First 2023/24 cost of living payment date

Think I can answer my own query,. THis £150 us a CoL allowance for people on Disability allowances. Very welcome.

Does anyone know if the second payment of this help is being divided into two? This week I have received £150 from the DWP without any idea as to the reason for this. Wonder if it could be half of the second £300 payment.

I think the government has tried to help individuals and businesses in the current global crisis and it’s good to see that some do give them credit for that.

Thank goodness for some positive posts, we have had a lot of help, for which I appreciated, these pessimistic moaners could always give it back.

boheminan

Hurrah, I got my first £301 yesterday and I ain't complaining. I'm on Guaranteed Pension Credit, so like a lot of others here £300 is the equivalent of £1000's to me.

DaisyAnne hopefully it's okay to ask you a question about P.C. and savings as I've got very confused(?). I'm a single pensioner on G.P.C. I thought my savings without being affected could be up to £10,000, then I was recently told it's up to c£12,000, and when I called a help line for advice (not DWP) I was told it could be up to £16,000 (as I was single). At the moment I don't have anywhere near those amounts in savings but would feel safer if I had a guide line, and the answer seems to vary so much...

I am no expert, but I think I know why you received confusing amounts.
In order to be able to claim Pension Credit, the money you have (both savings and current account), needs to be under £10,000.
so
However, you can still claim PC with up to £16,000- BUT every £500 counts as £1 that you actually have, and is deducted from the amount of PC you receive. This is the reason why you get two contradictory amounts

Just to remind people that it is not just savings that is taken into account - your normal everyday standard account from which you pay such things as Direct Debits, etc. etc. also needs to keep you under that ten thousand pounds.

Yes, the class get fruit too. It's ironic. He loves his school milk but can't bear the stuff at home.

GrannyGravy13

That is very unusual Gagajo there aren’t any round here that do that.

Children under 5 are eligible for free school milk, if the provider is registered with the government scheme.

Some schools use their own funding to provide milk and/or a piece of fruit for younger children. In some cases, they use their pupil premium funding.

Mollygo

It’s a big step moving from KS1 to KS2. The free school meals ought to go on into KS2. It made a huge difference to 1 DD.
Having said that, it would help if more parents who are entitled to FSM would apply for them even in Year R, 1, and 2 because it makes a difference to the school budget. (Yes I know it’s different in Scotland.)
Earning £7,400 seems really low for the cut off point but I don’t know if that excludes any benefits.

It's almost impossible for anybody who works to be eligible for FSM. The formula for working it out is quite complicated. Generally, the only people eligible for FSM after the age cut off are the unemployed, who then receive help with housing costs and some other specified help eg. for prescriptions.

Hurrah, I got my first £301 yesterday and I ain't complaining. I'm on Guaranteed Pension Credit, so like a lot of others here £300 is the equivalent of £1000's to me.

DaisyAnne hopefully it's okay to ask you a question about P.C. and savings as I've got very confused(?). I'm a single pensioner on G.P.C. I thought my savings without being affected could be up to £10,000, then I was recently told it's up to c£12,000, and when I called a help line for advice (not DWP) I was told it could be up to £16,000 (as I was single). At the moment I don't have anywhere near those amounts in savings but would feel safer if I had a guide line, and the answer seems to vary so much...

GrannyGravy13

That is very unusual Gagajo there aren’t any round here that do that.

He's been in 2 schools in this area. They've both done it.

It’s a big step moving from KS1 to KS2. The free school meals ought to go on into KS2. It made a huge difference to 1 DD.
Having said that, it would help if more parents who are entitled to FSM would apply for them even in Year R, 1, and 2 because it makes a difference to the school budget. (Yes I know it’s different in Scotland.)
Earning £7,400 seems really low for the cut off point but I don’t know if that excludes any benefits.

DaisyAnne

growstuff

I receive about £2 a week in council tax reduction in addition to housing benefit, but no Pension Credit. I have an NHS low income certificate (HC1), which means I don't pay for basic NHS dentistry and get a voucher for glasses, if I need new ones. As I'm not eligible for a "gateway benefit", I don't receive extra cost of living support.

I am one of many with a very low income, who is falling through holes in the system.

You receive no Pension Credit because you would have to be poorer to do so. I can't remember whether it was you, but we had a person who, when we discussed this before, with much the same complaints, had an income of almost twice what is eligible for a Pension Credit?

