Latest news with #Households
The Sun
2 days ago
- Business
- The Sun
Households on Universal Credit can claim £300 cash this summer holiday – will you get a boost?
HOUSEHOLDS on Universal Credit can claim up to £300 in cash this summer. Hard-up families can claim support through the government's Household Support Fund. 1 The scheme has been extended multiple times, with the latest round running between April 2025 and March 2026. Each council has a share of £742million which it can dole out to residents in need. Eligibility criteria varies but help is usually offered to those on low income or claiming benefits. Households in Doncaster can apply for cost of living cash worth up to £300 to help with a supermarket shop. You must have dependent children to qualify for the support. A dependant child is a child for whom you receive Child Benefit. For example, if you have one dependent child you will receive £100. This rises to £200 if you are a household with two dependent children. If you have three or more kids the amount you receive is £300. To be eligible for the support you must be claiming Universal Credit, Housing Benefit, means tested free school meals or council tax reductions. Families can get FREE washing machines, fridges and kids' beds or £200 payments this summer – and you can apply now If you previously applied for the support, a payment will be made to the bank account using information you previously provided. If you have not submitted an application before you can do so online by visiting, Elsewhere, residents of North Northamptonshire can apply for supermarket vouchers worth up to £320 on August 4. A person who lives alone will be given a voucher worth £150. Meanwhile, a house with two residents could receive £260 for their food shop. If you live in a home with three residents or more you will receive a voucher worth £320. Does every council offer support? The £742million Household Support Fund has been shared between all councils in England. So, if you don't live in this area but are struggling financially or are on benefits you will likely be eligible for help. This is because the fund was originally set up to help those on low incomes or classed as vulnerable. What type of help you can get will vary but it could range from a free cash payment to supermarket vouchers. For example, residents in Worcestershire can apply for support worth up to £500 to help with water and energy costs. Devon County Council has also issued supermarket vouchers worth more than £90 to 22,000 families with children on free school meals. The £90 is equivalent to £15 per week for the six week school holiday. Households in Redcar & Cleveland can also now apply for support worth up to £230. Household Support Fund explained Sun Savers Editor Lana Clements explains what you need to know about the Household Support Fund. If you're battling to afford energy and water bills, food or other essential items and services, the Household Support Fund can act as a vital lifeline. The financial support is a little-known way for struggling families to get extra help with the cost of living. Every council in England has been given a share of £421million cash by the government to distribute to local low income households. Each local authority chooses how to pass on the support. Some offer vouchers whereas others give direct cash payments. In many instances, the value of support is worth hundreds of pounds to individual families. Just as the support varies between councils, so does the criteria for qualifying. Many councils offer the help to households on selected benefits or they may base help on the level of household income. The key is to get in touch with your local authority to see exactly what support is on offer. And don't delay, the scheme has been extended until April 2025 but your council may dish out their share of the Household Support Fund before this date. Once the cash is gone, you may find they cannot provide any extra help so it's crucial you apply as soon as possible.
