There is support and advice available across your wider Kensington & Chelsea community too. This ranges from financial advice to free activity schemes run for children.
You should also check out our Neighbourhood Services Map, an interactive map that shows the local projects, services and facilities in our area.

Cost of Living payment

Households on means tested benefits will receive a £324 Cost of Living payment this November. This is expected between 8 – 23 November and will be paid separately to your regular benefit.
You are eligible for this if you received a Universal Credit, Pension Credit or Tax Credit payment between 26 August to 25 September 2022.
Be wary of scams: you do not need to apply for this – if you are eligible, it will be applied automatically.

Pensioner Cost of Living payment

Pensioners who are entitled to the normal Winter Fuel Payment* will receive an extra sum this year, between £100 - 300.
This will be paid alongside your normal benefit payment from November onwards, though some people will be paid in December.
You should automatically receive the Winter Fuel Payment if you receive a State Pension and were born on or before 25 September 1956.
Be wary of scams: you do not need to apply for this – if you are eligible, it will be applied automatically.

Disability Cost of Living Payment

You should have received a lump sum payment of £150 if you were paid one of the following benefits in May:

Attendance Allowance
Constant Attendance Allowance
Disability Living Allowance for adults
Disability Living Allowance for children
Personal Independence Payment
Adult Disability Payment (in Scotland)
Child Disability Payment (in Scotland)
Armed Forces Independence Payment
War Pension Mobility Supplement

This was paid from 20 September onwards, with most people having now received it. If you know you are eligible and cannot find this payment, you can report it below.

Click Here

Energy Bills Support Scheme

The government has announced an Energy Bill Support Scheme, giving all domestic energy users a £400 non-repayable grant in the form of energy credit.
The discount will be applied directly to your monthly household electricity bill for 6 months starting in October 2022. You will receive the following credit:

£66 in October and November
£67 in December, January, February and March

If you pay your bill quarterly, you will still receive the discount spread across the 6 months.
Be wary of scams: you do not need to apply for this – it will be applied automatically.

Warm Home Discount Scheme

The government is offering an extra £150 of energy bill according to certain criteria. This will be paid indirectly as a one-off discount on an energy bill between November 2022 – March 2023.
To be eligible for this, you must either:

Receive the Guarantee Credit element of Pension Credit.
Be on a low income, receiving certain means-tested benefits or tax credits, and have high energy costs.

If eligible, you will receive a letter by the end of January 2023 detailing this offer and confirming your details.

Shell Energy Warm Home

You are only eligible for this support if you pay a private energy bill directly to Shell.
If you receive the above ‘Warm Home Discount’ discount from the government, and your energy provider is Shell, then your discount will be higher.
Shell’s Warm Home policy means that they will match the government discount, giving you a total bill discount of £300. This will be automatically applied to your bill if you receive the government discount.

Discretionary Housing Payments

RBKC have also developed a Cost of Living Support database.
It provides guidance on applying for Discretionary Housing Payments, a council service that provides financial support towards rent or housing costs.
You can apply for a DHP if need help with housing costs and you currently receive either:

Housing Benefit
The housing element of Universal Credit

More info here

Cost of Living Support Hub – Mayor of London

There is another useful support database, provided by the Mayor of London, accessible here.
It is available to read in 9 languages other than English:

Bengali / বাংলা
Gujarati / ગુજરાતી
Lithuanian / Lietuvių
Panjabi / ਪੰਜਾਬੀ
Polish / Polski
Portuguese / Português
Somali / Soomaali
Turkish / Türkçe
Urdu / اُردُو

Here

Household Support Fund

The council are making support payments to certain eligible households to help with bills, food and clothing costs.

Families entitled to free school meals will receive £3 per weekday, per student.
Pensioners in receipt of Council Tax Reduction, Housing Benefit or Universal Credit Housing Costs, will receive a payment of £150.
Care leavers living in their own accommodation will receive £100.
Vulnerable families known to Family Services will be paid £50.
Vulnerable families with no access to public funds and those placed in hotels by the Home Office will receive £100