You may have seen that the Chancellor recently announced a £15 billion package of targeted government support to help with the rising cost of living. This includes support for disabled people and people on benefits.
The Chancellor announced the following measures, which the UK government say will target support for the most vulnerable:
- All households will receive a £400 discount on energy bills. Energy bill payers do not need to repay this.
- Eight million of the lowest income families will also get a one-off payment of £650 – this includes people who get Universal Credit or legacy benefits like Employment Support Allowance (ESA). The payment will be in two lumps sums, the first in July and the second in the autumn, with payments from HMRC for those on tax credits shortly after. The payment will be tax-free, will not count towards the benefit cap, and will not have any impact on existing benefit awards.
- In September there will be a one-off disability cost of living payment of £150 to people claiming disability benefits like Personal Independence Payment (PIP), and pensioners will get £300.
You can find out more information about these measures, and the ongoing campaign to increase financial support for people with MS, on the MS Society website.