Labour workers' rights bill LIVE updates on changes to sick pay and parental leave

What to expect from Labour's plans for workers' rights

The Employment Rights Bill volition beryllium introduced into parliament this greeting astatine 10am and it includes a scope of caller authorities to amended workers rights. The main changes include:

• Rights to statutory sick pay

• Ban connected zero-hours contracts

• Rights to flexible working

• Changes to paternity leave

• Ban connected occurrence and rehire

• Unpaid bereavement leave

• Unpaid parental leave

• Right to power off

Ministers person said this would payment immoderate 9 cardinal workers who person been with their existent leader for little than 2 years.

Martin Lewis issues ‘don’t assume’ warning

Martin Lewis past period urged thousands of debased income pensioner households to not “assume” they’re not eligible for the Winter Fuel Payment. Pension Credit tops up your play income to £218.15, oregon to £332.95 if you’re successful a couple.

Your income usually needs to beryllium beneath these amounts to beryllium eligible, but successful immoderate cases, you mightiness inactive beryllium capable to assertion - for example, if you person a terrible disablement oregon you're a carer.

Martin said: “You tin suffice with HIGHER income if you person a disablement oregon illness. An illustration is those who get Attendance Allowance (AA) - a important outgo for older radical who request assistance and enactment with day-to-day activities. If you get it, the income threshold for qualifying for Pension Credit rises by £82/wk (on apical of your AA payment, which isn't counted arsenic income).”

Exact codification to cheque successful your slope relationship for Winter Fuel Payment

If you're owed a outgo and you unrecorded successful England and Wales, the outgo volition amusement successful your slope relationship arsenic your National Insurance fig followed by "DWP WFP". Those surviving successful Northern Ireland should spot their National Insurance fig followed by "DFC WFP".

Remember, astir radical volition beryllium paid successful November oregon December - but immoderate radical whitethorn not get the outgo until adjacent March.

Reasons wherefore you whitethorn not get Winter Fuel Payment

You won't beryllium entitled to a Winter Fuel Payment if you lived successful a attraction location for the full clip from June 24 to September 22, 2024. You tin inactive beryllium eligible if you unrecorded successful a attraction location connected a impermanent basis, which is little than 13 weeks by the extremity of the qualifying period.

You besides won't beryllium eligible if you've been successful infirmary getting escaped attraction for much than a year, if you needed support to participate the UK and your granted permission says that you cannot assertion nationalist funds, oregon if you are successful situation for the full of the week of September 16 to September 22, 2024.

If you unrecorded abroad, you'll request to marque a assertion for a Winter Fuel Payment You indispensable person moved to an eligible EEA state oregon Switzerland earlier December 31, 2020 and beryllium covered by the Withdrawal Agreement, to get a Winter Fuel Payment. As good arsenic getting the UK authorities pension, you indispensable besides beryllium getting a qualifying payment from the state you unrecorded in. Finally, indispensable person a genuine and capable nexus to the UK.

How overmuch precisely is Winter Fuel Payment worth?

You’ll beryllium entitled to either £200 oregon £300, depending connected your surviving concern and age. If you're eligible for a Winter Fuel Payment, you'll get £200 if:

• You unrecorded unsocial and you were calved betwixt September 23, 1944 and September 22, 1958

• You unrecorded with idiosyncratic and 1 oregon some of you were calved betwixt September 23, 1944 and September 22, 1958

You'll get a £300 Winter Fuel Payment if:

• You unrecorded unsocial and you were calved earlier September 23, 1944

• You unrecorded with idiosyncratic and 1 oregon some of you were calved earlier September 23, 1944

DWP issues January deadline for Winter Fuel Payment

The bulk of radical are paid their Winter Fuel Payment successful November oregon December - but the DWP has explained that for immoderate people, it tin instrumentality a spot longer. If you haven't received your missive oregon outgo by January 29, past you should interaction the Winter Fuel Payment Centre.

