Roundup of recent DWP announcements
Cost of Living Payment dates
This week the Government announced that households receiving DWP benefits will receive the second part of the £650 Cost of Living Payment from 8 November and continuing through to the 23 November.
Over eight million families have already received the first Cost of Living Payment, worth £326, which was sent out from 14 July this year.
The second payment of £324 will automatically be paid into the bank accounts of those eligible in England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland who receive a qualifying benefit, meaning they will not need to do anything to receive the money.
The DWP will pay a small number of payments on 8 November, with numbers increasing significantly from 9 November. Even if you are not on a qualifying DWP benefit you may still be eligible for the £324 payment as HMRC are also making payments to only those who receive tax credits and no other eligible benefits. These will be paid shortly after DWP payments and customers do not need to contact the Government or apply for the payment at any stage.
The £150 Disability Cost of Living Payment was provided in September, with a £300 additional pensioner payment to come in the Winter.
Ensuring eligible pensioners receive second Cost of Living Payment
Households receiving DWP benefits will receive the second part of the £650 Cost of Living Payment from 8 November.
For a pensioner to qualify for this, they must have been entitled to a payment of Pension Credit on or before the qualifying date of 25 September 2022.
It is not too late to claim Pension Credit. It is possible to backdate the claim for a maximum of three months, which means a person will still qualify for the second Cost of Living Payment.
The last date for those who can successfully backdate their claim is 19 December, though we urge people to get their applications in as soon as possible.
People do not have to do anything extra to backdate their claim. If they make their application online, they will automatically be asked about backdating, and if they make their application over the phone the adviser will talk them through this.
People can check their eligibility for Pension Credit using the online calculator or call 0800 99 1234.
Help for Households campaign
In response to increasing prices and the pressures around the cost of living, the Government has been running the ‘Help for Households campaign’ to raise awareness of the support available among those that need it most.
The Help for Households campaign gives clear information about the exceptional payments, energy support and existing support schemes available, so the public know what is available and where they can find help.
The homepage brings together over 40 support schemes that the public may be able to access depending on eligibility. Additionally, a range of online tools will help citizens quickly and efficiently check the support they might be eligible for and how to access it.
The toolkit contains suggested messaging, social media assets and logos to help you share on social media, in newsletters and on websites.
Transport accessibility campaign
This week the Department for Transport (DfT) launched Creatures of Habit, the latest burst of the ‘it’s everyone’s journey’ (IEJ) transport accessibility campaign.
The campaign brings together those who want to improve public transport for disabled people and deliver real change. It has been developed by the DfT in partnership with industry, disability groups and disabled people.
There are a range of online resources available, and we would be grateful if you or your partners are able to use these to support this campaign.
The campaign forms part of the Government’s Inclusive Transport Strategy and will be running until 6 November.
Sure Start Maternity Grant update
The SF100 Maternity Allowance claim form (including Welsh) has been re-designed. The SF100 version October 2021 incorporates the eligibility for refugees with pre-flight children. This means refugees who arrive in the country with older children are now eligible to claim the maternity grant. These changes do not relate to Afghan or Ukrainian cases. The latest version can be printed off or ordered from GOV.UK.
Skills for Life
The Skills for Life website showcases hundreds of government-funded skills opportunities. It promotes online learning options and free essential skills courses, such as numeracy, English and digital, sector specific qualifications, Skills Bootcamps, Free Courses for Jobs and in-work training, as well as personalised support and guidance from the National Careers Service.
Refreshed campaign toolkits for the skills campaigns currently running for employers, adults and young people are available to share via your networks and channels, with your own audiences, staff and customers to help extend the reach of the campaigns to those people who will benefit most. The toolkits contain key messages, creative assets and suggestions for how you could support these campaigns.
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