What became apparent after an 'all round the houses' trip on that one was that it wasn't the Pension Credit that was the problem; it was the percentage of income the person was paying for rent. With an income roughly twice as much as the eligible amount for PC, what they should have been complaining about were our housing problems.

Just seen this, so sorry I didn't respond earlier.

Yes, I know my income from pensions is too high for Pension Credit. One of the aims when the new state pension was introduced was to reduce the number of people eligible for PC, which tops up the income of people without savings to the maximum new pension amount.

I agree with you that housing is the problem. I had a mortgage for decades, but lost my house through no fault of my own. If I still had a house with the mortgage paid off, there wouldn't be a problem. I'd hardly be rich, but I'd manage.

BTW my income is nowhere near twice the amount to be eligible for PC, so it wasn't me.

PS. For people in the same situation, don't forget to check if you are eligible for the NHS low income scheme, which means that you get free dental care (if you can find an NHS dentist) and heavily subsidised glasses, if you need them - plus free prescriptions, if you're still under pension age.

That is very unusual Gagajo there aren’t any round here that do that.

GrannyGravy13

GagaJo

My DD, also on a low income, isn't eligible for free school meals for my grandson, because she works. He gets them now, because of his age, but they'll be cut off when he goes into Year 2. He doesn't even get free milk.

All children are entitled to free school lunches in reception and years 1 and 2.

There hasn’t been free milk in schools since Margaret Thatcher.

His school gives free milk up to the age of 5.

GagaJo

My DD, also on a low income, isn't eligible for free school meals for my grandson, because she works. He gets them now, because of his age, but they'll be cut off when he goes into Year 2. He doesn't even get free milk.

All children are entitled to free school lunches in reception and years 1 and 2.

There hasn’t been free milk in schools since Margaret Thatcher.

My DD, also on a low income, isn't eligible for free school meals for my grandson, because she works. He gets them now, because of his age, but they'll be cut off when he goes into Year 2. He doesn't even get free milk.

Thanks Primrose I’ve already done the benefits calculator. I’ve also been to CAB and gone through my finances with someone there. I have a (very) small works pension which puts me just above the threshold for claiming anything. Even the woman at CAB said it was such a shame. She said I’d be better off, as things stand at the moment, without the works pension because the cost of living payment is more per annum than the little pension. However, long term, who knows. Just one of those things I suppose. If I’d had a crystal ball years ago, I wouldn’t have paid into the work pension, would have had more money in my wage packet each month at the time, and would be better off now. Sadly my crystal ball was out of action way back when…

They could start here

www.gov.uk/benefits-calculators

I meant to say, being on Pension Credit also meant that when Mum was unable to use the stairs and get in and out of the bath we were able to get a grant from the council for a stairlift and got the bathroom converted to a wet room. Again, the council staff were excellent. It enabled her to stay in her own home for many more years and retain her independence.

Some people have too much in savings to claim Universal Credit. If you have over £16,000 then you are not eligible. You can’t claim Pension Credit either.

My late Mum only had a few thousand in her bank account so was able to claim Pension Credit and, I have to say, that all staff I spoke to were very helpful indeed. pension Credit then opens up to free specs, free dental treatment etc.

Maybe some people on here could get in touch with the Dept of Work & Pensions and double check that they are getting all they are entitled to. You can do a check online too.

There are many of us who fall through the cracks.

That’s a good way to describe it GagaJo. I often feel invisible in the eyes of the government. At least Theresa May showed empathy for those not on benefits but ‘just about managing’. This current lot appear to have abandoned us!

Oops I am still waiting for SP

Unfortunately there has to be a threshold whether that be age for state pension or income/savings for benefits. (I am a one of the women who has had to wait till they are 66 for their state pension).

DaisyAnne

GagaJo

Nothing for me either. Despite being on a low income.

If it and your savings are as low as those getting the benefits you should be getting them too. If it isn't, you won't. What is your measure of a low income?

Struggling to pay bills. Not being able to afford heat but not being old enough to qualify for a winter heat allowance.

No, I don't claim any benefit, because I'm self employed, but at my age, I'd struggle to find employment such as I used to have.

There are many of us who fall through the cracks. It doesn't mean life isn't hard, just that the boundaries for who is eligible for help are very rigid.

Meanwhile, my friend, living in a 3 story, 5 bed house, alone, got state pension 8 years before I will and gets winter heat allowance every winter.

Nothing here either.