What is Pension Credit - however bash I cheque if I’m eligible?

Pension Credit comes successful 2 parts. The Guarantee Credit portion of Pension Credit tops up your play income to £218.15 if you're single, oregon to £332.95 if you’re successful a couple. Your income usually needs to beryllium beneath these amounts to beryllium eligible, but successful immoderate cases, you mightiness inactive beryllium capable to assertion if you person a higher income and you person a terrible disability, you're a carer, oregon you person to wage lodging costs, specified arsenic a mortgage.

If you reached State Pension property earlier April 6, 2016, oregon you person savings oregon a 2nd pension, you whitethorn beryllium eligible for the savings recognition constituent of Pension Credit. This is worthy £17.01 a week if you're single, oregon £19.04 a week if you're successful a couple. You mightiness get further payments if you’re a carer, severely disabled, oregon liable for a kid oregon young person.

Pension Credit deadline to marque definite you get Winter Fuel Payment

Pension Credit tops up your play income to £218.15, oregon to £332.95 if you’re successful a mates and it besides unlocks the Winter Fuel Payment. However, much than 800,000 radical are missing retired connected claiming Pension Credit.

The qualifying week for erstwhile you indispensable beryllium claiming benefits by, to past get the Winter Fuel Payment, was September 16 to September 22, 2024 - but you whitethorn inactive beryllium eligible if you're capable to backdate a aboriginal claim. This means you person until December 21 to use for Pension Credit and inactive beryllium entitled to Winter Fuel Payments.

'Martin Lewis extremity helped my mum support £300 Winter Fuel Payment - you tin too'

One pistillate shared however her mum was capable to get this year's Winter Fuel Payment by pursuing Martin Lewis' advice.

The pistillate - known arsenic Lucinda - emailed Martin Lewis’ Money Saving Expert (MSE) squad to archer them her mum had initially mislaid her entitlement to the £300 Winter Fuel Payment this twelvemonth aft the government's regularisation change.

In her email, Lucinda shared that she believed her mum's income was implicit the threshold truthful she didn't judge she would beryllium eligible. However, she received an MSE newsletter which advised those who whitethorn conscionable beryllium implicit the bounds to "try it anyway".

After pursuing Martin Lewis' proposal and speaking to the DWP, Lucinda's mum was awarded Pension Credit. Her email said: "Thanks truthful overmuch for Martin's Pension Credit email. My mum was conscionable implicit the threshold, truthful we didn't apply, but disquieted astir the Winter Fuel Payment, nary escaped TV licence, cheaper broadband etc.

"Then I saw Martin's email saying: 'If you're lone conscionable over, effort it anyway.' A (long) telephone to the DWP aboriginal and mum told maine she'll get Pension Credit. My dada died earlier this year, truthful not lone has Mum been going done it, but wealth is overmuch tighter. I can't convey you enough. She's some relieved and thrilled."

DWP shares update astir caller substance connection warnings to payment claimants

This week the DWP shared an update connected its plans to tackle payment overpayments with substance connection warnings.

The update came from a parliamentary statement connected Monday, October 7, which focused connected Carer's Allowance overpayments. The net bounds portion claiming Carer's Allowance is presently conscionable £151 a week aft tax, National Insurance, pension contributions and allowable expenses.

If your net spell implicit the bounds - adjacent by conscionable £1 - you suffer your entitlement to Carer's Allowance. If you past proceed to person the payment payments, you volition person to wage them backmost to the DWP.

In Monday's debate, Labour's Work and Pensioners Minister, Sir Stephen Timms, said the section had launched a proceedings earlier this twelvemonth which would nonstop a substance connection to claimants who had surpassed the net limit.

Sir Stephen said the aviator strategy progressive 3,500 claimants, and the connection was sent erstwhile HMRC informed the DWP that the claimants had breached the limit.

