to provide savers with better value from their investments and a quality level of service.

Minister for Pensions Laura Trott MP MBE said:

There is a pension inequality gap between those who had secure retirements thanks to DB, to much more uncertainty now. Since 2012, Automatic Enrolment has transformed the pensions landscape in the UK for the better, but we know there’s more to be done to ensure a fairer future for savers.

Being in an underperforming pension scheme can lead to someone missing out on thousands of pounds. The Value for Money framework and our new measures will improve security and create better returns for savers, so they can enjoy the retirement they’ve worked so hard for.

Today’s proposals include plans for:

• Schemes to disclose their investment performance, costs and charges, and quality of service via clear and comparable metrics to the benefit of savers;
• Reforms to the charge cap, giving schemes more flexibility to invest in so-called “illiquid assets” such as start-up companies, renewables and infrastructure;
• Feedback on workable solutions to tackle the issue of small pots;
• An extension of Collective Defined Contribution (CDC) schemes, most significantly to include multi-employer models

Executive Director of Regulatory Policy, Analysis and Advice at The Pensions Regulator, David Fairs said:

Ensuring every pound that savers put into their DC pension pot delivers value for money is vital to help people achieve the best possible retirement. The measures announced as part of this far-reaching reforms package deliver on our commitment to put savers at the heart of all we do.

Our joint Value for Money framework will drive greater transparency and standardisation of reporting across the DC pensions market, allowing trustees to make more informed decisions and improve long term outcomes for savers. I urge the industry to take part in these important consultations.

Executive Director of Markets at the Financial Conduct Authority, Sarah Pritchard said:

Pensions are complex, and savers need to be able to trust that their providers have the information they need to make the right choices. These proposals will help ensure that they take a wide ranging and long-term view – value for money is not just about costs and charges.

We will continue to work with Government, other regulators, and industry to deliver long term value and support savers in their retirement.

Value for Money

The VFM framework will improve transparency, comparability, and competition between defined contribution pension schemes and help deliver the best possible value and long-term outcomes for pension savers.

It will require pension schemes to disclose key metrics and service standards shifting focus from a dominant consideration of costs only, to enable a holistic assessment of VFM.

Illiquids

These measures – due to come into force in the Spring – will require schemes to provide transparency to savers over their approach to illiquid assets and disclose information on their overall investment asset allocations.

This will unlock the potential for savers to see improved returns over a longer period, while also providing a boost to UK growth initiatives.

Small Pots

The average worker will have around 11 jobs over the course of their career, meaning they may accrue multiple small pension pots. This creates a risk of members losing track of their pension savings and creates cost and inefficiency in the system. The call for evidence will seek feedback on workable solutions, enabling savers to achieve better outcomes at retirement.

CDCs

The introduction of CDC schemes last year– which see both the employer and employees contributing to a collective fund from which individual retirement incomes are drawn – was a landmark moment for UK pensions.

The new consultation, launched following discussions with a wide range of stakeholders and interested organisations, will explore what new types of multi-employer CDC schemes should look like and how to maximise their benefit for UK savers.

The press release issued by the Department for Work and Pensions on 24 January 2023.

Bereaved cohabitees with dependent children will soon be eligible for additional financial support, following a successful debate in the House of Commons today.

The Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) is in its final stages of extending Bereavement Support Payment and Widowed Parent’s Allowance to working age parents who were not married or in a civil partnership with their late partner.

Subject to final Parliamentary approval of the draft Bereavement Benefits (Remedial) Order 2022, the application window is expected to open early this year, allowing more parents to claim.

Some people may be eligible for backdated payments if their partner died before the law was changed. The DWP will publish more details on gov.uk soon, explaining the application window and how to claim.

Minister for Work and Pensions Viscount Younger of Leckie said:

I am pleased to see this important change is nearing its very final steps to becoming law, so more bereaved parents can access this support.

Claims for Bereavement Support Payment will be made on gov.uk or by calling DWP’s Bereavement Service helpline. Claims for Widowed Parent’s Allowance will be processed by paper, with applications downloadable via gov.uk.

The press release issued by the Department for Work and Pensions on 17 January 2023.

New laws protecting parents who use the Child Maintenance Service (CMS) from abusive ex-partners are due to be introduced following an independent review.

• New measures to protect survivors from direct contact with abusers
• Improvements to domestic abuse staff training
• One-to-one support for survivors to be trialled

Survivors of domestic abuse will be given the choice to allow the CMS to collect and make payments on their behalf – without the consent of an abusive ex-partner.  This will prevent perpetrators from using child maintenance as a form of ongoing financial abuse and control and mean survivors will not have to have contact with their ex-partner if there is evidence of domestic violence.

