Category Finances Show all
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Rent in Islington? You could be eligible for a £250 grant from the council
Islington Council is looking to help its residents cope with the cost-of-living crisis by giving one-off grants of £250 to those who are in work and rent their home.
It doesn’t matter who you rent your home from – a private landlord, a housing association, or the council – you could be eligible to claim for this one-off payment.
Learn more and apply
The grants are designed to help people who are struggling to cover all their bills, so conditions apply. For example, you must be renting your home, and there are limits on total household income and savings.
You can find all the information and instructions on how to apply on Islington Council’s website.
Please note that the Islington Council is giving the money away on a first-come, first-served basis, with applications closing on 30 June.
Need more support?
We know things are tough for a lot of residents at the moment so we are here for you. Learn more about how we can support you.
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Cost of Living Payments during 2023/24
To help ease the financial pressures during the rising cost of living, millions of households across the UK will receive further support from the Government in the form of Cost of Living Payments worth £900 which will be made over 2023/2024.
This will apply to people on means-tested benefits: Universal Credit, Pension Credit, income-based Jobseeker’s Allowance (JSA), income-related Employment and Support Allowance (ESA), Income Support, and tax credits: Child Tax Credit, and Working Tax Credit.
The Cost of Living Payment will be issued automatically, meaning those eligible do not need to apply. It will be paid separately to benefit payments and will appear in accounts with the account holder’s National Insurance number and DWP COLP. For if you claim tax credit, the reference will appear in accounts as 'HMRC COLS', referencing Cost of Living Support.
To be eligible for the first payment, families must have been entitled to a payment (or later found to be entitled to a payment) of either:
- Universal Credit for an assessment period that ended in the period 26 January to 25 February
- income based JSA, income related ESA, Income Support or Pension Credit for any day in the period 26 January 2023 to 25 February 2023.
For tax credit-only customers, you must have received a payment of tax credits any day in the period 26 January to 25 February 2023.
Please don’t contact DWP or HMRC or apply for the payment – it will be made automatically into the accounts of those eligible.
For more information, please go to the Cost of Living Payment page on gov.uk.
Payment schedule:
- First payment of £301 made between 25 April and 17 May 2023
- Second payment of £300 will be made in the Autumn of 2023
- Third payment of £299 will be made in the Spring of 2024
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Cost of Living Payments during 2023/24
As part of his Autumn Statement in November 2022, Chancellor Jeremy Hunt announced that, following the 2022/2023 cost of living payments, further payments would be made across the UK in 2023/2024.
Extra support will be provided for over eight million eligible means-tested benefits claimants, including those on Universal Credit, Pension Credit and tax credits.
Staring in the spring, these sums will be paid directly to bank accounts in three payments over the course of the financial year. There will also be a separate £150 for over six million disabled people and £300 for over eight million pensioners on top of their Winter Fuel Payments.
Exact payment windows will be announced closer to the time and will be spread across a longer period to ensure a consistent support offering throughout the year.
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New 'Cost of Living Helper' tool
As the cost-of-living continues to affect all households, we know that many of you are concerned about how you will cover essential items such as bills, groceries and rent.
If you are worried about money and would like additional support, you can now access Cost of Living Helper.
Funded by the Mayor of London and developed by the Advice and Advocacy team at Hyde Housing, the ‘Cost of Living’ tool is designed to help everyone access information and support as easily and quickly as possible.
The tool is user friendly and can be accessed from any device.
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GLA Cost of Living Hub
We are living in difficult times, where the price of energy, food and bills are all rising steeply.
The Greater London Assembly (GLA) has launched a cost of living hub, which provides signposting as well as advice on maximising residents’ income, help with keeping warm, and help for residents in financial crisis.
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Money Helper website
If you need help to make your money and pension choices clearer, please visit Money Helper website.
The website features a range of videos, tools and calculators, all of which are free. For example, it includes a money manager tool for those on Universal Credit and credit card and loan calculators.
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Cost of living support
As the cost-of-living continues to affect all households, we know that many of you are concerned about how you will cover essential items such as bills, groceries and rent this winter.
We have put together a list of schemes and funding opportunities on our website where you can learn more about the exceptional payments and other support available, including our Helping Hand Fund.
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Broadband social tariffs can save you up to £200 a year
If you, or your family member, are struggling with broadband or mobile phone bills, please check if you are eligible to switch your package to a social tariff.
Social tariffs are cheaper broadband and phone packages for people claiming Universal Credit, Pension Credit and some other benefits. Some providers call them ‘essential’ or ‘basic’ broadband.
They are delivered in the same way as normal packages, just at a lower price.
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Government’s Help for Households campaign
In response to increasing prices and the pressures around the cost of living, the Government has been running the 'Help for Households’ campaign to raise awareness of the support available to those who need it the most.
Please visit the campaign’s website to learn more about the exceptional payments, energy support and existing support schemes available.
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Financial support offered by local councils
As household budgets for many people are severely under strain due to the cost-of-living crisis, many councils have made additional funds available to support those in need.
Please visit your council’s website to learn more.
If you have financial difficulties, struggle to pay your bills or need help to replace household appliances, we are here to help.
Through our new Helping Hand Fund, which is paid for by the Riverside Foundation as part of our partnership with the Riverside Group, we can provide small grants and other practical short-term support for households up to £500. Please call us on 0300 123 9966 or complete a self-referral form via your MyOneHousing account.
