February 2026 funds dates for PIP, advantages and pensions plus price of residing help

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Your help makes all of the distinction. Learn extra The yr has obtained off to a biting begin, as sub-zero temperatures and stormy circumstances drive tens of millions to remain indoors and switch the heating up.

A rise in power payments mixed with the post-Christmas monetary droop signifies that it's proving a tough time for a lot of, making it all of the extra essential to concentrate on the help that’s on provide.

In welcome information, inflation dropped sharply to three.2 per cent in November, down from 3.6, helped largely by falling prices of clothes and meals. However this does simply imply that costs are rising much less rapidly – not falling – they usually stay persistently excessive within the face of stagnant wages.

On the identical time, exorbitant family payments imply tens of millions are grappling with money owed to afford the necessities.

Round 14 million adults are going with out meals as a result of they can not afford it, current analysis by the Trussell Belief discovered. In the meantime, power arrears have greater than doubled over the previous 5 years, rising to £4.4bn by the top of June.

In opposition to this tough financial backdrop, it is crucial that households declare all of the help they're entitled to. There at the moment are round 24 million individuals within the nation claiming some mixture of DWP-administered advantages, which embody these drawing a state pension, representing round one in three individuals.

<img src="https://static.independent.co.uk/2025/08/21/00/6ede8e204820d7f1cbb034277cd6ff81Y29udGVudHNlYXJjaGFwaSwxNzU1NzYwMjU0-2.79444091.jpg" srcset="https://static.independent.co.uk/2025/08/21/00/6ede8e204820d7f1cbb034277cd6ff81Y29udGVudHNlYXJjaGFwaSwxNzU1NzYwMjU0-2.79444091.jpg?quality=75&width=320&auto=webp 320w, https://static.independent.co.uk/2025/08/21/00/6ede8e204820d7f1cbb034277cd6ff81Y29udGVudHNlYXJjaGFwaSwxNzU1NzYwMjU0-2.79444091.jpg?quality=75&width=640&auto=webp 640w" loading="lazy" alt="The state pension is expected to rise by 4.8 per cent from next April in line with annual earnings growth" class="sc-1mc30lb-0 ggpMaE inline-gallery-btn"/> open picture in gallery

The state pension is anticipated to rise by 4.8 per cent from subsequent April in step with annual earnings development (PA) But analysis by Coverage in Apply reveals that £24bn price of advantages goes unclaimed yearly – you should utilize its useful calculator to work out what you could be entitled to.

Are you scuffling with the DWP or price of residing? Share your story: albert.toth@unbiased.co.uk

Right here is an summary of the monetary help obtainable to households this February and key dates for profit and state pension recipients to look out for:

Profit fee dates in February

Profit funds will probably be going out as regular in February, as there are not any financial institution holidays to concentrate on. These embody:

Get a free fractional share price as much as £100.Capital in danger.

Phrases and circumstances apply.

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Get a free fractional share price as much as £100.Capital in danger.

Phrases and circumstances apply.

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Common credit score State pension Pension credit score Youngster profit Incapacity residing allowance (DLA)Private independence fee (PIP) Attendance allowance Carer’s allowance Employment help allowance (ESA)Earnings help Jobseeker’s allowance For extra info on how and when state advantages are paid, go to the federal government’s web site.

The DWP is aiming to finish the migration of all “legacy advantages” to common credit score by March 2026. These receiving tax credit, revenue help, jobseeker’s allowance, and housing profit ought to have acquired a discover about shifting to common credit score already.

Are you having points with common credit score, PIP, or another profit? Get in contact through electronic mail: albert.toth@unbiased.co.uk

Pension fee dates in February

The fundamental state pension is paid straight into financial institution accounts, just like how advantages are paid. It's normally paid each 4 weeks, with the precise day you obtain it equivalent to the final two digits of your nationwide insurance coverage (NI) quantity.

Right here’s when you ought to be paid primarily based on these numbers:

00 to 19: Monday 20 to 39: Tuesday 40 to 59: Wednesday 60 to 79: Thursday 80 to 99: Friday The identical financial institution vacation fee date modifications that apply to most advantages can even apply to state pension funds.

When will profit charges go up?