The CMS will also have new powers to report suspected cases of financial coercion to the Crown Prosecution Service to help bring abusers to justice. One-to-one support for survivors will be piloted and domestic abuse training for staff improved.

These changes come after the DWP commissioned Dr Samantha Callan, a leading expert on domestic abuse, in the autumn of 2021 to review CMS support for parents who had experienced domestic abuse in setting up a child maintenance arrangement. This followed the tragic death of Emma Day, who was murdered by her ex-partner, Mark Morris.

Minister for Work and Pensions Viscount Younger of Leckie said:

Domestic abuse is an abhorrent crime and we are doing everything in our power to support survivors to make child maintenance claims safely and without fear.

We have strengthened the ways in which the Child Maintenance Service can support survivors in making a maintenance claim safely. I am grateful to Dr Samantha Callan for recognising this and for her vital work which will protect more parents from abuse, bring more perpetrators to justice and help keep families safe.

Minister for Social Mobility, Youth and Progression Mims Davies, DWP’s Lead for Women, said:

Any form of domestic abuse and coercive control is unacceptable and illegal but very sadly can be found in most communities and we need to help people speak out and get the assistance they need. Here at DWP we are committed to doing all we can to provide vital support to those affected.

Our improvements to the Child Maintenance Service will mean no one will be prevented from making a claim because of domestic abuse and financial control, and will run alongside our wider support for DWP claimants experiencing abuse or who are in vulnerable situations to disclose this and be helped to move forward in safety.

Dr Samantha Callan said:

As well as violence, there is now legal recognition that domestic abuse includes financial and other forms of coercive control which can continue to play out – or be initiated – after parents separate. My review highlights the pressing need for the Child Maintenance Service to help protect its clients from all forms of abuse and be aware that these can be perpetrated by the receiving as well as the paying parent and I am pleased the Government is acting on my recommendations.

Domestic Abuse Commissioner Nicole Jacobs said:

Emma Day’s death highlighted the critical role of the Child Maintenance Service in responding to domestic abuse.  The proposed changes to the CMS demonstrate the powerful impact that a Domestic Homicide Review can have and why it is so important that lessons are learnt. I am particularly thankful to Emma’s family for all their work to campaign for change.

I welcome the Government’s response to the independent review and pleased to see that the majority of the recommendations have been accepted. I look forward to working with DWP to make further improvements to the CMS for survivors, and to following the progress of the Child Support Collection (Domestic Abuse) Bill.

All CMS customers are asked if they have experienced or witnessed domestic abuse. If customers feel that their specific claim will put them in danger, they will be signposted to support – such as the National Domestic Violence Helpline for example – and asked to contact the police about their case.

If a customer is in immediate danger, the CMS will offer advice on contacting the police and, if customers do not feel able to do this, then to ask whether customers are content for the CMS to call the police on their behalf.

Tackling domestic abuse is a key priority for this government. That is why it introduced its landmark Domestic Abuse Act 2021, alongside a comprehensive action plan of other non-legislative measures.

The cross-government Tackling Domestic Abuse plan, published in March, invests over £230 million into tackling these heinous crimes. Meanwhile, the Domestic Abuse Act 2021 extended the controlling or coercive behaviour offence to clamp down on economic abuse, which can be part of a pattern of controlling or coercive behaviours by domestic abuse perpetrators.

For the new offence to be effectively implemented and to further assist frontline agencies in identifying, investigating and evidencing domestic abuse offences, the government is updating the Controlling or Coercive Behaviour Statutory Guidance. This will be published in spring 2023, in line with the extended offence coming into force.

The Domestic Abuse Act 2021 also removed the ‘living together’ requirement for controlling or coercive behaviour, which means the offence will soon apply to intimate partners, ex partners or family members, regardless of whether the victim and perpetrator live together.

Information about the independent review of the Child Maintenance Service response to domestic abuse is published on GOV UK.

The government response to the independent review of the Child Maintenance Service response to domestic abuse can also be found on GOV UK.

The press release issued by the Department for Work and Pensions on 16 January 2023.

• Bidding process for share of £3.6 million fund to help families where children are exposed to conflict
• Local authorities, digital firms and expert public, private and voluntary sector organisations invited to bid
• Projects must support disadvantaged parents and those with complex needs, or any parent needing support through digital and interactive self-help tools

Successful bidders will receive a minimum £150,000 grant to back their projects, between June 2023 and November 2024.

