April is upon us – and it’s officially spring, which will (hopefully) translate into some warmer weather.
The clocks have just changed, too, ushering in lighter evenings after plenty of dark winter nights.
April also brings with it changes relating to cost of living support – including a rise in benefit payments, the start of a new Cost of Living Payment, and the end of several winter support schemes.
If you’re not sure what’s to come, here’s a summary of the changes to expect in April.
And where to find out more about each change…
What support schemes will have ended by April 2023?
A number of schemes designed to help with the cost of energy bills will come to an end as of March 2023.
These include:
Energy Bills Support Scheme – a £400 discount on energy bills, which took the form of six monthly payments of £66/£67 starting in October 2022 and ending in March 2023. It was automatically applied for most households, though some people in specific living situations who have yet to receive it can still apply for it here.
Winter Fuel Payment – this payment is usually applied automatically to those eligible for it (people born before September 26, 1956) in either November or December, though eligible people who have not received it have until March 31 this year to make a claim.
Warm Home Discount – this one-off £150 discount on winter electricity bills for those eligible (people in England and Wales who are on low incomes or get the Guarantee Credit element of Pension Credit) was paid directly to the supplier between October 2022 and March 2023.
Cold Weather Payment – this scheme paid eligible people £25 per seven-day period of ‘very cold weather’ from November 1, 2022 until March 31, 2023.
For more, here’s Metro.co.uk’s guide to the schemes ending in March 2023.
First appear at All cost of living payment and benefit changes coming to April 2023