In April 2026, all common credit score claimants will obtain an above-inflation revenue increase of round 6.2 per cent to the usual allowance. For a single individual over 25, this will probably be a £6 per week enhance, rising from £92 to £98.

For {couples} with one or each accomplice over 25, it is going to be a rise of £9 per week, rising from £145 to £154.

Most different advantages must be uprated by September’s inflation charge alone, growing by 3.8 per cent. This consists of PIP, DLA, attendance allowance, carer’s allowance, ESA and extra.

Nonetheless, on the identical time, the month-to-month fee charge for the health-related ingredient of common credit score for brand new claimants will probably be minimize from £105 to £50. The speed for present claimants can even be frozen till 2029.

This can be a discount of over £200 a month, slicing the extra charge by round half. This implies it's advisable for anybody who thinks they could be eligible to use as quickly as they'll.

The state pension will rise by 4.8 per cent from subsequent April in step with annual earnings development, the federal government has confirmed. This can carry the weekly quantity to £241.05.

For extra details about the brand new profit charges, you possibly can learn The Impartial’s information.

Different assist obtainable

Chilly climate funds

As 2026 will get of to a cold begin, reaching lows of -12C, the DWP has relaunched its annual chilly climate fee scheme.

This can be a one-off fee of £25 that's triggered for each seven-day interval the place the temperature in an space is at or under zero levels. To be eligible, people should meet the factors, together with being in receipt of sure advantages.

Over a million households throughout greater than 800 postcode areas at the moment are estimated to obtain a fee, with these areas cut up throughout the UK, overlaying areas of England, Wales and Northern Eire.

For extra info and a full record of space affected, go to The Impartial’s recurrently up to date postcode checker.

Budgeting advance loans

The federal government provides a “budgeting advance mortgage” for individuals on common credit score who face an emergency lack of cash. The mortgage has a most compensation interval of two years.

These loans are interest-free and are robotically deducted from common credit score funds. You possibly can borrow an “advance” of as much as:

£348 in the event you’re single £464 in the event you’re a part of a pair £812 in the event you or your accomplice claims youngster profit Following Labour’s 2024 Funds, a brand new cap was launched on the quantity the DWP can deduct from profit funds to repay loans and money owed, together with budgeting advance loans.

Starting in April 2025, deductions from common credit score have been capped at 15 per cent of the usual allowance, down from 25 per cent.

Discretionary Housing Cost

Households can apply to their council for a discretionary housing fee (DHP), which provides monetary help to go in direction of hire or housing prices.

You possibly can solely get a DHP if you're in receipt of housing profit or the housing ingredient of common credit score. It will possibly cowl housing prices for a hire shortfall, hire deposits and hire prematurely if that you must transfer residence.

Actual eligibility and the funds obtainable are selected a council-by-council foundation, so you will have to get in contact along with your native authority to search out out extra.

Family Help Fund

The family help fund (HSF), distributed by native councils, provides very important help to these going through monetary hardship, complementing commonplace advantages and grants.

As a part of this authorities initiative, eligible households all through the UK can entry help akin to important home equipment, contributions in direction of utility payments, and direct money funds reaching as much as £300.

Native authorities are free to resolve the right way to allocate their HSF funding to swimsuit households of their space, so precisely what is obtainable will differ. To use, households have to contact their council (most provide an internet kind).

This nationwide programme is about to run till March 2026. The federal government has dedicated £1bn in funding to transition it right into a “Disaster and Resilience Fund” which can even substitute the DHP.

Charitable grants

If you're struggling financially, you could be eligible for sure charitable grants. There's a variety of grants obtainable relying in your circumstances.

Nonetheless, these grants will sometimes require you to fulfill particular standards and are solely capable of provide restricted funds.

Charitable grants can be found for people who find themselves disabled or ailing, carers, bereaved, unemployed, college students, and for a lot of different causes. The charity Turn2us has an internet software to seek for grants which can be obtainable to some.