The application window opens today (16 January), closing on 24 February 2023. Potential applicants must also complete an eligibility check by 8 February.

Applicants can include local authorities or other public sector organisations, private sector companies working in digital for example, or social enterprises, voluntary or community organisations.

Bidders’ projects will need to fall into one or both of the following strands:

• projects that support diverse families at a greater risk of parental conflict
• projects that use digital tools to support parents experiencing conflict and/or self-guided tools that central government could integrate into its services

Since launching in 2018, the DWP’s Reducing Parental Conflict programme has been pivotal in finding ways to address relationship distress between parents, to protect children’s mental health.

The programme supports couples and separated parents to reduce conflict, so their children have healthier environments to grow up in and can reach their full potential as adults.

The programme has already worked with all 152 local authorities in England and dozens of organisations to lead the way in building a solid evidence base on what works to help families.

Minister for Work and Pensions Viscount Younger of Leckie said:

Conflict between parents can have a lasting impact on children, affecting their school grades and life chances.

Our projects are guided by the expertise of those working closest with families, who often witness the impact of conflict on children and can support with solutions.

With the launch of our new £3.6 million Challenge Fund, I look forward to seeing the innovative, workable ideas of experts so we can help more families overcome difficulties and improve their lives.

The main fund will be managed by Ecorys UK in coordination with other government departments’ programmes including Family Hubs and Supporting Families. Ecorys UK will review applications for funding and oversee the delivery of final projects.

The press release issued by the Department for Work and Pensions on 16 January 2023.

• Sky is the first major connectivity provider to join DWP initiative making it easier for benefits claimants to get discounted broadband and mobile tariffs
• Automatic verification means claimants do not have to repeatedly prove their benefit claim status to access discounted social tariffs
• Switching to a social tariff could save claimants up to £180 a year

This system makes it easier than ever for low-income families to sign up to discounted broadband which could save households as much as £180 a year compared to industry average tariffs.

Introduced last summer, the government scheme lets internet service providers – with claimants’ permission – ask the DWP to automatically verify their customers’ benefit entitlement.

This means people do not need to actively prove they claim benefits whilst on a tariff designed for those on low incomes, as they did previously, often as frequently as every month.

Minister for Social Mobility, Youth and Progression Mims Davies said:

It’s positive to see a major provider, such as Sky, sign up to our scheme, making it easier for families to access cheaper broadband and mobile tariffs in difficult times, and I call on other providers to follow suit in offering this type of tariff for those in need.

Claimants who think they might be eligible for one of these tariffs, should contact their provider.

This is just one of the ways we are working to help households during these tough times as part of the government’s £37 billion support package for those most in need. Do use the DWP benefits calculator, which is a helpful tool for those looking to see if they could access wider support.

Stephen van Rooyen, Executive Vice President & Chief Executive Officer, Sky, UK & Europe, said:

We know how important connectivity is to our customers, which is why we are focussed on ways we can support them to say online. As well as support with bills, we also provide existing, eligible customers with a broadband and mobile social tariff, helping them stay connected for a significantly reduced cost. The Department for Work and Pensions eligibility tool is a useful step forward, enabling us to more easily confirm eligibility.

Sky and its subsidiary brand NOW join a growing list of providers signing up to the government initiative to help millions access cut price broadband, with WightFibre already signed up to the scheme.

Before the new system was introduced, people were regularly required to verify their entitlement to providers with Jobcentre letters or screenshots of their Universal Credit account.

The availability of social tariffs has been strengthened recently thanks to a drive by the Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport to encourage telecommunicators to expand their range of cheaper deals.

Broadband social tariff take-up more than doubled in 2022 to 136,000 households and the cross-government Help for Households programme, which aims to help people with the increased cost of living, recently launched a UK-wide public awareness campaign to drive awareness and uptake further.

Those in receipt of benefits interested in exploring broadband tariff options should visit Ofcom’s website to view the full list of options on offer from providers.

The press release issued by the Department for Work and Pensions on 3 January 2023.

Millions of the lowest-income households across the UK will get up to £1,350 from the Government in 2023/4 to help with the cost of living.

• Millions will receive new cost of living support from Spring 2023, following up to £1,200 in support for over eight million low-income households in 2022
• £900 Cost of Living Payment for means-tested benefit claimants will go direct to bank accounts in three payments over the financial year
• Extra cash support for disabled people and pensioners will see some households receive extra cash

The Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) has today announced more detail on the payment schedule for the next round of cost of living support unveiled in the Chancellor’s Autumn Statement, building on payments made to over eight million people in 2022.

