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2025 Holidays – Dates and Prices to be Released 1.10.2024
Exciting News
Bedfordshire Police Federation offer holidays to their 3 bedroom chalet situated on the Haven site at Hopton, Great Yarmouth, to serving officers who are Federation members.
Dates and prices for 2025 will be released on the 1st October 2024 for serving officers.
Please see our chalet page for details and photographs of the chalet.
With effect from 1st January 2025, we will open bookings to retired officers who are members of the Group Insurance Scheme.
Bookings will be processed on a first come first served basis, taken from the date stamp on the enquiry form (enquiries will not be accepted until after the release date 1.10.24).
Once the enquiry form is received, a booking form will be sent to you with a request for payment of a 50%, non-refundable deposit. At the point the payment is made the booking will be confirmed.
Everything you need to know about The Winter Fuel Payment
The Winter Fuel Payment is an annual payment from the government to help eligible people with their heating costs during the colder months. It’s usually between £100 and £300 depending on your circumstances.
If you’re eligible, you’ll normally receive your payment automatically. It’s tax-free and won’t affect any benefits you receive.
Who is eligible?
If you were born before 23 September 1958, you can get a Winter Fuel Payment for Winter 2024 to 2025.
You must also live in England or Wales and receive one of the following:
- Pension Credit
- Universal Credit
- Income-related Employment and Support Allowance (ESA)
- Income-based Jobseeker’s Allowance (JSA)
- Income Support
If you live in Scotland, you might qualify for an annual Pension Age Winter Heating Payment instead.
How much will you receive and when?
In October or November, if eligible, you’ll receive a letter telling you how much Winter Fuel Payment you’ll receive. If you think you’re eligible but don’t receive a letter, check if you need to make a claim.
The amount you receive is based on your birth date and circumstances between 16 and 22 September 2024. This is called the ‘qualifying week’.
Payments are automatically received in November or December. You’ll receive a letter explaining how much you’ll receive and what bank account it will be paid into—usually the same account as your benefits or Pension Credit.
If you live alone
You’ll get either:
- £200 if you were born between 23 September 1944 and 22 September 1958
- £300 if you were born before 23 September 1944
If you live with someone
If you and your partner jointly claim any of the benefits, one of you will get a payment of either:
- £200 if both of you were born between 23 September 1944 and 22 September 1958
- £300 if one or both of you were born before 23 September 1944
It’ll be paid into the bank account your benefits are usually paid into.
If you live in a care home
If you’re eligible you’ll get either:
- £100 if you were born between 23 September 1944 and 22 September 1958
- £150 if you were born before 23 September 1944
Other help with heating bills
You could also get:
- a Cold Weather Payment – if the weather drops to zero degrees Celsius or below for seven days in a row and you receive certain benefits you may be eligible.
- the Warm Home Discount – this is a £150 discount on your bills if you receive Pension Credit or live in a low-income household
- help from the Household Support Fund, if you’re eligible under your local council’s rules – check on your local council’s website
What you can do next
If you are struggling with debts call us on 0800 072 1206. We’re open from 8am – 8pm Monday to Friday and 9am – 3pm on Saturdays.
Alternatively, you can visit our www.payplan.com/police to speak to us via live chat or for more information.
Support with raising children
Raising children is one of the most rewarding experiences life can offer. However, it can be surrounded by a fair share of worries, particularly when it comes to your finances. From milk to nappies, childcare to clothing, the costs soon add up.
The average amount of money spent on raising a child from birth to 18 in the UK – including housing and childcare costs – is £223,256, according to the latest research from investment platform Moneyfarm. That works out at about £12,400 a year, or £1,030 a month. (The Times Website)
For many prospective and new parents, these financial concerns can be overwhelming, which is why we have put together a list of resources and benefits that may be available to help ease the burden depending on your circumstances.
