The British Department for Work and Pensions has announced more details of its spring payments schedule for millions of households on low incomes .
The support was previously unveiled in the autumn statement, building on payments made to more than eight million people in 2022.
Eight million eligible means-tested claimants will receive £900 ($1,100), including people on universal credit, pension credit and tax credits.
Payments will start in the spring and will go directly into bank accounts in three payments, the department said.
The £900 payment will be made up of three slightly different amounts, relating to specific qualifying periods, making it simpler to determine if someone has received the correct payments, it said.
There will also be a separate £150 payment for more than six million people with disabilities and £300 for more than eight million pensioners on top of their winter fuel payments.
Exact payment times will be announced closer to the time, the government said. It said payments would be spread to ensure consistent support throughout the year.
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They will include a first cost-of-living payment of £301 made in spring 2023; a £150 disability payment during summer 2023; a £300 second cost of living payment in autumn 2003; a £300 pensioner payment during winter 2023-2024; and a third cost of living payment of £299 made in spring 2024.
But fuel campaigners say support for the most vulnerable people has not increased on what was announced last year.
“This winter we have seen over nine million adults living in Dickensian conditions in cold, damp homes," said Simon Francis, co-ordinator of the End Fuel Poverty Coalition.
“Yet despite energy bills increasing by 20 per cent from April 2023, the support for the most vulnerable announced by the government has not increased from last year.
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“In fact, with the end of the Energy Bills Support Scheme looming, households will be worse off than they were this winter.
“The government must go further to help the millions of homes in fuel poverty throughout 2023.
“This does mean more financial support, but also non-financial measures such as banning the forced transfer of households on to more expensive pre-payment meters.”
UK Work and Pensions Secretary Mel Stride said: “We are sticking by our promise to protect the most vulnerable and these payments, worth hundreds of pounds, will provide vital support next year for those on the lowest incomes.
Chancellor Jeremy Hunt said: “I know these are tough times for families across the UK who are struggling to meet rising food and energy costs, driven by the aftershocks of Covid and Putin’s war in Ukraine.
“That’s why we’re putting a further £900 into the pockets of over eight million low-income households next year.
“These payments are on top of above-inflation increases to working-age benefits and the energy price guarantee, which is insulating millions from even higher global gas prices.
“Tackling inflation is this government’s number one priority and is the only way to ease the strain of high prices, drive long-term economic growth and improve living standards for everyone.”
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The government said payments to those who were eligible would generally be automatic, so there would be no need to apply.
People should watch out for scammers sending fake cost-of-living messages trying to trick people into handing over their personal information.
Claimants who are eligible for any of the cost of living payments and receive tax credits, and no other means-tested benefits, will receive payment from HM Revenue and Customs shortly after the department's payments are issued.
Benefits, including working-age benefits and the state pension, will rise in line with inflation from April 2023, ensuring they increase by over 10 per cent.
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April will also see the biggest ever cash rise to the national living wage, bringing it to £10.42 an hour, the government said.
The 2022 support package included a £650 cost of living payment for means-tested benefit claimants, split into two payments, plus payments for people with disabilities, and pensioners.
A £400 energy bill discount for households will continue to run through March.
Recent research from accountancy giant PwC and credit app TotallyMoney indicated that 8.9 million adults are showing signs that their finances are teetering on the brink.
That means they may need to use their overdraft to cover everyday spending and essentials such as food.
They may also struggle to keep up with repayments on their borrowing in 2023.
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Founders: Michele Ferrario, Nino Ulsamer and Freddy Lim
Started: established in 2016 and launched in July 2017
Based: Singapore, with offices in the UAE, Malaysia, Hong Kong, Thailand
Sector: FinTech, wealth management
Initial investment: $500,000 in seed round 1 in 2016; $2.2m in seed round 2 in 2017; $5m in series A round in 2018; $12m in series B round in 2019; $16m in series C round in 2020 and $25m in series D round in 2021
Current staff: more than 160 employees
Stage: series D
Investors: EightRoads Ventures, Square Peg Capital, Sequoia Capital India
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UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
Tearful appearance
Chancellor Rachel Reeves set markets on edge as she appeared visibly distraught in parliament on Wednesday.
Legislative setbacks for the government have blown a new hole in the budgetary calculations at a time when the deficit is stubbornly large and the economy is struggling to grow.
She appeared with Keir Starmer on Thursday and the pair embraced, but he had failed to give her his backing as she cried a day earlier.
A spokesman said her upset demeanour was due to a personal matter.
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The flights
Emirates flies from Dubai to Phnom Penh via Yangon from Dh2,700 return including taxes. Cambodia Bayon Airlines and Cambodia Angkor Air offer return flights from Phnom Penh to Siem Reap from Dh250 return including taxes. The flight takes about 45 minutes.
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What is Folia?
Prince Khaled bin Alwaleed bin Talal's new plant-based menu will launch at Four Seasons hotels in Dubai this November. A desire to cater to people looking for clean, healthy meals beyond green salad is what inspired Prince Khaled and American celebrity chef Matthew Kenney to create Folia. The word means "from the leaves" in Latin, and the exclusive menu offers fine plant-based cuisine across Four Seasons properties in Los Angeles, Bahrain and, soon, Dubai.
Kenney specialises in vegan cuisine and is the founder of Plant Food Wine and 20 other restaurants worldwide. "I’ve always appreciated Matthew’s work," says the Saudi royal. "He has a singular culinary talent and his approach to plant-based dining is prescient and unrivalled. I was a fan of his long before we established our professional relationship."
Folia first launched at The Four Seasons Hotel Los Angeles at Beverly Hills in July 2018. It is available at the poolside Cabana Restaurant and for in-room dining across the property, as well as in its private event space. The food is vibrant and colourful, full of fresh dishes such as the hearts of palm ceviche with California fruit, vegetables and edible flowers; green hearb tacos filled with roasted squash and king oyster barbacoa; and a savoury coconut cream pie with macadamia crust.
In March 2019, the Folia menu reached Gulf shores, as it was introduced at the Four Seasons Hotel Bahrain Bay, where it is served at the Bay View Lounge. Next, on Tuesday, November 1 – also known as World Vegan Day – it will come to the UAE, to the Four Seasons Resort Dubai at Jumeirah Beach and the Four Seasons DIFC, both properties Prince Khaled has spent "considerable time at and love".
There are also plans to take Folia to several more locations throughout the Middle East and Europe.
While health-conscious diners will be attracted to the concept, Prince Khaled is careful to stress Folia is "not meant for a specific subset of customers. It is meant for everyone who wants a culinary experience without the negative impact that eating out so often comes with."
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Founded over 50 years ago, the National Archives collects valuable historical material relating to the UAE, and is the oldest and richest archive relating to the Arabian Gulf.
Much of the material can be viewed on line at the Arabian Gulf Digital Archive - https://www.agda.ae/en
More from Neighbourhood Watch:
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