The new £900 cash boost for over eight million eligible means-tested benefits claimants, including those on Universal Credit, Pension Credit and tax credits, starts in Spring and will go direct to bank accounts in three payments over the course of the financial year. There will also be a separate £150 for over six million disabled people and £300 for over eight million pensioners on top of their Winter Fuel Payments.

Exact payment windows will be announced closer to the time, but are spread across a longer period to ensure a consistent support offering throughout the year. They will be broadly as follows:

• £301 – First Cost of Living Payment – during Spring 2023
• £150 – Disability Payment – during Summer 2023
• £300 – Second Cost of Living Payment – during Autumn 2023
• £300 – Pensioner Payment – during Winter 2023/4
• £299 – Third Cost of Living Payment – during Spring 2024

Work and Pensions Secretary, Mel Stride said:

We are sticking by our promise to protect the most vulnerable and these payments, worth hundreds of pounds, will provide vital support next year for those on the lowest incomes.

The government’s wider support package has already helped more than eight million families as we continue to deal with the global consequences of Putin’s illegal war and the aftershocks of the pandemic.

Chancellor of the Exchequer, Jeremy Hunt added:

I know these are tough times for families across the UK who are struggling to meet rising food and energy costs, driven by the aftershocks of Covid and Putin’s war in Ukraine.

That’s why we’re putting a further £900 into the pockets of over 8 million low income households next year. These payments are on top of above inflation increases to working-age benefits and the Energy Price Guarantee, which is insulating millions from even higher global gas prices.

Tackling inflation is this government’s number one priority and is the only way to ease the strain of high prices, drive long term economic growth and improve living standards for everyone.

If individuals are eligible they will be paid automatically, and there will be no need to apply. Claimants who are eligible for any of the Cost of Living Payments and receive tax credits, and no other means-tested benefits, will receive payment from HMRC shortly after DWP payments are issued.

These payments build on the Government’s extensive support package to help households tackle the globally rising cost of living stemming from the pandemic and the war in Ukraine.

The Government’s Energy Price Guarantee continues to cap energy costs, saving the average household around £900 this winter and a further £500 in 2023/24. Benefits, including working age benefits and the State Pension, will also rise in line with inflation from April 2023, ensuring they increase by over 10%. April will also see the biggest ever cash rise to the National Living Wage, bringing it to £10.42 an hour, and a further year-long extension of the Household Support Fund in England and associated devolved nation funding worth £1 billion in total.

This comes on top of the 2022 support package, which included:

• A £650 Cost of Living payment for means-tested benefit claimants, split into two payments, each of which supported over eight million households
• Further £300 and £150 payments, which reached over eight million pensioners and over six million disabled people respectively
• A £150 Council Tax rebate for all households in Council Tax bands A-D
• A £400 energy bill discount for all households, which will continue to run through March

The press release issued by the Department for Work and Pensions on 20 December 2022.

11.6 million Winter Fuel Payments and Pensioner Cost of Living Payments have been made to pensioners across the UK so far this winter.

This means over 99 percent of eligible pensioners have already received up to £600 to help with their energy bills since the rollout began in November.

Some payments are continuing into next month – and should arrive by 13 January.

11.6 million Winter Fuel Payments and Pensioner Cost of Living Payments – support worth a total of £4.6 billion – have already been made to pensioners across the UK this winter, the Department for Work and Pensions confirmed today.

The vast majority of these payments – worth up to £600 per household – have landed in pensioners’ bank accounts automatically, directly helping people manage their energy bills and household budgets.

Work and Pensions Secretary Mel Stride said:

As the cold weather bites, it is good to be able to confirm that over 99 percent of eligible pensioners have already received as much as £600 to help with their energy bills this winter.

These payments are just one part of the wider support package we are delivering to help with rising bills, with additional help to follow next year – including the biggest State Pension increase in history.

Pensioners who have not yet received their payment should not be concerned, as payments are continuing into January. However, pensioners who have not received their payments by 13 January 2023 should contact the Winter Fuel Payment Centre online or by telephone.

The payments appear in bank statements with the payment reference beginning with the customer’s National Insurance number followed by ‘DWP WFP’ for people in Great Britain, or ‘DFC WFP’ for people in Northern Ireland. Pensioners are being asked to double check their bank statements for this reference number before contacting DWP.

The overwhelming majority of Winter Fuel Payments are paid automatically but some people need to make a claim, such as those who qualify but do not receive benefits or the State Pension and have never previously received a Winter Fuel Payment.

