Are you missing out on the Council's £200 Cost of Living payment?

As many of you may be aware the Council is making a £200 cost of living payment to eligible households in Orkney.

You will be entitled if you receive certain benefits – or are classed as being below the low income threshold.

We don’t want anyone to miss out on money that they are entitled to.

So please check whether you may be eligible – and tell family, friends and neighbours about the scheme. Word of mouth is very powerful but we also ask if you could share our social media posts re the £200 payment on your own pages.

Some households in Orkney will receive the Council’s £200 cost of living payment automatically – others will need to apply.

Here’s the criteria for both:

If you receive any of the following benefits from the Council, you do not need to apply and we will arrange for your payment to be made automatically in February/March 2023:

• Housing Benefit
• Council Tax Reduction (means tested)
• Free School Meals or clothing grant (means tested)
• Householders who are exempt from council tax because all occupants are under the age of 18
• Householders who are exempt from council tax because they are under 26 and were previously in care/looked after

You will be eligible for the scheme if you receive one of the following benefits but you will need to apply:

• Universal Credit
• Pension Credit

Or:

Your total household income is below the low income threshold. This includes all of your household's income from any source, for example, wages, benefits, pensions, dividends etc. before tax, National Insurance or any other deductions.