Help paying bills

Council tax support

If you have savings of less than £6,000 (or £16,000 if you're a pensioner) you might be entitled to council tax support. To work out how much you might get you can use our online benefit calculator.

If you do qualify for help you can make a council tax support claim online.

Exceptional hardship award

If you're already getting council tax support but you still need help you might be able to get an exceptional hardship award. There are restrictions on how much you can get and payments are only a short-term measure. Find out more about exceptional hardship awards.

Pay by instalments

If you have savings over £6,000 or you don't get council tax support but you can't pay your bill, you can ask to spread your payments over 12 months instead of the normal 10. Contact us to change your council tax instalments.

Payment plans

If you owe council tax you can set up an arrangement to pay what you owe - for example, £20 a month. Make a payment plan for council tax.

You should have had a £400 discount to help with your energy bills over winter 2022 to 2023. You do not have to pay this money back. This is called the Energy Bills Support Scheme (EBSS).

If you live in a park, mobile home or off the electricity grid

The way you get energy support will be different if you do not have a domestic electricity meter and contract with an electricity supplier. 

You will still get support equivalent to £400 for your energy bills from the EBSS.

You may need to apply for your £400 discount if your home:

• has a communal electricity supply
• has a non-domestic electricity connection
• does not have a contract with an electricity supplier

Apply for energy bill support

If you live in a care home or supported accommodation

You may be eligible for a payment if you both:

• live in a care home or sheltered and supported accommodation
• pay for some or part of your care fees (directly or through loss of pension or other benefits)

If you use alternative fuels for heating

If your household is not connected to the mains gas grid and you use alternative fuels to heat your home, you might be eligible for a £200 Alternative Fuels Payment.

Alternative fuels include:

• tank or bottled gas
• liquid petroleum gas (LPG)
• oil
• wood
• solid fuel

This is on top of the £400 from your electricity supplier and you will get it automatically as a credit on your electricity bills from February 2023.

You may not get the payment automatically if your home is either:

• in an area which is mainly connected to the gas grid
• not connected to either the gas or the electricity grid

If you do not have a contract or account with an electricity supplier, you need to apply for an Alternative Fuels Payment. 

Winter fuel payments

Anyone that normally gets the winter fuel payment for pensioners will get an extra one off-payment of between £150 and £300 in winter 2023 and 2024. This will be paid automatically.

Find out more about winter fuel payments

Warm homes scheme

The warm homes scheme can give you up to £150 off your energy bill each year.

Cold weather payments

If you get certain benefits - like pension credit or income support - and the temperature is zero or below for more than seven days you can get £25 extra a week.

Find out more about cold weather payments

Heating grants

If you receive a means tested or disability benefit - like income support or disability living allowance - you might be able to get a grant to help with your heating costs. 

GOV.UK also have advice on things you can do that will make your home cheaper to heat.

Water bills

If you need help paying water bills you should speak to your water supplier first. You might be able to get a discounted rate if you live alone or you might be eligible for the WaterSure scheme that caps how much you pay.

Ofcom have advice on how you can get cheaper phone bills or broadband.