Those who need to make a claim have until 31 March 2023 to do so, with further information on who needs to make a claim available on the GOV.UK Winter Fuel Payment page.

Winter Fuel Payments – boosted this year by an additional £300 per household Pensioner Cost of Living payment – are part of an extensive package helping people of all ages with the cost of heating their homes this winter.

This includes providing households with £400 towards their energy bills, with the Government’s Energy Price Guarantee saving the typical household another £900 on top of this.

In addition, millions of payments of up to £650 have already been made this year to low-income households on eligible means-tested benefits as part of the government’s cost of living support. This includes pensioners receiving Pension Credit.

The average Pension Credit award is worth over £3,500 a year and the online Pension Credit calculator is on hand to help pensioners check if they’re likely to be eligible and get an estimate of what they may receive.

Alongside this, households receiving certain benefits – including Pension Credit – could be eligible for extra money between now and the end of March 2023 thanks to DWP’s Cold Weather Payments.

These are an automatic bank top-up of £25, paid to eligible households when the average temperature has been recorded as, or is forecast to be, zero degrees C or below over seven consecutive days at the weather station linked to an eligible person’s postcode. Postcodes already triggered this Winter can be found on the GOV.UK Cold Weather Payments Checker.

Further cost of living support to be paid next year was recently announced by the Chancellor. Payments will include a further £300 for pensioner households, up to £900 for households on means-tested benefits and £150 for those on eligible disability benefits.

The press release issued by the Department for Work and Pensions on 8 December 2022.

• Minister for Pensions Laura Trott urges pensioners to check if they qualify for Pension Credit
• Claims can be made online and over the phone, with the Pension Credit calculator on hand to help pensioners see if they’re likely to be eligible and get an estimate of what they may receive.

Minister for Pensions Laura Trott is today calling on pensioners across the country to check if they are entitled to Pension Credit as soon as possible to ensure they stand the best chance of qualifying for an extra £324 cost of living payment.

Checking eligibility and applying by 18 December 2022 – just ten days away – will mean pensioners could also receive a £324 boost thanks to Pension Credit backdating rules.

This is because successful Pension Credit claims can be backdated for up to 3 months – as long as the applicant was also eligible to receive it during that time. The average Pension Credit award is worth over £3,500 a year and even a small Pension Credit award can provide access to a wide range of other benefits – such as help with housing costs, council tax or heating bills – in addition to the extra cost of living payments.

Minister for Pensions Laura Trott said:

The run up to Christmas is always a busy time, but one thing to make sure that’s on your list over the coming days is to find out whether you or your loved ones could be eligible for Pension Credit.

Pension Credit can make a real difference and I am determined to make sure this support – worth an average of £3,500 per year – is reaching everyone who needs it.

Pension Credit is designed to help people over State Pension age and on a low income with daily living costs, though you do not need to be in receipt of State Pension to receive it.

It tops up a person’s income to a minimum of £182.60 per week for single pensioners and to £278.70 for couples.
To ensure that a successful backdated claim falls within the qualifying period for the extra £324 cost of living help, eligible pensioners are being urged to claim Pension Credit as soon as possible, and by no later than 18 December 2022.

Currently, around 1.4 million pensioners in Britain receive Pension Credit. However, many are still not claiming this extra financial help.

One of those who recently claimed is Arthur from Lincolnshire. After learning about Pension Credit from his neighbour, Arthur successfully applied by calling the Pension Credit claim line on 0800 99 1234.

Arthur said:

Highly delighted with the Pension Credit award we received – the money was quicker arriving than expected and all in all very pleased with the result. I’d really encourage other pensioners to check if they’re eligible – it’s made a real difference to me.

Pension Credit can be claimed by phone and online, ensuring that older people can apply safely and easily, wherever they are. The online Pension Credit calculator is also on hand to help pensioners check if they’re likely to be eligible and get an estimate of what they may receive.

The press release issued by the Department for Work and Pensions on 2 December 2022.

Plan to build on Government’s leading work improving the lives of disabled people in areas such as technology, sport and global leadership.

• Minister for Disabled People, Health and Work opens new Disability Innovation Hub ahead of International Day of Persons with Disabilities
• Minister met with GB Paralympians as Government sets out plans to boost the participation of disabled people in sport and physical activity

A new Disability Action Plan will be consulted on and published in 2023, the Government confirmed today (02 December 2022).

