With autumn upon us and winter on its way, millions across the country will no doubt be worried about making ends meet.
The cost of living crisis has already left people struggling to pay for essentials such as food, energy, rent and mortgage payments.
Now the energy price cap is increasing, while the Prime Minister acknowledged the new government’s autumn budget will be ‘painful’.
If you’re among those concerned about managing living costs over the next few months and further ahead, take a look at our guide to what benefits and support might be available to you.
We also look at what benefit changes are planned or could be in the pipeline.
What DWP benefits are paid in October?
The benefits paid out in October will be the same as usual. They are:
- Universal Credit
- State pension
- Pension credit
- Child benefit
- Disability living allowance
- Personal independence payment
- Attendance allowance
- Carer’s allowance
- Employment support allowance
- Income support
- Jobseeker’s allowance
More information on these can be found on the government’s website.
What other financial help is available?
Household support fund (HSP)
In August the current government announced it would extend the Household Support Fund, set up by the Conservatives, for another six months from September 30, when it was due to end.
It will therefore continue until March 31 next year.
The HSP is distributed to local authorities to help those most in need with the cost of energy, water and food.
Councils are free to allocate the funds however they feel is best. Some have provided cash grants, while others have offered supermarket vouchers and energy bills assistance.
Visit your local council’s website to find out what help might be available to you.
Budgeting advance loans
The government offer budgeting loans to people who have been on one of the following benefits for six months or more:
- Income support
- Income-based jobseeker’s allowance
- Income-related employment and support allowance
- Pension credit
The money can help pay for costs such as furniture or household items (washing machines for example), clothes, rent, costs linked to moving house, home improvements, funerals and maternity costs.
The loan is interest free and repayments are taken automatically from your benefits.
You can borrow up to:
- £348 if you’re single
- £464 if you’re part of a couple
- £812 if you have children
For more information visit the government’s website.
Council tax reduction
People who meet certain criteria or receive certain benefits could be eligible for a reduction of their council tax, in some cases as much as 100%.
To find out what reductions your council offer search your postcode on the government’s website.
Charitable grants
A number of charities offer grants to people who are struggling financially.
Recipients will usually need to meet certain criteria and the funds available are limited.
The charity Turn2us has a handy online tool to help you find grants you could be eligible for.
Energy provider support
Several energy suppliers offer support to those having difficulty paying their bills.
Among them are Scottish Power, E.ON, EDF and Octopus.
Contact your energy provider to see if they can help you.
British Gas also offer a grant of up to £2,000 to customers of any energy provider. You can apply on the British Gas Energy Trust website, as with all support mentioned above, you will need to meet certain criteria.
Up to 30 hours of free childcare
Working parents in the UK are entitled to 30 hours of free childcare for children aged three to four.
From April 1 this year, 15 hours of free childcare was made available to working parents of two-year-olds, and from September 1 the same amount was made available to any children from nine months old.
From September 2025 30 hours of free childcare will be made available to all working parents of children under five.
Parents may also be eligible for tax-free childcare, potentially saving up to £500 every three months (up to £2,000 a year) for each of their children.
This goes up to £1,000 every three months if a child is disabled (up to £4,000 a year).
To check eligibility requirements and how to apply visit the government website.
What is the energy price cap and is it going up?
The energy price cap is a limit set by Ofgem and is the maximum amount energy suppliers can charge for each unit of energy.
The cap is designed to ensure that prices are fair and reflect the wholesale cost energy suppliers pay.
Ofgem is increasing the cap 10% this month, from £1,568 a year to £1,717, meaning most households will see higher bills over the next few months.
The energy price cap dropped to £1,568 in July, down £122 from the April cap.
When is the autumn budget?
Chancellor Rachel Reeves will deliver Labour’s first budget for 14 years on October 30.
Although it’s unclear what exactly will be announced, the chancellor has previously warned that ‘difficult decisions’ are necessary to ‘restore economic stability’ in the UK.
The Prime Minister, meanwhile, has said the budget would be ‘painful’.
Labour has accused the Conservative party of leaving a £22 billion black hole in the UK economy.
What changes to benefits could Labour introduce?
It’s likely Labour will introduce a number of changes to benefits, though it will probably happen slowly over the next few years.
Any planned changes will need to go through consultation periods, which can take time.
There will likely be cuts involved, although what they will be isn’t yet clear.
At the Labour conference in Liverpool last month Sir Keir said there had to be ‘trade offs’ between maintaining the welfare state and supporting those in need.
The government, for example, plan to tackle a major rise in people on sickness benefits since the pandemic.
Starmer told BBC Radio 4 today that people on long-term sickness benefits should be made to look for work if they are able to, saying: ‘I think the basic proposition that you should look for work is right.
‘Obviously, there will be hard cases … but we also want to support that so that more people can get into work.’
Labour also has plans to reform universal credit so that it ‘makes work pay and tackles poverty’.
Many hoped the new government would lift the current two-child benefit cap, which means parents can not claim child tax credits or universal credit for a third or subsequent child.
But Labour has refused to change the rule, which came into effect in 2015 and according to campaigners is keeping almost a million children in poverty.
The party has also vowed not to go back on plans to cut the winter fuel allowance, which will now be means-tested.
Get in touch with our news team by emailing us at [email protected].
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