Help with childcare costs available
- Sure Start Maternity Grant – You could get a one-off payment of £500 to help towards the costs of having a child. You usually qualify for the grant if you’re expecting your first child, or you’re expecting a multiple birth (such as twins) and have children already and you or your partner already get certain benefits. The grant must be claimed within 11 weeks of the baby’s due date or within 6 months after the baby has been born. The grant does not need to be paid back and it does not affect your other benefits or tax credits. If you live in Scotland, you cannot get a Sure Start Maternity Grant, you can apply for a Pregnancy and Baby Payment instead. To find out more about the Sure Start Maternity Grant click here.
- Healthy Start Vouchers – If you’re more than 10 weeks pregnant or have a child under 4, you may be able to get help to buy healthy food and milk. Click here to check the eligibility criteria.
The vouchers can be used for;
- Plain liquid cow’s milk
- Fresh, frozen, and tinned fruit and vegetables
- Fresh, dried, and tinned pulses
- Infant formula milk based on cow’s milk
- Child Benefit – Child Benefit is available if you are responsible for raising a child under 16, or under 20 if they remain in approved education or training. Payments are made every 4 weeks, typically on a Monday or Tuesday. There are two rates: £25.60 per week for the eldest or only child, and £16.95 per week for each additional child. You can claim Child Benefit 48 hours after registering your child’s birth or once a child starts living with you. Claims can be backdated for up to 3 months. If either you or your partner has an ‘adjusted net income’ over £60,000 a year, you may have to pay the High Income Child Benefit Charge. Click here to check the eligibility criteria.
- Tax Free Childcare – You can receive up to £500 every 3 months (up to £2,000 a year) per child to help with childcare costs. For a disabled child, this amount increases to £1,000 every 3 months (up to £4,000 a year). To access this support, you need to set up an online childcare account for your child. For every £8 you deposit into the account, the government will contribute £2, which can be used to pay for childminders, nurseries, after-school clubs, nannies, and play schemes. Note that you cannot receive Tax-Free Childcare simultaneously with Working Tax Credit, Child Tax Credit, Universal Credit, or childcare vouchers. Click here to check the eligibility criteria.
- Universal Credit Childcare Support – If you qualify for Universal Credit, you might be able to reclaim up to 85% of your childcare costs while working. This could amount to up to £951 per month for one child or £1,630 for two or more children. You need to pay for your childcare costs upfront, report them to Universal Credit, and then receive a reimbursement for a portion of the expenses. Find out more here.
- 15 & 30 Hours Free Childcare – In England, working parents or those receiving government support can access 15 hours of childcare per week for their 2-year-olds. The same eligibility extends to parents of 3 and 4-year-olds, who can receive 30 hours of childcare per week. Starting in September 2024, the government will provide 15 hours of funded childcare to all children from 9 months old. By September 2025, working parents of children under five will be entitled to 30 hours of government-funded childcare per week. Find out more here.
- Free school meals – All children will be able to get free school meals if they’re in a government-funded school and in reception class, year 1 or year 2. After this age, you may get free school meals if you receive certain benefits. Find out if you are eligible here.
- Holiday activities and food programme – If you get access to free school meals you quality for free activities and healthy food for your children in the Easter, Summer and Christmas school holidays. Further information can be found here.
What you can do next
If you are struggling with debts call us on 0800 072 1206. We’re open from 8am – 8pm Monday to Friday and 9am – 3pm on Saturdays.
Alternatively, you can visit our www.payplan.com/police to speak to us via live chat or for more information.
Worried About Mortgage Interest Rates? Uniform Mortgages – August 2024
Securing a competitive fixed rate for your mortgage.
Continue reading “Worried About Mortgage Interest Rates? Uniform Mortgages – August 2024”Unfair pay mechanism must change, says Fed chair
You will have seen that the Government has accepted the recommendation from the PRRB of a consolidated increase of 4.75% to all police officer ranks and pay points with effect from 1 September 2024.
Continue reading “Unfair pay mechanism must change, says Fed chair”How to stay safe from loan sharks with PayPlan
Do you know what a loan shark is?
A loan shark – or illegal money lender – is someone who lends money illegally without proper authorisation from the Financial Conduct Authority (FCA).
That means if you borrow from them, they don’t have to follow the rules – they can decide how much you pay back and when.
These criminals are not always easy to spot – they can be another parent in the school playground, a friend of the family, or a neighbour.
