Cost of living pressures are getting even greater as Britons are heading into autumn and winter, with the need for more heat and light in homes. Household income is being stretched as prices of goods and fuel keep going up - mostly because of Putin's invasion of Ukraine and the effects of the coronavirus pandemic.
In response, the government says it is offering a range of help to reduce the impact on Brits who are worried about coping with the financial squeeze. This includes energy rebates, cost of living payments and winter heating allowances. It has also put in place a two-year energy freeze that replaces Ofgem's huge price cap increase and means the average home will save an average of £1,000 and the average flat will save £700.
So what help is on offer? Here are some support schemes including energy bills, household costs, childcare and transport.
From October 1, a new Energy Price Guarantee will mean a typical UK household will pay no more than £2,500 a year on their energy bill for the next two years. This is automatic and applies to all households.
This will save the average household at least £1,000 a year based on current energy prices from October. The Energy Price Guarantee limits the amount you can be charged per unit of gas or electricity, so your exact bill amount will still reflect how much energy you use.
This applies to all households in Great Britain, with the same level of support made available to households in Northern Ireland. The Energy Bills Support Scheme will give £400 off energy bills for all households in Great Britain from this October. This automatic, non-repayable discount will be applied in six installments between October 2022 and March 2023 to help households through winter.
In the winter months, pensioners can get between £100 and £300 to help pay heating bills. This winter, they will also receive an extra one-off £300 Pensioner Cost of Living Payment, which will be paid as an automatic top-up to the Winter Fuel Payment. It will take this year's payment to between £250 and £600, depending on circumstances.
