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.
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.
Slater and Gordon – Updated Services
Slater and Gordon Lawyers PFEW update on services offered –
Our core services for PFEW members include Employment Law, Family Law, Personal Injury (including industrial disease and medical negligence) and Wills, Trusts & Probate.
Further information is attached, which includes:
- Employment leaflet incl points of contact
- Personal Injury Leaflet incl point of contact (Sian Thomas not included also is a point of contact)
We have worked with police officers for over 65 years and have supported thousands of members across the decades, our expert lawyers understand the issues police officers and their families may face.
How to look after your mental health when you’re in debt with PayPlan
Money and mental health are closely connected.
PayPlan, one of the UK’s largest free debt advice providers, speaks to thousands of people each year who are feeling depressed, guilty or hopeless about their finances.
Here, PayPlan provides an overview of how to look after your mental health when you’re in debt or facing debt.
How does money affect mental health?
Poor mental health can mean that managing money is harder. Yet, worrying about money can worsen mental health. It can often feel like a catch-22 situation with no way out.
Mental health affects our emotions, thoughts, feelings and actions. It links to how we handle stress, relate to others and make choices – including our financial decisions.
We’re committed to helping you to get your finances under control and help you to feel confident about managing money. And we know it works. We know that once we’ve spoken to our clients, over 93% say their mental wellbeing improved and stress levels reduced.
How to spot signs of mental health issues
It can be difficult to spot if somebody is suffering with their mental health, but everyone can be aware of changes in a person’s mood or personality. While this list isn’t a diagnosis, you may notice a mental health sufferer:
- Feels sad or down a lot of the time
- Has extreme mood swings
- Is frequently tired and lacking energy
- Lacks composure with stress and everyday problems
Dealing with debt and mental health
If you’re in debt and are struggling with mental health, you may benefit from:
Breathing Space
Breathing Space can reduce or stop your creditors from calling you or sending letters chasing you for debts. Have a look at what Breathing Space could mean for you and how to request it. Breathing Space | The Debt Respite Scheme | PayPlan
Debt and mental health evidence form (DMHEF)
DMHEF can help creditors to understand any mental health issues you may be experiencing. It allows them to change the way they contact you or deal with your debts. Download and learn more about the form:- Debt and Mental Health Evidence Form
Personal Independence Payment & Employment and Support Allowance
Our benefits calculator will help you find out what benefits you can claim. The calculator is free to use, and the details you provide are anonymous. Benefits calculator (entitledto.co.uk)
If you need help or are concerned about your health, our debt and mental health guide could help you.
What you can do next if you need debt help
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.
Will my partner’s debt affect my credit score? with PayPlan
PayPlan, one of the UK’s largest free debt advice providers, is faced with multiple questions surrounding debt everyday.
One frequently asked question is, “Will my partner’s debt affect my credit score?”
Here, PayPlan tells you everything you need to know when it comes to credit scores…
If your credit score is important to you, or you wish to take out credit at any point in the future, knowing what can affect your credit score is essential.
Depending on your financial ties, your partner’s credit score and debts may affect your score.
What is a credit score?
A credit score is a personal score of how reliable you are at borrowing money. If you want to take out a loan, credit card, or any other type of credit, lenders will use your credit score to check your eligibility.
Credit reference agencies work out your credit score using your borrowing history, repayment history and other factors. This means that your score will be affected by missing payments, but it may also be lower than you expect if you have never borrowed money or used credit. This is because, although you’ve never been unreliable, there’s little data to confirm that you will reliably repay.
Can my partner affect my credit score?
Your credit score is an independent score based on your financial history.
If you live with your partner and they have debt or bad credit, this shouldn’t affect your score.
Equally, if you marry someone or are married to someone with bad credit, this won’t affect your score.
The primary way they may be able to affect your score and ability to borrow is through being financially linked.
If you have a joint bank account, joint mortgage or are both listed on the same utility bills, this will link you financially.
Once you’re financially linked to someone, their credit score and anything they do going forward will also affect your score.
Therefore, if you know your partner has debt or bad credit, it may be best to avoid financially linking yourself to them to protect your score.
What will happen if my partner and I break up?
If you have any joint accounts, you should close them down or convert them to only your name.
If you have a joint credit card or unsecured debt, you’ll probably need to pay it off in full before you can close it down.
Mortgages and secured debts can be solved by either selling the asset to pay off the loan or arranging with the lender for one of you to take over the debt solely.
Once you have closed any joint accounts and debts, your ex-partner’s credit history will still show on your credit reports for up to ten years.
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 speak to us via live chat or for more information.
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 protect yourself from online scams with PayPlan
Staying safe online is becoming increasingly difficult as cyberattacks become more sophisticated.
Whether it be impersonating someone you know or an organisation/business that you trust, cybercriminals encourage individuals to share personal or sensitive information or click on malicious web links or attachments.
Human error has been reported as the major contributing factor behind many data breaches, and scammers will look for potential weaknesses to steal personal information and tap into systems and networks.
Research has also revealed that:
- 82% of people would like a secure way to browse the internet safely, for example, shopping online or sending sensitive information with confidence
- 59% of people surveyed say that managing their digital security is too complicated
- 73% said they’d like a trusted brand to tell them how to stay safe online
Top tips to help you stay safe online when it comes to online scams:
- Do some research so you know what to look out for. Visit gov.uk/guidance and citizensadvice.org.uk/consumer/scams websites, which are regularly updated with the latest information
- Never send money to anyone you don’t know personally, and never buy anything you’re unsure of.
- If you get a request for money from someone you know by text or over social media, call them at another number to check if it really is them asking and not a hacker who has stolen their phone number or hacked into their social media account.
- Look out for spelling errors, poor formatting, or messages that don’t use your name. These can be obvious signs of a scam. Remember, though, some scams are sophisticated and can look very real.
- Never share your personal or financial data, including usernames, passwords, PINs, or ID numbers.
- Don’t open email attachments or follow links unless you are 100% sure they’re safe. You can check whether a website is likely to be legitimate or fraudulent at getsafeonline.org
- Make sure your anti-virus software is up-to-date and run a scan before opening anything you’re suspicious of. Remember to protect your tablets and smartphones, which are equally vulnerable to online scams and viruses.
- Always update software, apps and operating systems when prompted or set them to update automatically.
- Think before you follow any link. If something seems too good to be true, remember that it probably is.
Fraud victim Harry encourages others to reach out for support
Harry, one of our clients, has shared his story to raise awareness around Safer Internet Day and the consequences it can have on your finances and mental well-being.
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.