Illegal lenders can make the offer of quick cash seem hard to resist, but very quickly the situation can spiral out of control and borrowers can be subjected to threats, violence and intimidation if they struggle to make a payment.
Warning signs to indicate that you could be dealing with an illegal lender include:
- being given no paperwork upon the agreement of a loan
- being given no detailed information about a loan
- having items such as a bank card or passport taken from you until the debt is paid
- being threatened or intimidated you if you do not pay on time.
The England Illegal Money Lending Team (IMLT), also known as Stop Loan Sharks, is a dedicated team of specialists that are leading the fight against loan sharks across the country.
Set up 20 years ago, the team has helped thousands of people escape the clutches of these criminals and wiped out more than £91.3 million worth of illegal debt.
The team is committed to investigating reports of illegal lending in communities and prosecuting those responsible. Over the past 20 years, it has successfully prosecuted more than 400 illegal lenders, leading to jail terms of almost 600 years.
If you or someone you know is affected by illegal money lending, contact Stop Loan Sharks for support and advice without delay.
There is a confidential 24/7 hotline available on 0300 555 2222 and a Live Chat facility is available on the website stoploansharks.co.uk between 9am and 5pm, Monday to Friday.
For further information, advice and more ways to get in touch, visit
stoploansharks.co.uk
Remember that you are not in trouble if you have borrowed money from a loan shark. You should feel no blame or shame – they are the people committing a crime, not you.
What you can do next
If you are struggling with debtsas a result of borrowing money from a loan shark or any other circumstances you cancall us on 0800 072 1206. We’re open from 8am – 8pm Monday to Friday and 9am – 3pm on Saturdays.
Alternatively, you can visit our www.payplan.com/police to speak to us via live chat or for more information.
Are you missing out on unclaimed benefits? With PayPlan
Policy in Practice estimates that a staggering £23 billion of income-related benefits and social tariffs will not be claimed across Great Britain in 2024. Ensuring that income is maximised through the take-up of benefits is vital to helping individuals on low incomes face rising living costs.
The UK benefits system can be complex, and it may feel overwhelming to use it for the first time or to determine whether your benefits will change due to circumstances.
Why are benefits going unclaimed?
1. Gap in knowledge
Many individuals are simply unaware that certain benefits are available to them or even assume that they are unlikely to be eligible so do not check.
In some cases, benefits, such as social tariffs and local support, including council tax reduction, need to be applied for separately, so they miss out on these.
Benefits may not be applied for due to a lack of knowledge and stigma – such as pension credits for retired individuals, carer allowances and mental health issues providing a barrier to applying.
2. The stigma of benefits
Unfortunately, the stigma attached to receiving government assistance remains a significant barrier for many individuals who need help the most. This can actively discourage people from applying for benefits.
3. Complexity of application
Applying for benefits can be a daunting process especially for those under stress due to their circumstances already, and many individuals become overwhelmed at having to input all of their data to see if they are entitled and then progress into the application process. We would recommend asking for help from a trusted family member or friend if the application online is a barrier to applying.
Check your entitlement.
You should always check to make sure you’re getting the benefits you’re entitled to. You may be entitled to additional benefits that could help you greatly with housekeeping costs, bills, childcare and more.
It’s important to not presume that because no one has told you that you’re entitled to a certain benefit or allowance, you’re not eligible. Some benefits, such as Child Tax Credits, rely on you making a claim and won’t be given to you unless you do so.
To check if you are entitled to any benefits, speak to the welfare benefits adviser at your local Citizen’s Advice Bureau or use our free online benefits calculator.
The calculator is free to use, and the details you provide are anonymous. Before you start, make sure you have information about your savings, income, pensions and existing benefits (for you and your partner).
What you can do next
If you are struggling with debtsand feel like you need some support you cancall us free on 0800 072 1206. We’re open from 8am – 8pm Monday to Friday and 9am – 3pm on Saturdays.
Alternatively, you can visit our www.payplan.com/police to speak to us via live chat or for more information.
Communicating with bereaved people: A practical guide to having better conversations – with PayPlan
It was National Bereaved Parents Day on 3rd July 2024, an awareness event established by charity A Child of Mine in 2020 to honour bereaved parents and to break the silence around the death of babies and children.
