Cost of Living Payment - useful information

d1gby_d0g

They announced it would be paid from the 20th September and the majority would have it by the end of the month.
 It’s now October 6th and I still haven’t had it. If you haven’t either go to the govuk 

d1gby_d0g

I haven’t had it either and it’s now the 10th of October. I know I’m entitled to it because I’ve been getting PIP for several years now.
 I filled out the online form a week ago and have heard nothing so far 

Amalegra

Shocking that so many have not yet received the £150 Disability COL payment. I have noticed on other groups I am involved in, there are lots of people not yet paid, myself included. They have had sufficient time to prepare for this after all! Went on to Gov UK website a week ago to inform but no joy yet! TBH I am trying to resign myself to not getting it but just hope some other changes to my circumstances are dealt with as they should be! I retire officially soon and really need my retirement pension paid on time as they have informed me it will be. Difficult to trust the DWP right now!

mazzatazza

It's a bloody joke still waiting for my £150 col payment too. I wouldn't be surprised they have ran out of money!!!!!!!!

poppy123456

mazzatazza said:

 I wouldn't be surprised they have ran out of money!!!!!!!!

That's not going to happen.

Amalegra

They won’t run out of money, no, but the systems they have in place to distribute it are woefully inadequate and cause a great deal of unnecessary anxiety to a great many people. 

harri73

Morning everyone, I was wondering if anyone knows how long after applying for disabled cost of living payment it takes to receive it and does claimants on standard rate receive it also or is it just enhanced rate claimants. I made my pip claim the end of march, but didnt receive payments until end of June. I found the link very useful to apply for the cost of living payment, but I haven't heard anything back from them and that was nearly 2 weeks ago. TIA for replies

Hannah86

@harri73 I saw on another post someone who had also filled in the missing £150 col payment last Monday, has received a letter informing them that they will receive the money in due course. How long that means I’m not sure, but they have heard back. So fingers crossed we should too soon. Standard rate is also entitled x

Maurice123

You have all been reading the comments of problems in the disabled community. Well did anybody else hear the BBC report today of a woman who said a) She received £19,000 a year b) She received Universal Credit, c) She and her husband both had part time jobs d) She was considering giving up work with her husband because she thought she would receive more money from the state. E) SHE COULD NOT AFFORD TO PAY £25 a week for school meals for her 4 children. ie £100 a month out of her tiny income. She was demanding free school meals for her children. I take it all her children will grow up expecting to be kept by the state. Exactly who are the poor in this country?

Amalegra

Maurice123 said:

You have all been reading the comments of problems in the disabled community. Well did anybody else hear the BBC report today of a woman who said a) She received £19,000 a year b) She received Universal Credit, c) She and her husband both had part time jobs d) She was considering giving up work with her husband because she thought she would receive more money from the state. E) SHE COULD NOT AFFORD TO PAY £25 a week for school meals for her 4 children. ie £100 a month out of her tiny income. She was demanding free school meals for her children. I take it all her children will grow up expecting to be kept by the state. Exactly who are the poor in this country?

When I was bringing up my three children, my husband was self employed. Sometimes there was little work, sometimes none. Other times it was ok. No UC then! We simply had to budget and save for the lean times without relying on the State to help. Now I think everyone thinks they are entitled to something. Universal Credit has proved to be a mixed blessing. At least families are taken more seriously these days, I suppose, while people who cannot work for health reasons are increasingly marginalised. This is evidenced by the sheer difficulty of being awarded PIP and the like and the seemingly uncaring attitude of the DWP who are in fact PUBLIC servants. 

Silvano

Has anyone received the first £66 voucher from SSE yet to top up their pay as you go meter as part of the £400 energy help? They said those with these traditional old style card and key meters will get a voucher code by post or email by the 11th working day of each month and Ive still not received mine and I reckon Monday 17th will be the 11th working day if they're not counting weekends. Im getting worried now plus its going to be a worry every month in case its lost in the post especially with postal strikes and problem neighbours here who'd not pass it on to me. Ill have to phone sse tomorrow or Mon and chase it up. The leaflet they sent said they're sent by post or email, well they haven't got an email for me. Anyone else not received their voucher yet with Sse? Thanks 

Silvano

Hi Pam, Glad its not just me. They're useless and unhelpful and I have had loads of problems with them and the meters these last 4 years. Same as with you they keep wanting to put me on a Smart meter & say they're phasing them out but I can't have one as rubbish signal here plus I rent privately and the landlord already had these meters in before I moved in and wont let me change to a normal meter which is far cheaper than these top up ones. I hate phoning sse up as can't get through for an hour then its a call centre abroad and they don't understand. The leaflet they sent with letter saying prices going up 1st Oct says 11 working days from 1st of each month not the 11th of the month so thats a right pain to work out each month. Im already suffering from stress anxiety  high blood pressure severe migraines arthritis money worries and this is stressful, £66 won't go far. I live on my own but £66 isnt enough help. I've been turned down for Pip and lwcwra so put in a Mandatory Reconsideration a month ago and haven't heard, meanwhile life is  a real struggle for me. Ill try phoning them tomorrow, nightmare though as they don't understand English. Ill let you know what they say. Hope you get yours soon. What a battle each month it looks like being for this tiny amount that goes nowhere near the heating costs etc. Im sat here cold tonight. Don't dare turn up heating do you? 