The Sun
6 days ago
- General
- The Sun
Full list of DWP benefit errors that can lead to refunds worth £1,000s – including PIP and state pension
HOUSEHOLDS should be aware of these benefit errors that can lead to refunds worth £1,000's. If the Department of Work and Pensions (DWP) underpays you on a benefit you could be entitled to the money you are owed back. 1 Vice versa, if you are over paid on a benefit you will need to give the money back or it could result in legal action. This is the case even if you didn't notice and have spent it already. Currently, claimants could be entitled to back payments on a number of benefits including the State Pension and Personal Independence Payments (PIP). We explain who have been impacted below. State Pension error If you took time away from paid work to look after a child or someone with an illness, you could be owed money back. The issue mainly impacts those carrying out caring duties between 1978 and 2010. During this time, the government had a system in place to ensure people would still be paid the state pension if they took time out for these reasons. This system was called Home Responsibilities Protection (HRP) and it should have been automatically awarded to those claiming Child Benefit. But an error in the system found that hundreds of thousands of people were left with gaps in their National Insurance records that should not be there. Disability benefit explained - what you can claim Those impacted have been underpaid on their state pension or could be in the future. But the government has said that all issues related to the error should be resolved by March 2027. How to claim You might have received a letter if you are thought to be affected. People can check their eligibility for backdated HRP and make a claim via HMRC said the process takes around 15 minutes. According to MoneySavingExpert, the average amount being paid out is more than £7,000. PIP Benefit claimants could be owed cash from the government after a PIP payment error. What are state pension errors? STEVE Webb, partner at LCP and former Pensions Minister, explains what state pension errors are and how they can occur: The way state pensions are worked out is so complicated that many thousands of people have been paid the wrong amount for years without even realising it. The amount of retirement pension you get usually depends on your National Insurance (NI) record. One big source of errors has been cases where NI records have been incorrect, particularly for years spent at home with children. This is a system known as 'Home Responsibilities Protection'. Alternatively, particularly for older pensioners, the amount you get can depend on the NI contributions made by your spouse. Errors have arisen where the Government has failed to adjust the pensions of married women when their husbands retired or failed to increase pensions when someone was bereaved and lost a husband or wife. Although the Government has spent years trying to fix these problems, there are still many thousands of people – many of them older women – on the wrong pension. If you have always thought that your pension seems low, then it is worth contacting the Pensions Service to ask them to check, especially if you spent time at home raising children or if you were widowed and your pension didn't change when your spouse died A review was launched following a Supreme Court judgment in July 2019 that changed the way the DWP defines 'social support' in one of the assessed PIP categories. Dubbed the "MM judgement", the DWP realised that hundreds of thousands could now be due additional support. It means that people may not have been given one of the two elements of PIP when they were actually entitled to it. Others may have been awarded the standard rate but should have received the enhanced rate, which is a higher amount. It occurred after some people were given one of the two elements of PIP when they were actually entitled to it. The DWP launched a review in 2021, looking at cases since 2016. How to claim An estimated 633,338 households are thought to be have been affected by the error. The average payout works out at around £5,285 per claim, but you could get more or less. One couple told The Sun they were left shell-shocked" after learning that they were due £12,000 in back payments. The DWP tends to get in contact directly with claimants thought to be impacted. New PIP error The DWP has flagged two more errors relating to the benefits claim. That includes PIP claimants without a National Insurance number not having their claims processed correctly, even though it is not needed to make a claim. Up to £500,000 has been paid out to those impacted. Elsewhere, The DWP has also paid out £13million to Scottish PIP claimants who mistakenly saw a "loss of entitlement" when they tried moving over to the Adult Disability Payment (ADP). How do I appeal a PIP decision? If you've been contacted by the DWP or think you are affected by the MM judgement, you'll need