820,000 people on Universal Credit get an urgent warning
A think tank has warned that thousands of people on Universal Credit could miss out on paying £900 to survive.
The free cash is set to be paid out in three installments to help with the cost of living on certain benefits.
But experts at the Institute for Fiscal Studies (IFS) are warning that 825,000 hard-hit families will not be eligible for the cash.
It said this is because entitlement will depend on Universal Credit being taken at least one month before each payment is due.
This means that people with windfall earnings can miss out entirely if they earn a little more in a qualifying month.
An IFS report said: “We estimate that, as a result, there will be approximately 825,000 people in each of the three respective months who earn slightly more than is in line with Universal Credit entitlement and who as a result miss out on the cost of Living pay, ends up with a lower income than other similar people who earn less.
that’s it for tonight folks
That’s all for our live coverage of tonight.
We hope you find Martin’s energy advice useful!
Stay connected with our live blog to access more cost of living tips and news.
Most Britons pay up to 15% of their income on energy every month
As Martin Lewis’ survey today found, most Britons pay between 5% and 15% of their income on energy bills every month.
An astonishing 9% pay more than 30% of their income just to keep the heating on.
free debt advice
If you are in debt there are a number of services that you can avail of and they offer free advice on debt management.
Most of them can provide free guidance and support to you in person, over the telephone or online.
Will energy prices ever get cheaper?
Grant Shapps said his goal is to make Britain the cheapest place in Europe to buy energy.
The government minister said he expected Britons to see a drop in prices soon, but did not give a concrete answer.
Why are energy company profits so high?
Government minister Grant Shapps was questioned.
He said: “We are all victims.
“We taxed energy producers 75% of their profits and gave that money to people across the country.
“We don’t tax the money they make overseas.”