The DWP curate said the benefits section is present looking astatine the results and "if positive" past the aviator could beryllium rolled retired further. He said: "We are presently looking astatine the results, and if they are positive, that volition beryllium the archetypal measurement towards addressing the overpayment problem. We volition request to bash more, but it volition beryllium a bully archetypal step."

Who needs to assertion the £300 Winter Fuel Payment and however to bash it

If eligible, pensioners who unrecorded overseas indispensable assertion this year’s Winter Fuel Payment. Under DWP rules, you tin inactive beryllium eligible for the wealth if you unrecorded extracurricular of the UK. However, the caller rules volition use and you tin lone beryllium eligible if you person "Pension Credit oregon a payment equivalent to Pension Credit oregon different qualifying benefit" successful the state wherever you live.

Postal applications person opened connected September 30 with telephone applications opening connected October 28. To assertion by station you volition request to download and capable successful a Winter Fuel Payment assertion form, and the IPCF091 signifier if you’re a UK nationalist oregon UK dual nationalist surviving successful an eligible state different than Ireland.

You volition besides request to supply grounds of the means-tested payment you are getting (from the state you unrecorded in) successful the Winter Fuel Payment further accusation form. You tin find the code to nonstop your assertion to connected the government's Winter Fuel Payment page.

DWP issues six-month informing arsenic millions of payment claimants sent important letter

The DWP has issued a caller six-month informing to millions of Brits claiming Tax Credits.

Tax Credits are closing for bully from April 2025 - this means Tax Credit claimants person six months near to determination implicit to Universal Credit payments earlier their existent benefits are stopped for good. When it is your crook to beryllium moved across, you'll person a Migration Notice successful the post. The section is sending the missive arsenic portion of its "Managed Migration" programme.

Once the missive arrives, claimants indispensable taxable a assertion for Universal Credit wrong 3 months. If they don't, their payment assertion volition beryllium terminated. In an update today, the DWP warned that 3 months mightiness "feel similar a agelong time," but beingness does get successful the way, and claimants could hazard being enactment successful a hard situation. Due to this, the DWP has urged claimants to enactment "straight away."

What is DWP Pension Credit? And however does it nexus to Winter Fuel Payment?

Pension Credit is simply a payment disposable to radical who person reached the authorities pension property of 66 and tops up your play income to £218.15 a week if you are single, oregon to £332.95 if you’re successful a couple.

The payment is besides described arsenic a "gateway benefit", arsenic erstwhile you claim, you tin besides get different things specified arsenic a escaped TV licence, assembly taxation discounts, and escaped dental treatment. Alongside this, claiming Pension Credit volition marque you eligible for this year’s Winter Fuel Payment.

The DWP accidental this boost is worthy up to £3,900 a twelvemonth connected average.

Exact dates you request to cognize astir this year’s £300 Winter Fuel Payment

To beryllium eligible for this year’s Winter Fuel Payment, you indispensable assertion definite benefits during the “qualifying week.” This year's qualifying week is betwixt Monday, September 16 and Sunday, September 22.

The DWP volition nonstop a missive to those eligible betwixt October and November, telling them however overmuch they are entitled to and erstwhile they volition beryllium paid. Last year, astir payments were made successful November and December.

Furious Martin Lewis lays into Lisa Nandy connected wintertime substance chopped - 'why are you defending this?'

On Good Morning Britain today, Martin Lewis grilled Cabinet curate Lisa Nandy connected the government's arguable determination to axe wintertime substance payments for millions of pensioners.

The Money Saving Expert laminitis has spoken retired against the determination noting that “ hundreds of thousands” of the poorest pensioners could suffer retired this year. He asked the Culture Secretary: “Look, you person been a campaigner for the poorest successful nine for a precise agelong time. So it seems alternatively unusual you are sitting determination defending a argumentation that [charities] are pulling their hairsbreadth retired about."

The heated speech continued arsenic the Culture Secretary said the authorities has had a "huge drive" to get the poorest pensioners connected pension credit, with a 115% summation successful the fig of radical claiming. But Martin changeable backmost saying: "There is simply a immense flaw successful what you've said."

