Help For Households

As costs have risen, many households have begun to struggle paying for their essentials, with debts rising too. This has left many households wondering what help is available to them. Recently launched by the UK Government, the Help for Households campaign aims to bring together all the help available with the cost of living, creating a toolkit for families.

The Government’s Help for Households campaign outlines 6 key areas where help is available for the rising cost of living and how you can access this. Below we have summarised each section, but you can see each one in more detail on the Government website. Visit the Government page here.

Households on means tested benefits will automatically receive a one off payment of £650 this year (2022). This will be paid in two instalments, with the first already being paid out over summer. The second sum of £324 will be made in November.

If you claim certain disability benefits, an automatic £150 should have been paid out in September, in addition to the £650. If you didn’t receive this payment, but think you are eligible, click here.

This winter, an extra £300 will be paid out as a one off sum to help eldery residents pay their bills, known as the Pensioner Cost of Living Payment.

The Household Support Fund aims to support the most vulnerable households to pay essential bills such as food or energy bills. Contact your local council for more information.

Other help available includes budgeting loans, help with rent, council tax support schemes and more.

The most recently announced help for rising energy bills is the Energy Price Guarantee. This means that, for the next two years, the average household will pay no more than £2,500 a year on their energy bills.

In addition, the Energy Bill Discount will offer a £400 reduction in energy bills from October. The sum will be paid in 6 equal instalments over the next 6 months. It is automatically applied and will not need to be paid back.

The Winter Fuel Payment, available to pensioners, enables older households to receive between £100 and £300 to help pay heating bills. This is in addition to the Pensioner Cost of Living Payment.

For more help available with energy bills, click here.

If you are struggling to pay childcare, you could be entitled to tax free support which enables you to receive up to £500 every 3 months for each child.

In addition, you could get 15 or 30 hours free childcare depending on the age of your child.

These both run alongside childcare benefits. Check your eligibility here.

Free school meals, national breakfast clubs and healthy start vouchers are also all on offer. Find out more here.

The Government offers a variety of benefits to supplement a household income and help support low-income households. You can read more on our benefits guidance page here.

More recently, the level of which you pay National Insurance (NI) has risen, meaning you could earn just over £12k a year tax free.

This section also details support for those struggling to pay their tax bill, suggesting an instalment-based repayment plan. If you cannot pay your tax due to the cost of living, contact HMRC as soon as possible to highlight the issue and discuss available support.

If you are on universal credit, you could be entitled to 50% off travel costs with a Jobcentre Plus Travel Discount Card with the aim to help unemployed find work.

If you use rail often, it may also be worth looking into a railcard. Although this requires an upfront cost, you can save 1/2 on all train journeys.

For pensioners, free bus passes are still available. Order yours here.

Finally, the Help for Households toolkit outlines what support is available for finding work. Alongside the Find A Job website, you can get personalised job support through JobHelp and could claim tax relief on work-related expenses, such as travel.