Labour workers' rights bill LIVE updates on changes to sick pay and parental leave

Welcome to our money blog, where we'll be providing you with the latest updates on everything that affects you - including everything you need to know about the new Employment Rights Bill

Labour’s long-awaited Employment Rights Bill, which aims to be the “biggest” shakeup to employment rights in a generation, is to be published today.

The new legislation plan, first published in 2021, contains 28 individual employment reforms which aim to be put into law by next year. The Labour manifesto claimed the bill would “stop the chaos and turn the page to create a partnership between business and trade unions”.

Measures in the bill include things such as rights to sick pay, changes to paternity leave, flexible working, and a ban on zero-hours contracts. More details of Labour’s plan are expected to be released today when the bill is published to parliament at 10am. The Mirror money blog will explain what the measures will mean for you and how they could impact your daily working life.

Do you think the changes being brought in by Labour will affect you? Let us know: mirror.money.saving@mirror.co.uk

09:08KEY EVENT

What to expect from Labour's plans for workers' rights

The Employment Rights Bill will be introduced into parliament this morning at 10am and it includes a range of new legislation to improve workers rights. The main changes include:

• Rights to statutory sick pay
• Ban on zero-hours contracts
• Rights to flexible working
• Changes to paternity leave
• Ban on fire and rehire
• Unpaid bereavement leave
• Unpaid parental leave
• Right to switch off

Ministers have said this would benefit some nine million workers who have been with their current employer for less than two years.

15:59Ruby Flanagan

Martin Lewis issues ‘don’t assume’ warning

Martin Lewis last month urged thousands of low income pensioner households to not “assume” they’re not eligible for the Winter Fuel Payment. Pension Credit tops up your weekly income to £218.15, or to £332.95 if you’re in a couple.

Your income normally needs to be below these amounts to be eligible, but in some cases, you might still be able to claim - for example, if you have a severe disability or you're a carer.

Martin said: “You can qualify with HIGHER income if you have a disability or illness. An example is those who get Attendance Allowance (AA) - a crucial payment for older people who need help and support with day-to-day activities. If you get it, the income threshold for qualifying for Pension Credit rises by £82/wk (on top of your AA payment, which isn't counted as income).”

15:30Ruby Flanagan

Exact code to check in your bank account for Winter Fuel Payment

If you're due a payment and you live in England and Wales, the payment will show in your bank account as your National Insurance number followed by "DWP WFP". Those living in Northern Ireland should see their National Insurance number followed by "DFC WFP".

Remember, most people will be paid in November or December - but some people may not get the payment until next March.

15:30Ruby Flanagan

Reasons why you may not get Winter Fuel Payment

You won't be entitled to a Winter Fuel Payment if you lived in a care home for the whole time from June 24 to September 22, 2024. You can still be eligible if you live in a care home on a temporary basis, which is less than 13 weeks by the end of the qualifying period.

You also won't be eligible if you've been in hospital getting free treatment for more than a year, if you needed permission to enter the UK and your granted leave says that you cannot claim public funds, or if you are in prison for the whole of the week of September 16 to September 22, 2024.

If you live abroad, you'll need to make a claim for a Winter Fuel Payment You must have moved to an eligible EEA country or Switzerland before December 31, 2020 and be covered by the Withdrawal Agreement, to get a Winter Fuel Payment. As well as getting the UK state pension, you must also be getting a qualifying benefit from the country you live in. Finally, must have a genuine and sufficient link to the UK.

14:51Levi Winchester

How much exactly is Winter Fuel Payment worth?

You’ll be entitled to either £200 or £300, depending on your living situation and age. If you're eligible for a Winter Fuel Payment, you'll get £200 if:

• You live alone and you were born between September 23, 1944 and September 22, 1958
• You live with someone and one or both of you were born between September 23, 1944 and September 22, 1958

You'll get a £300 Winter Fuel Payment if:

• You live alone and you were born before September 23, 1944
• You live with someone and one or both of you were born before September 23, 1944

14:30Levi Winchester

DWP issues January deadline for Winter Fuel Payment

The majority of people are paid their Winter Fuel Payment in November or December - but the DWP has explained that for some people, it can take a bit longer. If you haven't received your letter or payment by January 29, then you should contact the Winter Fuel Payment Centre.

14:11Levi Winchester

What is Pension Credit - how do I check if I’m eligible?

Pension Credit comes in two parts. The Guarantee Credit part of Pension Credit tops up your weekly income to £218.15 if you're single, or to £332.95 if you’re in a couple. Your income normally needs to be below these amounts to be eligible, but in some cases, you might still be able to claim if you have a higher income and you have a severe disability, you're a carer, or you have to pay housing costs, such as a mortgage.