to appeal your PIP decision. If you think a PIP decision was wrong, you can challenge it. If you've been contacted by the DWP or think your PIP payments may be affected by the MM judgment, you should ask for a "mandatory reconsideration notice". This is where the DWP looks at your claim decision again. If you are still unhappy with this outcome, you can then appeal to an independent tribunal. You must send your appeal form within one month of the date shown on the mandatory reconsideration notice. Be aware that it usually takes up to six months for an appeal to be heard by the tribunal. Before it gets to the tribunal, the DWP can make a revision to the original claim. If you're unhappy with the decision you get from the tribunal, you may also be able to get the decision cancelled - known as "set aside". You'll be told how to do this at the time. Another option is to appeal to the Upper Tribunal (Administrative Appeals Chamber) if you think the tribunal wasn't able to give you proper reasons for its decision, or back up the decision with facts, or if it failed to apply the law properly. Full details about challenging your PIP decisions can be found on
The Sun
19-07-2025
- Business
- The Sun
DWP to make big changes to means-tested benefits including Universal Credit within DAYS
HOUSEHOLDS should be aware of a big change to means-tested benefits which is due to come into force in days. Payments received through the miscarriage of justice compensation scheme will no longer count as income when determining eligibility for support such as Housing Benefit and Universal Credit. 1 The government-funded programme gives payouts to those who have been wrongly convicted of a crime or had their conviction overturned. Under current rules, people who receive this reward may not be able to claim means-tested benefits as it can push their income above the eligibility threshold. But come Tuesday July 22, the Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) said it is no longer counting this compensation as capital when calculating these types of benefits. The new rules apply across Great Britain and Northern Ireland. It means individuals who have been awarded compensation for a miscarriage of justice will not have this payment included when assessing their eligibility for means-tested support. And if you previously could not claim the support because of the compensation payout, you could reapply. The DWP said: "Any compensation payments you received will not be taken into account as capital when calculating entitlement to these benefits. "You will need to provide a copy of your compensation award as part of the application process." If you are already claiming means-tested benefits but have received a payment, you should also report this as a change of circumstance. The department will be able to consider your benefits to ensure you are receiving the correct amount. Cost of Living payment updates — Thousands have just days to claim free £300 DWP cash You can report a change in your circumstances by visiting What are means-tested benefits? Means-tested benefits are awarded based on a person's financial situation. The types of means-tested benefits include: Pension Credit Universal Credit Housing Benefit income-based Jobseeker's Allowance income-related Employment and Support Allowance Income Support The support is only available to those who can prove that their income is under a certain amount. Plus, exactly how much you are entitled to can vary from person to person. For example, every £1 you earn from working, your Universal Credit payment goes down by 55p. Meanwhile, the maximum amount of savings you can have to qualify for Universal Credit is £16,000. Therefore, if you receive a sum of money that takes you over this threshold, you are likely to see your benefits stopped completely. If you have £6,000 or less in your bank account, this will not affect your Universal Credit claim. To qualify for Pension Credit, you must have less than £10,000 in savings.
Bloomberg
30-06-2025
- Business
- Bloomberg
Australians Get Retirement Savings Boost From July 1
By Good morning, it's Amy in Melbourne with your Tuesday newsletter on the first day of July. We'll have the latest markets news for you, and it's a big day for the superannuation industry... Today's must-reads: • Super contributions rise • House prices climb • Household battery scheme More money will be flowing into the retirement savings accounts of Australian workers with the superannuation guarantee rising to 12% today, a key milestone for the country's A$4.1 trillion ($2.7 trillion) pension system. House prices are up for a fifth straight month, fueled by the Reserve Bank's two interest-rate cuts this year. The Home Value Index advanced 0.6% in June, with every major mainland city recording a rise. A program to encourage households to buy batteries cuts the upfront cost of installation by about 30%. The program is part of efforts to absorb excess renewable energy and curb price swings.