Silvano

I dont prefer these meters as costs alot more and when I had a power cut 2 Christmases ago the meter stopped working when the power came back on plus it costs me in petrol to go to the shop miles away to top up. A couple of months ago my key wouldn't work as the chip worn so couldn't top up till they sent out a new key. This is first time Ive rented, before that I had direct debit and much cheaper easier.
I rang SSE this morning and theyve got a recorded message saying if ringing re the £66 ring back after 17 th Oct if not received it, well I bet it doesn't arrive on Monday. I tried all the numbers on their latest letters and all said we're now closed and open till 2pm Sat, well this was 10am! Eventually found 0345 070 7373 online and phoned that if you want to try that after Monday, 
Good luck. 

Maurice123

@Silvano and @Pam I am with Scottish Power and have a prepayment meter. I received my £66 allowance voucher via email and only have to copy and take the number to a post office to put credit on my key. I do not have to print off the voucher. I am sorry that you are both having trouble.

Silvano

Thank you Maurice. I finally got through to them after a 55 min wait and they just kept trying to push a smart meter plus refused to send it to me by email, said I have to phone back on Tuesday if I still haven't received it in the post. They weren't pleasant at all to deal with, very stroppy woman in call centre abroad and all on the defensive and arguing when I said it couldve been lost in the post. 😢 Pam, you're lucky having a Husband to do it for you. Im on my own and having to deal with money struggles, really ill and after came off the phone I had chest pains and my high blood pressure was higher. All they keep saying is its my fault as I don't have a Smart meter and that I ought to get one. Plus they kept saying to fill in forms online or use webchat as phone waiting times are ao long but I don't do online as have severe migraines brought on by screen use and any strip lights, led lights in offices shops home drs etc. Even typing this on phone is making me feel sick 🤮 I was turned down for lcwra and pip in the past few weeks so put a Mandatory Reconsideration in for both with the help of citizens advice bureau but feeling despondent re that. All this with SSE isnt helping my stress and my anxiety.
By the way Pam, I topped up before 1st Oct on both gas and electricity to beat the price rise but that wont last forever. Thats annoying too as they've got my money upfront 

Silvano

Ps. Maurice I asked her on the phone today if they can send it by email and they said no even though the letter from them says they email or post it. They kept saying its the governments fault or saying its my fault for not having a smart meter. I think these call centres abroad just have prompt cards in English to read out and say same thing to each customer. Anything else in English they dont understand, nightmare! They seem to penalise those on a pre payment meter/make it as difficult as possible so as to force you onto a Smart meter. Ive repeatedly told them today and over the last 2 yrs why I cant have a smart meter (no signal plus landlord wont alllow) and they just argue. 

poppy123456

I used to be with SSE until about 4 years ago and their customer service was shocking. I changed to Octopus energy and it was the best thing i did. They can't do enough for you and i even had a phone call a couple of weeks ago asking if there was anything they could do to help through this winter. I asked for an electric throw and they are sending my one in the post. I was told it could take a few weeks to arrive.

Silvano said:

By the way Pam, I topped up before 1st Oct on both gas and electricity to beat the price rise but that wont last forever. Thats annoying too as they've got my money upfront 

Unfortunatetely that doesn't work for any prepayment meter for gas and your charges would have still increased from 1st October. It may work for electric prepayment meters but your energy supplier reserves the right to back charge on this.

Can you load your prepay meter with credit to keep the current, cheaper rates for longer?

Supplier	Gas meter (smart or non-smart)	Smart electricity meter	Non-smart electricity meter
British Gas	No	No	Likely (1)
Bulb	No	No	Likely (1)
E.on/E.on Next	No	No	No
EDF Energy	No	No	Likely (1)
Octopus Energy	No	No	Likely (1)
Ovo Energy	No	No	Likely (1)
Scottish Power	No	No	No
Shell Energy	No	No	Likely (1)
SSE	No	No	Likely (1)

(1) British Gas, Bulb, EDF, Ovo and SSE have said they won't look to recover the difference between what you pay under the old rates and what you should have paid at the new ones, before the rates on your meter changes. The other 'likely' firms have also previously told us this, and we're double-checking this is still the case. Always bear in mind that all suppliers reserve the right to back-charge on this.

https://www.moneysavingexpert.com/utilities/prepay-top-up-trick/

poppy123456

Pam said:

@poppy123456 they did offer me a electric blanket which I declined being as trying not to use the energy seemed silly. Pointless if get power cuts. 

That's a shame that you declined because the cost to run them per hour is just a few pence and this is based on a 100W blanket, so if your blantet is less watts then of course it will cost less to run it.  https://www.sleepseeker.co.uk/blog/electric-blanket-running-costs

Alex_Alumni

I'm sorry to hear that you sleep on a very small sofa @Pam that doesn't sound comfortable at all, is it a sofa bed you're using? 

I wonder if something like a small gel heat pad could help, I don't know if those hand warmers that you have to click to heat up still exist? 

Alex_Alumni

That's a shame @Pam I may have missed it in the discussion but is your bed difficult to sleep in? If you're struggling to get a comfortable night's sleep, it's definitely worth talking about with your GP, they can help make a referral for a needs assessment- something which can really make a difference with managing things day to day

I wonder if searching any local charities might be an idea, I know that some of them do have furniture outlets, or perhaps your local authority might know of organisations or community centre's which could help?