If you reached State Pension age before April 6, 2016, or you have savings or a second pension, you may be eligible for the savings credit element of Pension Credit. This is worth £17.01 a week if you're single, or £19.04 a week if you're in a couple. You might get additional payments if you’re a carer, severely disabled, or responsible for a child or young person.

13:51Levi Winchester

Pension Credit deadline to make sure you get Winter Fuel Payment

Pension Credit tops up your weekly income to £218.15, or to £332.95 if you’re in a couple and it also unlocks the Winter Fuel Payment. However, more than 800,000 people are missing out on claiming Pension Credit.

The qualifying week for when you must be claiming benefits by, to then get the Winter Fuel Payment, was September 16 to September 22, 2024 - but you may still be eligible if you're able to backdate a later claim. This means you have until December 21 to apply for Pension Credit and still be entitled to Winter Fuel Payments.

13:31Ruby Flanagan

'Martin Lewis tip helped my mum keep £300 Winter Fuel Payment - you can too'

One woman shared how her mum was able to get this year's Winter Fuel Payment by following Martin Lewis' advice.

The woman - known as Lucinda - emailed Martin Lewis’ Money Saving Expert (MSE) team to tell them her mum had initially lost her entitlement to the £300 Winter Fuel Payment this year after the government's rule change.

In her email, Lucinda shared that she believed her mum's income was over the threshold so she didn't believe she would be eligible. However, she received an MSE newsletter which advised those who may just be over the limit to "try it anyway".

After following Martin Lewis' advice and speaking to the DWP, Lucinda's mum was awarded Pension Credit. Her email said: "Thanks so much for Martin's Pension Credit email. My mum was just over the threshold, so we didn't apply, but worried about the Winter Fuel Payment, no free TV licence, cheaper broadband etc.

"Then I saw Martin's email saying: 'If you're only just over, try it anyway.' A (long) call to the DWP later and mum told me she'll get Pension Credit. My dad died earlier this year, so not only has Mum been going through it, but money is much tighter. I can't thank you enough. She's both relieved and thrilled."

13:10Ruby Flanagan

DWP shares update about new text message warnings to benefit claimants

This week the DWP shared an update on its plans to tackle benefit overpayments with text message warnings.

The update came from a parliamentary debate on Monday, October 7, which focused on Carer's Allowance overpayments. The earnings limit while claiming Carer's Allowance is currently just £151 a week after tax, National Insurance, pension contributions and allowable expenses.

If your earnings go over the limit - even by just £1 - you lose your entitlement to Carer's Allowance. If you then continue to receive the benefit payments, you will have to pay them back to the DWP.

In Monday's debate, Labour's Work and Pensioners Minister, Sir Stephen Timms, said the department had launched a trial earlier this year which would send a text message to claimants who had surpassed the earnings limit.

Sir Stephen said the pilot scheme involved 3,500 claimants, and the message was sent when HMRC informed the DWP that the claimants had breached the limit.

The DWP minister said the benefits department is now looking at the results and "if positive" then the pilot could be rolled out further. He said: "We are currently looking at the results, and if they are positive, that will be the first step towards addressing the overpayment problem. We will need to do more, but it will be a good first step."

12:50Ruby Flanagan

Who needs to claim the £300 Winter Fuel Payment and how to do it

If eligible, pensioners who live abroad must claim this year’s Winter Fuel Payment. Under DWP rules, you can still be eligible for the money if you live outside of the UK. However, the new rules will apply and you can only be eligible if you receive "Pension Credit or a benefit equivalent to Pension Credit or another qualifying benefit" in the country where you live.

Postal applications have opened on September 30 with phone applications opening on October 28. To claim by post you will need to download and fill in a Winter Fuel Payment claim form, and the IPCF091 form if you’re a UK national or UK dual national living in an eligible country other than Ireland.

You will also need to provide evidence of the means-tested benefit you are getting (from the country you live in) in the Winter Fuel Payment additional information form. You can find the address to send your claim to on the government's Winter Fuel Payment page.

12:30Ruby Flanagan

DWP issues six-month warning as millions of benefit claimants sent important letter

The DWP has issued a fresh six-month warning to millions of Brits claiming Tax Credits.

Tax Credits are closing for good from April 2025 - this means Tax Credit claimants have six months left to move over to Universal Credit payments before their current benefits are stopped for good. When it is your turn to be moved across, you'll receive a Migration Notice in the post. The department is sending the letter as part of its "Managed Migration" programme.

Once the letter arrives, claimants must submit a claim for Universal Credit within three months. If they don't, their benefit claim will be terminated. In an update today, the DWP warned that three months might "feel like a long time," but life does get in the way, and claimants could risk being put in a difficult situation. Due to this, the DWP has urged claimants to act "straight away."

12:10Ruby Flanagan

What is DWP Pension Credit? And how does it link to Winter Fuel Payment?

Pension Credit is a benefit available to people who have reached the state pension age of 66 and tops up your weekly income to £218.15 a week if you are single, or to £332.95 if you’re in a couple.

