THOUSANDS of households on benefits should expect a free £251 payment into their accounts to cover their energy bills.

Help comes through the Child Winter Heating payment designed to help disabled young people and their families.

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The payment is only made to households in Scotlandusually in October or November, and covers increased heating costs during the winter months.

The number of payments issued in 2023/24 was 30,400, compared to around 26,000 the previous year.

This means that in all likelihood tens of thousands of people will receive payments worth £251.50 in 2024/25.

The extra payment will come in handy after the price cap increased by £149 a year last month.

This means that the average household England, Wales and Scotland on a dual-fuel tariff pays £1,717 a year, up from £1,568.

Of course, your annual bill may have increased more or less depending on your usage, because the price cap simply sets a limit on what providers can charge per price unit. gas and electricity.

Who is eligible for the children’s winter heating payment?

Households with a child under 19 and several benefits qualify. The list of eligible services is as follows:

• the highest rate of the care component of the Child Disability Payment
• the highest rate of the care component of Disability Living Allowance for children
• the enhanced daily living component of the Personal Independence Payment
• the increased rate of the daily living component of the adult disability payment

You must have received one of the above benefits at least one day during the third full week of September to receive the winter heating payment for children.

In 2024/25, it is September 16-22.

You are also eligible if you apply for a benefit after the third week of September and manage to backdate it.

If you live in a household with more than one child or young person eligible for support, both will receive an allowance.

Payment for children’s winter heating is made automatically and you do not need to apply for it.

It is generally paid into the same account in which you receive your eligible benefit.

So if you receive PIP, it will be transferred to the account you receive it in.

It’s worth bearing in mind that if you live outside the UK but are still eligible for a child’s winter heating payment, you will need to apply for one.

You must complete a form available via mygov.scot and send it to: Child Winter Heating Payment, PO Box 10317, Dundee, United Kingdom, DD1 9GR.

To apply by telephone, you can call Social Security Scotland from outside the UK on +44 (0) 1382 931 000.

OTHER ASSISTANCE PROPOSED

What if you don’t live in Scotland? If you receive benefits in England, Wales or Northern Ireland, you can get other help to cover energy invoices.

Warm discount for the home

You may be able to benefit from a one-off reduction on your electricity or gas bill through the Warm Home Discount.

This is an automatic £150 deduction applied between October and March each winter.

Payment is still made to persons benefiting from the Guarantee Credit element of Pension credit.

You may also be eligible if you apply for these benefits: Housing benefit
linked to income Job and income support allowance (ESA), income-based jobseeker’s allowance (JSA), income support, the “savings credit” part of pension credit or Universal Credit.

If you have one of the benefits on the longer list, the government will assess the amount of energy your property uses to see if you qualify for a reduction.

Cold weather payment

Cold Weather Payments are made between November and March each winter and are worth £25.

Payments are made to eligible households for each seven-day period in which temperatures fall or are expected to fall to zero degrees Celsius or below.

You get £25 for every seven-day cold instantwhich means you can get multiple payments between November and March.

You only get cold weather benefits if you live in England or Wales and have a number of benefits. These are :

• Pension credit
• Income support
• Jobseeker’s Allowance (JSA) based on income
• Income-related Employment and Support Allowance (ESA)
• Universal Credit
• Support for mortgage interest

However, there are other specific eligibility conditions to be met for each eligible benefit. You can find out more at gov.uk.

Winter fuel payment – up to £300

Winter fuel payments are worth up to £300 this winter and are paid to people on Pension Credit or other benefits.

Formerly, it was accessible to all those who state pension age, but the government made it means-tested.

It is only available to those living in England, Wales and Northern Ireland.

You can get £200 or £300 depending on your age.

If you were born between September 23, 1944 and September 22, 1958, you receive £200.

People born before September 22, 1944 receive £300.

In most cases, you receive payment automatically if you qualify, but some must apply.

If you live abroad, you must make a claim by telephone or mail. More information on the gov.uk website.

SOS Winter Fuel of the Sun campaign

THE Sun’s Winter Fuel SOS campaign is here to support households during these difficult times.

Ten million pensioners to lose £300 due to government cuts Winter fuel payment.

Since we opened our phone lines to thousands of retirees in October, we remain committed to providing tips and advice on how to further optimize your finances.

That’s why we’ve teamed up with poverty charity Turn2Us to run a free benefits checkerhelping you to ensure you claim all the benefits you are entitled to.

Don’t miss our latest Money of the Sun coverage, which includes essential information on key deadlines, requesting support and everything you need to know about Pension credit.

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