Over 16,000 families in Burnley and Padiham are set to receive a £324 government funded Cost of Living Payment this month.
The Cost of Living Payments, which have started to be sent out this week, is the second installment from the Government’s £37 billion package of cost of living support, including up to £1,200 worth of direct help for vulnerable households.
Local MP Antony Higginbotham who has been raising the cost of living in Parliament has welcomed the support. Commenting he said:
Households are facing rising living costs in the wake of Putin’s illegal war in Ukraine and it's been my mission to make sure that people in Burnley and Padiham are supported.
That’s something I’ve been calling for in Parliament, both publicly and privately with Ministers. And is why I welcome the news that 16,800 families in our borough will be receiving a cost of living payment worth £324 this month. That’s on top of the £400 every household within the borough is already receiving off the energy bills and the Council Tax rebate of £150 earlier this year.
These payments combined will give families much needed support this winter and protect the most vulnerable in the face of rising prices.
Over eight million households in England, Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland who claimed qualifying means-tested benefits during the eligibility period will be automatically paid with no need to apply.
In addition to means-tested cost of living support, the Energy Price Guarantee will help to keep household energy bills as low as possible – saving the typical household £700 this winter. The £400 Energy Bills Support Scheme will also help every household with the cost of energy this winter.
The Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) are expecting all payments to have automatically been made by the end of November.
Commenting, Work and Pensions Secretary Mel Stride said:
We understand that people are struggling and that is why we’ve acted to ensure millions of low-income families are supported this winter.
As part of a wider £37 billion package of support, this latest £324 payment shows we are committed to helping our most vulnerable manage the rising cost of living.
Chancellor of the Exchequer Jeremy Hunt said:
Prices are rising across the world as we manage the aftershock of Covid-19 and Putin’s invasion of Ukraine. We recognise that families back home are struggling, which is why we’ve taken decisive action to hold down energy bills this winter and provided hundreds of pounds of cash support for each vulnerable household.
As part of that support, over 8 million vulnerable households – almost a quarter of families in the UK – will automatically receive a second cost of living payment worth £324 in their bank account from today.
And while we can’t completely protect people from rising prices, my priority at the upcoming Autumn Statement will be to protect the poorest in society as we take the tough decisions necessary to fix our public finances.