He said connected the government's existent trajectory it would instrumentality 4 years earlier each these radical are signed up for the enactment and not missing out. He said: "You judge they should get pension recognition and wintertime fuel, but they're not going to claim. They are the hardest to reach, you're not penning idiosyncratic letters to them.”

But Ms Nandy stressed that the authorities is penning letters to eligible pensioners, adding, "In fairness, you've conscionable said to maine you're not penning them bloody letters. Well, we are. I conscionable wanted to explicate that due to the fact that I don't privation radical to deliberation for a infinitesimal we're going to permission them precocious and dry."

But Martin said the authorities indispensable judge hundreds of thousands of the poorest pensioners "will not beryllium reached this year". However, the civilization caput said they were “not consenting to judge that” adding: It's 1 of the reasons we've extended the cut-off constituent to use [for pension credit] until April adjacent year. Even if radical don't realise close present contempt this benignant of speech happening connected nationalist media... they find retired aboriginal they are inactive eligible, they tin inactive apply, they volition get it backdated."

 ‘I’m claiming benefits - but volition I get the Winter Fuel Payment?’

To get the Winter Fuel Payment this twelvemonth if you unrecorded successful England oregon Wales, you indispensable person been calved earlier September 23, 1958, and claiming 1 of the pursuing benefits betwixt September 16 and September 22, 2024.

• Income Support
• Income-based Jobseeker's Allowance
• Income-related Employment and Support Allowance
• Pension Credit
• Universal Credit

You besides request to person lived successful the UK - though successful immoderate cases you tin assertion if you’ve moved overseas - for astatine slightest 1 time for the "qualifying week" which changes each year.

DWP to nonstop letters soon with Winter Fuel Payment details

If you’re inactive eligible for a Winter Fuel Payment, you’ll get a missive successful the station from the Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) successful October oregon November. This volition explicate however overmuch Winter Fuel Payment you’re entitled to.

The bulk of radical volition past beryllium paid successful November oregon December. If you bash not get a missive but deliberation you are eligible, you tin cheque connected GOV.UK if you request to marque a claim.

State pensioners acceptable for escaped £150 vigor boost

The Warm Home Discount scheme, which is tally by the Department for Energy Security and Net Zero, is acceptable to reopen soon. This provides a one-off £150 discount disconnected your energy bill, alternatively than a currency outgo into your slope account.

If you person a accepted prepayment metre - truthful not a astute prepayment metre - you'll beryllium fixed a top-up voucher which you'll request to redeem. If you're a dual substance customer, you tin inquire your vigor supplier if it is imaginable to person the discount applied to your state measure instead.

Millions could spot Winter Fuel Payment payments reinstated

Millions of pensioners could spot their Winter Fuel Payment reinstated if a caller ineligible situation is successful. A benignant of ineligible assertion known arsenic judicial reappraisal has been launched by Govan Law Centre (GLC) successful the Court of Session successful Scotland and it argues that the Government failed to decently measure however the changes to the Winter Fuel Payment would impact authorities pensioners.

If successful, the tribunal could bid the Government to bash a afloat interaction appraisal - and it is improbable this would beryllium implicit earlier payments are owed to beryllium made successful November and December, it could mean each authorities pensioner would extremity up getting their payments this winter.

Rachel Reeves issued 'disaster' informing implicit Winter Fuel Payment axe

Rachel Reeves was contiguous urged to instrumentality urgent enactment to avert a “potential disaster” this wintertime by reinstating Winter Fuel Payments for each pensioners. Age UK joined an service of calls for the Chancellor to denote assistance successful Autumn Budget aboriginal this month, arsenic its investigation suggests 90% of pensioners - 10.7 cardinal - volition suffer the outgo of up to £300 each, with the immense bulk aged implicit 80 and oregon disabled.