The announcement follows the Minister for Disabled People, Health and Work, Tom Pursglove MP, officially opening the brand-new Global Disability Innovation Hub (GDI Hub) research lab at the Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park to mark the UN International Day of Persons with Disabilities (IDPD).

The new Disability Action Plan will set out the practical action Ministers across Government will take over the next two years to improve disabled people’s lives.

The policies in the Disability Action Plan will be further developed in the New Year, with a consultation expected in 2023, so that disabled people, disabled people’s organisations and other interested parties can have their say.

Announcing the Government’s intention to develop and consult on a new Disability Action Plan at the event, the Minister detailed why he thought a new Disability Action Plan was needed.

Minister for Disabled People, Health and Work, Tom Pursglove MP, said:

“Over one in five people in the UK are disabled. It’s vital we continue to take concerted action across Government to improve disabled people’s lives.

“I’ll be bringing forward our Disability Action Plan in 2023 to build on Government reform of the disability agenda, underlining our global leadership on disability rights and leading the way in areas such as assistive tech and accessibility.

“It was inspiring to visit the GDI’s new research lab where this type of innovation is in action – unlocking opportunities so that more disabled people can reach their potential.”

The United Nations is marking this year’s IDPD by focusing on innovation and transformative solutions to create accessibility and equality, with London’s GDI Hub – the world’s first centre on assistive technology to collaborate with the World Health Organisation – forging the path internationally to improve disabled people’s lives.

The GDI Hub will be researching and creating a new generation of advanced technologies, ranging from Artificial Intelligence-powered navigation aids for visually impaired people, to using mobile communication to strengthen disabled communities.

While at the Olympic Park the Minister was also welcomed to the Aquatics Centre by Paralympians, including Susannah Rodgers and Grace Harvey, to tour the state-of-the-art infrastructure and accessibility features. They spoke of their experiences competing at last year’s Paralympics and what it meant to them, as well as the impact of the London Olympics 2012 legacy work by the British Paralympic Association.

The press release issued by the Department for Work and Pensions on 23 November 2022.

• From today, over 11.6 million pensioners will start to receive up to £600 to help with their energy bills this winter, as prices are pushed up by Putin’s illegal war in Ukraine.
• This support, worth over £4.5 billion, is part of an extensive package helping people of all ages with the cost of heating their homes, including through the £400 Energy Bills Support Scheme [available to eligible households in England, Scotland and Wales], and the Energy Price Guarantee saving typical households £900.

From today (23 November 2022), over 11.6 million pensioners in England, Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland will start to receive payments of up to £600 to help with their energy bills this winter.

Winter Fuel Payments – boosted this year by an additional £300 per household Pensioner Cost of Living payment – will land in bank accounts over the next two months, the vast majority automatically.

Work and Pensions Secretary Mel Stride said:

We want to do everything we can to support pensioners who are often the most exposed to higher costs. That’s why we’re providing all pensioner households with an additional £300 on top of their Winter Fuel Payments to heat their homes and stay warm this winter.

This extra payment is just one part of the wider support package we’re delivering to help with rising bills, including the biggest State Pension increase in history.

Our support doesn’t stop here. As we deal with the impact of Putin’s illegal war in Ukraine and the aftermath of the pandemic, we will continue to stand by the most vulnerable, with further cost of living payments coming next year.

The money will appear in bank statements with the payment reference starting with the customer’s national Insurance number followed by ‘DWP WFP’ for people in Great Britain, or ‘DFC WFP’ for people in Northern Ireland.

The overwhelming majority of Winter Fuel Payments are paid automatically but some people need to make a claim, such as those who qualify but do not receive benefits or the State Pension and have never previously received a Winter Fuel Payment.

This month, over seven million payments of £324 have already been made to low-income households as part of this government’s cost of living support. This includes pensioners receiving Pension Credit.

The average Pension Credit award is worth over £3,500 a year, and for those pensioners who may be eligible but are yet to make an application, there is still time to do so and qualify for this additional £324 payment.

This is because Pension Credit claims can be backdated by up to three months, provided the entitlement conditions are met throughout that time.

To ensure that a successful backdated claim falls within the qualifying period for extra £324 cost of living help, pensioners are being urged to claim Pension Credit as soon as possible, and by no later than 18 December 2022.

The online Pension Credit calculator is on hand to help pensioners check if they’re likely to be eligible and get an estimate of what they may receive.

Further cost of living support to be paid next year was announced by the Chancellor in his Autumn Statement last week. Payments will include a further £300 for pensioners, £900 for households on means-tested benefits and £150 for those on disability benefits.