The Sun
21-06-2025
- Business
- The Sun
Exact date 6.7million households on Universal Credit to get inflation-busting payment boost
MILLIONS of households on Universal Credit will receive a bumper pay rise within months. Almost seven million households claiming the benefit will see their standard allowance rise by more than inflation from April 2026. 1 This change will become law, pending Parliamentary approval of the DWP's Universal Credit and Personal Independence Payment Bill, which was introduced earlier this week. This means 6.7 million households could receive around £750 more per year in cash by 2030. The standard allowance is the basic payment for households on Universal Credit. Currently, single people under 25 receive £316.98 a month and couples under 25 get £497.55 a month. Meanwhile, single people over 25 get £400.14 a month and couples aged 25 or older receive £628.10 a month. Normally, benefit payments go up each spring to help people keep pace with the rising cost of living, like food, fuel, and household bills. These increases typically match the consumer price index of inflation from the previous September. But, the government has claimed that the four-year benefit freeze from 2015 to 2019 has caused millions of payments to fall behind rising inflation. As a result, from April 2026, the government wants to hike the standard allowance by more than inflation over the next four years. This means that by 2030, the amount a claimant receives will be almost 5% higher than if it had only risen to match inflation. Rachel Reeves delivers the Spring Budget in full The increases will be worked out by adding the inflation rate from the previous September, plus an extra fixed boost. These extra percentages will be set at: 2.3% for 2026-27 3.1% for 2027-28 4.0% for 2028-29 4.8% for 2029-30 The government wants to help more people return to work and rely less on incapacity benefits, which face huge cuts. To save £5billion a year by 2030, it plans to make PIP assessments stricter and freeze the extra health payments in Universal Credit for those unable to work. The government believes that raising the standard allowance for everyone while reducing the health top-up will make returning to work more financially worthwhile and possible. What is the Universal Credit standard allowance? UNIVERSAL Credit is a welfare scheme which was designed to combine several of the old "legacy benefits The standard allowance is the basic monthly payment provided to individuals or families who qualify. The amount you receive depends on your age and whether you're single or in a couple: Single, under 25: £316.98 Single, 25 or over: £400.14 Couple, both under 25: £497.55 Couple, one or both 25 or over: £628.09 You may also be eligible for additional amounts if you have children, have a disability or health condition, or need help with housing costs. Meanwhile, around 400,000 households receiving income-related employment and support allowance (ESA) are being urged to make the move to Universal Credit. The government is progressing with its plans to transfer all legacy benefit claimants onto Universal Credit, through a process referred to as "managed migration." The managed migration process officially began back in July 2022 after a successful pilot in July 2019. Since then, households receiving one of five legacy benefits, have been receiving postal notifications outlining the steps required to transition to Universal Credit. Upon receiving a migration letter, claimants are given up to three months to make the switch. Failure to act within this timeframe could result in the loss of existing benefits. The latest data from the Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) shows that 381,440 individuals lost their benefits after failing to act within this time frame. Initially, the government planned to transfer all ESA claimants to Universal Credit by the end of 2028. However, this deadline was brought forward to March 2026. How can I get help claiming Universal Credit? As well as benefit calculators, anyone moving from ESA to Universal Credit can find help in a number of ways. You can visit your local Jobcentre by searching at There's also a free service called Help to Claim from Citizen's Advice: England: 0800 144 8 444 Scotland: 0800 023 2581 Wales: 08000 241 220 You can also get help online from advisers at Will I be better off on Universal Credit? ANALYSIS by James Flanders, The Sun's Chief Consumer Reporter: Around 1.4million people on legacy benefits will be better off after switching to Universal Credit, according to the government. A further 300,000 would see no change in payments, while around 900,000 would be worse off under Universal Credit. Of these, around 600,000 can get top-up payments (transitional protection) if they move under the managed migration process, so they don't lose out on cash immediately. The majority of those - around 400,000 - are claiming employment support allowance (ESA). Around 100,000 are on tax credits, while fewer than 50,000 each on other legacy benefits are expected to be affected. Those who move voluntarily and are worse off won't get these top-up payments and could lose cash. Those who miss the managed migration deadline and later make a claim may not get transitional protection. The clock starts ticking on the three-month countdown from the date of the first letter, and reminders are sent via post and text message. There is a one-month grace period after this, during which any claim to Universal Credit is backdated, and transitional protection can still be awarded. Examples of those who may be entitled to less on Universal Credit include: Households getting ESA and the severe disability premium and enhanced disability premium Households with the lower disabled child addition on legacy benefits Self-employed households who are subject to the Minimum Income Floor after the 12-month grace period has ended In-work households that worked a specific number of hours (e.g. lone parent working 16 hours claiming working tax credits Households receiving tax credits with savings of more than £6,000 (and up to £16,000) Either way, if these households don't switch in the future, they risk missing out on any future benefit increase and seeing payments frozen.