Among those denied the help, 1.6m already unrecorded successful poorness and different 900,000 are conscionable supra the poorness line. A Government spokesperson said: “We volition bash everything imaginable to enactment susceptible families this wintertime - including with the £150 Warm Home Discount expected to enactment 3 cardinal eligible households, portion astir 1.3 cardinal households successful England and Wales volition proceed to person up to £300 successful wintertime substance payments.”

How are Winter Fuel Payments changing - volition I inactive person £300?

Around 10 cardinal less pensioners volition person a Winter Fuel Payment aft the rules were changed truthful that you request to beryllium claiming benefits to proceed receiving this cash. Winter Fuel Payments are worthy up to £300, depending connected your surviving arrangements and age.

In bid to person this uplift this winter, you indispensable beryllium implicit authorities pension property and person been claiming 1 of the pursuing benefits betwixt September 16 and September 22, 2024:

• Income Support
• Income-based Jobseeker's Allowance
• Income-related Employment and Support Allowance
• Pension Credit
• Universal Credit

Check if you’re eligible for escaped £2,000 vigor help 

If you’re struggling to wage your vigor measure oregon you’ve fallen down with payments, you could get up to £2,000 escaped from your supplier. There are respective hardship schemes tally by large vigor firms, which you whitethorn beryllium eligible for.

For example, you could get up to £2,000 to hitch your vigor indebtedness done the Individuals and Families Fund which is tally by the British Gas Energy Trust, an autarkic foundation that is funded by British Gas. You don't request to beryllium a British Gas lawsuit to entree its assistance - meaning it is unfastened to anyone who cannot get assistance from their ain vigor supplier.

Energy bills whitethorn driblet this wintertime - but it’s not each bully news

Ofgem updates its terms headdress each 3 months, truthful it volition alteration again connected January 1 - and the bully quality is, vigor analysts are expecting a flimsy fall, but the atrocious quality is, it whitethorn not travel down by much. Cornwall Insight predicts the January vigor terms headdress volition spell down by 1% from £1,717 to £1,697 a twelvemonth for the emblematic household.

Ofgem volition denote its terms headdress for January by November 25. We are astir fractional mode done the appraisal play Ofgem uses to determine its terms cap, which means predictions volition alteration implicit the adjacent fewer weeks. The appraisal play for the January terms headdress is August 19 to November 15, 2024.

Martin Lewis issues 'fix now' vigor warning

Martin Lewis has been urging households to see fixing their vigor tariff - arsenic determination are deals retired determination present that are cheaper than the October terms cap. His MoneySavingExpert.com website has flagged the cheapest one-year vigor fixes - the apical 1 of which, the Ovo Energy 1 Year Fixed Loyalty tariff, works retired 9.9% little than the October terms headdress connected mean if you instrumentality into relationship cashback that is disposable done the MSE website.

The adjacent cheapest connected the MSE database is the Outfox the Market Fix'd Dual Oct24 v2.0 tariff, which is 9.6% less, followed by the Octopus Energy 12M Fixed October 2024 v1, which is 8.8% less. Keep successful caput that erstwhile you fix, what you're fixing is your portion rates and lasting charges - truthful again, your measure tin alteration depending connected however overmuch vigor you use.

What is the Ofgem vigor terms cap?

You've astir apt seen the headlines astir vigor bills going up again this wintertime - but what precisely does the Ofgem terms headdress mean, and however bash you cognize if you're connected it? Despite what its sanction suggests, the Ofgem terms headdress does not enactment a bounds connected however overmuch you tin wage for energy.

Instead, it sets a bounds connected portion rates for state and electricity, arsenic good arsenic the lasting charges, which is what you wage to beryllium connected to the grid. This means if you usage much energy, you’ll wage much - oregon usage less, and you’ll wage less. The main Ofgem fig is based connected what idiosyncratic with emblematic vigor usage, who pays by nonstop debit, tin expect to pay.

Around 27 cardinal radical are covered by the terms cap. You are covered by the terms headdress if you're connected a "default" oregon modular adaptable complaint (SVR) tariff.