This year’s theme was “You Are Not Alone”, encouraging everyone to talk and to be there for bereaved parents.
If a colleague, friend or relative is bereaved – whether through the death of a child or someone else close to them – do you know what, and what not, to say? The National Bereavement Service has put together this quick guide to help you have better conversations, especially in that first encounter which many of us find daunting.
1. Anticipate:
Don’t cross the street to avoid meeting someone who is newly bereaved, or – unless they’ve communicated that this is their preference – launch into a work-related conversation with no reference to what has happened to a colleague on their first day back at work. A little thought in advance and, while the conversation may feel slightly awkward, it will be one that is genuine and leaves the bereaved person feeling that their grief has been recognised and acknowledged.
2. Acknowledge
Always acknowledge what has happened unless you’ve been given specific instructions otherwise. “I was sorry to hear….” – you may not even complete the sentence before the bereaved person responds. Their response will demonstrate whether that’s sufficient, or whether they want to have a longer conversation.
3. Listen
Not just with your ears, but with your eyes and body language. For some people a spontaneous hug is exactly right, but for others it will be intrusive.
4. Focus
This interaction must always be about the bereaved person’s experience and their preferences. It is not the time to reminisce about all the people you know who have died.
5. Be honest – with kindness
If you didn’t know the person who has died, you don’t need to invent. Concentrate on the bereaved person instead, or facts about the deceased person you know from your friend or colleague. If your colleague complained about how loudly their partner played music then “I guess the house may seem quiet now?” may show you have remembered what they have said but recognise that all changes are challenging in early bereavement.
6. Never make assumptions
Never assume anything about the relationship of the bereaved person with the person who has died, nor about their belief systems or their end-of-life experience. There are very few religions that guarantee that someone is “in a better place”. “At least they didn’t suffer” is also a major assumption. None of us can really know this, and pain and suffering can be spiritual, moral and emotional, as well as physical. What appears superficially to have been a successful marriage may have, in reality, been characterised by years of abuse of varying kinds.
7. Be specific with offers of help:
“Let me know if there is anything I can do” is too vague. Are you saying it just to be polite or do you really mean it? The bereaved person can’t be sure. Offers of meals for the freezer, lifts to go shopping, sharing the school run or help with gardening, DIY or other chores are often needed and, even if not, show that your offer is genuine. If it is likely that a newly bereaved person will be inundated with visitors, then tea, coffee, biscuits and loo roll will all be helpful.
When is your experience relevant?
You may have experienced a bereavement in the past in similar circumstances. You may choose to have a quiet word with your bereaved colleague or friend, or send a note or an email acknowledging this, saying “You may not know this about me but my son took his own life ….. years ago. I’m here for you if you want to talk about what has happened.”
Need more help in knowing what to say? Access practical bereavement support from our partner the National Bereavement Service
The National Bereavement Service supports anyone who has experienced a bereavement, including sudden or traumatic bereavement, with practical and emotional information and advice from professional bereavement advisors with lived experience.
They can help you to comply with legal requirements, signpost you to providers such as funeral directors and solicitors and provide a listening ear that helps you through a very difficult time.
Their expert advisers also help anyone to plan ahead for their own death, from Wills and Lasting Powers of Attorney to considering funeral costs.
For personal, confidential, and practical help following a bereavement, or for advice when planning your future, call the National Bereavement Service on 0800 0246 121 or visit www.thenbs.org. If you are experiencing financial difficulties, they can transfer you to one of our experienced advisers at PayPlan to discuss your circumstances.
At PayPlan, if any individuals we speak to disclose that they are struggling with the impact of bereavement, then due to the partnership we have in place, we can transfer a client directly to the National Bereavement Service hotline or make an online referral.
What you can do next
If you or someone you know is experiencing financial difficulties because of berveavement, you can call us on 0800 072 1206. We’re open from 8am – 8pm Monday to Friday and 9am – 3pm on Saturdays.
Alternatively, you can visit our www.payplan.com/police to speak to us via live chat or for more information.