Cost of living payments worth up to £200 set to be paid to thousands on state pension – are you one of them?

THOUSANDS on state pension could be eligible for a cost of living payment worth up to £200.

Pensioners missing out on the Winter Fuel Payment this year are set to receive a cash boost to help cover energy costs.

Residents in Middlesbrough who are aged 80 and over, receive Council Tax Reduction, and are not eligible for the Winter Fuel Payment may be entitled to receive £200.

Those aged between 66 and 79 who meet the same criteria could also be eligible for a cash payment of £150.

An estimated 1,500 households are expected to benefit from one of the two payments.

Pensioners receiving Attendance Allowance, who are not on other benefits and have incomes less than £20,000 for a single person or £26,000 for a couple, can also apply for a £100 payment to help with the cost of living.

Middlesbrough Council also announced that they would issue automatic payments of £60 per child for families eligible for free school meals.

However, it will only be available if the council’s £1.65million scheme is approved.

Cllr Nicky Walker, Executive member for Finance, said: “When this phase of the Household Support Fund was announced, I made it clear where I thought we should prioritise our efforts to help pensioners of Middlesbrough on low incomes who will just miss out on getting the Winter Fuel Payment this year.

“The proposal strikes a balance between universal payments for families in receipt of certain benefits and targeting help at other groups, including pensioners.

“Given the national changes around the Winter Fuel Payment, it’s pleasing we’re able to propose something locally to support those pensioners this winter who may have worked hard all their lives but just miss out due to, for example, having a small works pension.”

Middlesborough Council have distributed a total of £1.5million Household Support Payments since April.

The proposed scheme will allow families who are not eligible for free school meals but are receiving Council Tax Reduction, Universal Credit, or Housing Benefit to receive £60 per child.

Middlesborough residents claiming Council Tax Reduction benefits will also be able to apply based on their income.

A single person will be entitled to £35, couples will receive £45, and households with children will get £60 per child under the proposed scheme.

Other details of the scheme include:

• Pensioners not receiving Council Tax Reduction or other benefits can apply for £100 per household if income is below £20,000 for single people and £26,000 for a couple
• Residents receiving Attendance Allowance who aren’t entitled to the Winter Fuel Payment or other aspects of the Household Support Funding can apply for £100 per household.

It comes after millions of households eligible for this year’s £300 winter fuel payment will receive another cash bonus from the DWP this winter.

And thousands of households not claiming pension credit will still get a winter fuel payment due to a little-known loophole.

The government recently announced that thousands of pensioners will get a £200 one-off payment for energy bills after the winter fuel allowance cut.

It is part of the latest phase of its Household Support Fund, which offers vouchers to struggling Brits.

The funding is available across England, but the amount up for grabs depends on your local council.

More than 32,000 eligible households in Nottinghamshire will get the help to cover food and energy costs in the run-up to Christmas.

They include families with children eligible for Free School Meals and people receiving Pension Credit.

Social workers have identified other households which need financial support.

The council will contact eligible households next month, so residents do not need to take any action.

Those eligible can expect to get a one-off payment of around £100 per household.

The help comes via the latest round of the Household Support Fund which is worth £421million.

The fund is designed to help hard-up households cover the cost of living, mostly through cash grants, supermarket and energy vouchers.

Each council across England has been allocated a share of the £421million pot and decides who to distribute money to.

Other help on offer

If you’re not eligible for the Household Support Fund, you might be able to get a grant from your energy firm to cover energy debt.

British Gas is handing out grants worth £1,700 to struggling households through its Individual and Families Fund.

The fund is available to British Gas and non-British Gas customers living in England, Scotland or Wales.

You won’t be eligible if you received a grant from the British Gas Energy Trust within the last two years.

And you must be seeking a grant to clear outstanding debt on a current or open gas, electricity or dual fuel energy account.

Crucially, you also need to have received help from a money advice agency within the last six months.

If you don’t qualify for help with British Gas, a number of other energy firms offer help to customers struggling with energy bill debt.

This includes OVO, Boost, E.On, E.On Next, EDF, Scottish Power, Octopus, Shell Energy, SSE and Utilita.