A number of rule changes are coming into force in September, with updates on how you get benefits, or contact the Department for Work and Pensions. In addition there could also be more detail on the next £300 cost of living payment.
The Government announced the next payment to help people with paying bills would be made in the autumn, and it is reported the final details and dates could be announced in September, reports HullLive.
The payment of £300 is being given to those on means-tested benefits and follows the £301 sent out to millions of people in April and May – with a final payment due in Spring 2024.
Money Saving Expert Martin Lewis predicts the actual date the payment will land in bank accounts to be October or November, which would mean an announcement is likely in September.
Previous dates for cost of living payments have generally been announced around a month before they are sent out. There are also a number of other rule updates and changes coming in September, reports WalesOnline.
Among the changes is an update to cryptocurrency rules, car seat rules and another on waste disposal.
Student finance changes
Student finances see the biggest change in a decade from September 1 – potentially increasing the cost for some people by 50%.
The changes are called Plan 5 and will see students pay more money after they graduate – based on how much they earn. Money Saving Expert has set out a comprehensive guide to the changes.
Martin Lewis said: “The only people who gain from the changes, are the highest earning university leavers (roughly top 25%) – who would’ve cleared their loans under the old system. This is because repaying more each year, means you repay quicker, and there’s less interest, thus less repaid in total.
“Overall these changes swing the pendulum of cost further towards the individual, away from the state. The Government’s own data shows the state’s contribution will drop from 44p in the pound to 19p under the new system, meaning the individual pays more, the state less.”
Universal credit changes
People calling about new or existing universal credit claims from late September will see changes made by the DWP. It will change to an automated conversational platform involving a virtual agent to answer simple questions rather than callers having to press the keypad for specific menu choices.
Anyone who needs support with the claim will be asked why they are calling and the virtual agent will use speech recognition to determine the help needed.
Child benefit changes
September will mean that some child benefit claims will stop. Parents and guardians have until August 31 to tell HMRC their that their 16-year-old is continuing their education or training if they want to continue getting child benefit.
Child benefit payments stop on August 31 after a child turns 16 but parents and guardians can instantly extend their claim if their child is continuing in approved education or training. It’s quick and easy to update your claim through the online service at GOV.UK or the HMRC app but people are being warned they may see delays in getting their money or have it stopped altogether if they don’t do so before September.
Baby and child car seat changes
From September 1, 2023, ECE R129 will become the sole standard approved by authorities. R44 car seats can no longer be sold in the UK. YourBabyClub says: “Since the EU brought in ECE R129, it has been in place alongside the existing ECE R44, and car seats have been able to be manufactured and sold, provided that they pass either of the two safety standards.
“R129 compatible seats allow parents to choose their child’s seat and position based on their height rather than weight. This makes things easier for parents to establish the right seat setting and is the best way to ensure that children are always in the right seat for the correct length of time.
“R129 seats are often known as i-size seats, but it’s important to remember that i-size is an enhancement of R129. All i-size car seats are R129 approved, but not all R129 seats are i-size.”
Cryptocurrency rule change
From September 23 new rules will be in force regarding transferring cryptocurrency payments to another country. Sending or receiving cryptocurrency payments will fall under the same Travel RFule as other financial transfer, in a bid to prevent money laundering and the funding of terrorism.
In short if you send or receive a significant amount of cryptocurrency across international borders you will need to make sure you comply with the latest legislation.
New rules for EU citizens in UK
From September 2023 people with pre-settled status under the EU Settlement Scheme (EUSS) will automatically have their status extended by 2 years before it expires if they have not obtained settled status.
The process will be automated by the Home Office. They will be notified of the extension directly. This will ensure that nobody loses their immigration status if they do not apply to switch from pre-settled to settled status.
The Home Office also intends to take steps to automatically convert as many eligible pre-settled status holders as possible to settled status once they are eligible for it, without them needing to make an application. During 2024, automated checks of pre-settled status will establish their ongoing continuous residence in the UK. Safeguards will be in place to ensure that settled status is not wrongly granted.
In short, EU citizens still living in the UK since Brexit are to have their temporary status extended for another two years.
Hazardous DIY material
New rules come into force regarding waste wood removed from homes and other buildings during demolition and refurbishment. Biffa says The Environment Agency (EA) has confirmed the withdrawal of the Regulatory Position Statement (RPS) 250 effective from 1st September 2023.
RPS 250 currently allows potentially hazardous waste wood items to be moved and processed as non-hazardous. This means that certain waste wood categories that would previously be sent to wood recyclers will now be classified as hazardous waste unless analysed to prove their non-hazardous nature and will need to be disposed of accordingly at a suitably permitted facility.
In short, some wood from building, renovation, demolition and DIY projects may no longer be accepted at some waste disposal sites.
Inflation announcement
The Office for National Statistics (ONS) is also going to announce its latest inflation figure on September 16. The ONS does this by gathering a selection of goods and services that make up a typical ‘basket’ and comparing their prices to those from 12 months ago.
The comparison, called Consumer Price Index (CPI) is one of several different methods used to calculate price increases over time. The Bank of England (BoE), which has been increasing interest rates over the past couple of years in a bid to bring inflation under control, says it expects inflation to fall to around 5% by the end of 2023. It has a target of bringing inflation to 2% but doesn’t expect to see this happen until early 2025.
Interest rates announcement
The latest interest rate will be announced on September 21 by the BoE. The bank’s monetary committee has been increasing rates and recently voted to increase the base rate (also known as the bank rate) for the 14th time in a row, taking it to 5.25%. This is highest it has been since March 2008.
Financial journalist Martin Lewis previously spelled out the huge impact this could have on your finances in a MoneySavingExpert newsletter where he said: “For each one percentage point your mortgage rate increases expect to pay roughly £50 more a month (£600/year) per £100,000 of mortgage debt.” He added that rising rates “will likely push millions renewing when their fixes end into ‘can’t pay my mortgage’ territory”.
New number plates
The 73 plates for new cars will be launched on September 1
HPV vaccine
There will be a change from a two-dose to a one-dose HPV programme for those aged 14 to 25 years from 1 September 2023 to align with the school’s programme.
Shingles vaccine
From 1 September 2023 changes to the Shingles Programme to implement the JCVI recommendations will be as follows:
- replacement of Zostavax with the 2-dose Shingrix vaccine as Zostavax goes out of production.
- 2-dose Shingrix vaccine for the current 70-79-year-old cohort with a period of 26 weeks to 52 weeks between doses following the depletion of Zostavax.
- expansion of the immunocompromised cohort to offer 2-dose Shingrix to individuals aged 50 years and over with a period between doses of 8 weeks to 26 weeks.
- expansion of the immunocompetent cohort to offer 2-dose Shingrix routinely to individuals aged 60 years and over with a period between doses of 26 weeks to 52 weeks, remaining an opportunistic offer up to and including 79 years of age.
Student visa
From January 2024, international students in the UK will no longer be able to bring dependants on their Student visa, unless they are studying a postgraduate research programme. This new rule will not affect students starting their courses this September.
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