<img src="https://static.independent.co.uk/2025/08/26/14/37/01K3JSG3R7NWNM6GK9C26E3PXX.jpeg" srcset="https://static.independent.co.uk/2025/08/26/14/37/01K3JSG3R7NWNM6GK9C26E3PXX.jpeg?quality=75&width=320&crop=3%3A2%2Csmart&trim=0%2C128%2C0%2C128&auto=webp 320w, https://static.independent.co.uk/2025/08/26/14/37/01K3JSG3R7NWNM6GK9C26E3PXX.jpeg?quality=75&width=640&crop=3%3A2%2Csmart&trim=0%2C128%2C0%2C128&auto=webp 640w" loading="lazy" alt="Some energy suppliers offer assistance to those who aren’t able to afford their bills, including Octopus and British Gas" class="sc-1mc30lb-0 ggpMaE inline-gallery-btn"/> open picture in gallery

Some power suppliers provide help to those that aren’t capable of afford their payments, together with Octopus and British Gasoline (PA) Power supplier assist

Quite a lot of power suppliers provide assist for these scuffling with their power payments. These embody British Gasoline, Scottish Energy, EDF, E.ON, OVO and Octopus. It's price contacting your power supplier to search out out if you're eligible.

Some additionally provide free units like electrical blankets for households with weak residents to maintain heat.

Social tariffs for broadband and water

For these scuffling with family prices, social tariffs can be found for each broadband and water payments. This can imply a decreased charge for sure eligible households.

For water, each firm working within the UK has a social tariff by legislation. Nonetheless, the quantity on provide can differ between areas and, as a result of water suppliers can’t be chosen like power suppliers, the help has been criticised as a “postcode lottery”.

As an illustration, some provide as a lot as 90 per cent off payments, whereas others cap help at a 20 per cent discount.

To seek out out what help your water firm provides, it's price checking on its web site or contacting the helpline. In all instances, households will should be deemed to be on a low revenue and/or in receipt of sure advantages.

Equally, many broadband suppliers provide social tariffs to these on sure advantages like common credit score or pension credit score. Regulator Ofcom has a information to what's on provide.

Council tax discount

Should you meet sure standards or are on sure advantages, you could possibly apply for a reduction in your council tax of as much as 100 per cent (that is typically referred to as council tax help).

Your native council should still have the ability to give you a discretionary discount in the event you can reveal you might be going through extreme hardship and might’t afford to pay your council tax.

To use for a council tax discount, contact your native council through the federal government’s web site.

As much as 30 hours of free childcare

From 1 September 2025, all working mother and father within the UK grew to become entitled to 30 hours of free childcare for youngsters as much as the age of 4. This concludes a gradual set of expansions that started in April 2024.

Dad and mom should apply on-line and reconfirm their eligibility each three months, in time for every faculty time period. Working mother and father may apply for tax-free childcare, giving again 20p for each 80p you set in direction of childcare, as much as a most of £500 a yr.

Power worth cap: Is it going up?

Ofgem’s power worth cap rose to £1,758 for 1 January to 31 March 2026 – a rise of 0.2 per cent.

This follows an increase of two per cent in October, from £1,720 to £1,755.

The power worth cap is the utmost quantity power suppliers can cost you for every unit of power in the event you’re on an ordinary variable tariff. That features most households. It's expressed as an annual invoice for a median residence.

Many consultants – together with Ofgem itself – are recommending households contemplate a hard and fast tariff power deal, with many in the marketplace providing decrease than the worth cap charge.

Will there be one other price of residing fee in 2026?

The DWP haven't introduced any continuation of the Value of Residing Cost scheme that ran between 2022 and 2024. The ultimate fee ought to have been made to eligible households between 6 February and 22 February 2024.

Psychological well being help

Within the UK and Eire, Samaritans will be contacted 24 hours a day, 12 months a yr. You possibly can name them totally free on 116 123, electronic mail them at jo@samaritans.org, or go to samaritans.org to search out your nearest branchMind runs a help line on 0300 102 1234 which offers a protected and confidential place to speak about the way you’re feeling. There's additionally an info line on 0300 123 3393 for close by help, and a welfare advantages line on 0300 222 5782 to help the psychological well being of these navigating the advantages systemDisability charity Scope has a discussion board the place individuals can have supportive chats with others going via the identical experiencesThe NHS provides an internet psychological well being triage service [ad_2] Source link