The benefit is also described as a "gateway benefit", as when you claim, you can also get other things such as a free TV licence, council tax discounts, and free dental treatment. Alongside this, claiming Pension Credit will make you eligible for this year’s Winter Fuel Payment.

The DWP say this boost is worth up to £3,900 a year on average.

11:50Ruby Flanagan

Exact dates you need to know about this year’s £300 Winter Fuel Payment

To be eligible for this year’s Winter Fuel Payment, you must claim certain benefits during the “qualifying week.” This year's qualifying week is between Monday, September 16 and Sunday, September 22.

The DWP will send a letter to those eligible between October and November, telling them how much they are entitled to and when they will be paid. Last year, most payments were made in November and December.

11:30Ashley Cowburn

Furious Martin Lewis lays into Lisa Nandy on winter fuel cut - 'why are you defending this?'

On Good Morning Britain today, Martin Lewis grilled Cabinet minister Lisa Nandy on the government's controversial decision to axe winter fuel payments for millions of pensioners.

The Money Saving Expert founder has spoken out against the move noting that “ hundreds of thousands” of the poorest pensioners could lose out this year. He asked the Culture Secretary: “Look, you have been a campaigner for the poorest in society for a very long time. So it seems rather odd you are sitting there defending a policy that [charities] are pulling their hair out about."

The heated exchange continued as the Culture Secretary said the government has had a "huge drive" to get the poorest pensioners on pension credit, with a 115% increase in the number of people claiming. But Martin shot back saying: "There is a huge flaw in what you've said."

He said on the government's current trajectory it would take four years before all these people are signed up for the support and not missing out. He said: "You believe they should get pension credit and winter fuel, but they're not going to claim. They are the hardest to reach, you're not writing individual letters to them.”

But Ms Nandy stressed that the government is writing letters to eligible pensioners, adding, "In fairness, you've just said to me you're not writing them bloody letters. Well, we are. I just wanted to explain that because I don't want people to think for a moment we're going to leave them high and dry."

But Martin said the government must accept hundreds of thousands of the poorest pensioners "will not be reached this year". However, the culture secretary said they were “not willing to accept that” adding: It's one of the reasons we've extended the cut-off point to apply [for pension credit] until April next year. Even if people don't realise right now despite this sort of conversation happening on national media... they find out later they are still eligible, they can still apply, they will get it backdated."

11:11Levi Winchester

 ‘I’m claiming benefits - but will I get the Winter Fuel Payment?’

To get the Winter Fuel Payment this year if you live in England or Wales, you must have been born before September 23, 1958, and claiming one of the following benefits between September 16 and September 22, 2024.

• Income Support
• Income-based Jobseeker's Allowance
• Income-related Employment and Support Allowance
• Pension Credit
• Universal Credit

You also need to have lived in the UK - although in some cases you can claim if you’ve moved abroad - for at least one day for the "qualifying week" which changes every year.

10:54Levi Winchester

DWP to send letters soon with Winter Fuel Payment details

If you’re still eligible for a Winter Fuel Payment, you’ll get a letter in the post from the Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) in October or November. This will explain how much Winter Fuel Payment you’re entitled to.

The majority of people will then be paid in November or December. If you do not get a letter but think you are eligible, you can check on GOV.UK if you need to make a claim.

10:31Levi Winchester

State pensioners set for free £150 energy boost

The Warm Home Discount scheme, which is run by the Department for Energy Security and Net Zero, is set to reopen soon. This provides a one-off £150 discount off your electricity bill, rather than a cash payment into your bank account.

If you have a traditional prepayment meter - so not a smart prepayment meter - you'll be given a top-up voucher which you'll need to redeem. If you're a dual fuel customer, you can ask your energy supplier if it is possible to have the discount applied to your gas bill instead.

10:11Levi Winchester

Millions could see Winter Fuel Payment payments reinstated

Millions of pensioners could see their Winter Fuel Payment reinstated if a new legal challenge is successful. A type of legal claim known as judicial review has been launched by Govan Law Centre (GLC) in the Court of Session in Scotland and it argues that the Government failed to properly assess how the changes to the Winter Fuel Payment would affect state pensioners.

If successful, the court could order the Government to do a full impact assessment - and it is unlikely this would be complete before payments are due to be made in November and December, it could mean every state pensioner would end up getting their payments this winter.

09:51Levi Winchester

Rachel Reeves issued 'disaster' warning over Winter Fuel Payment axe

Rachel Reeves was today urged to take urgent action to avert a “potential disaster” this winter by reinstating Winter Fuel Payments for all pensioners. Age UK joined an army of calls for the Chancellor to announce help in Autumn Budget later this month, as its analysis suggests 90% of pensioners - 10.7 million - will lose the payment of up to £300 each, with the vast majority aged over 80 and or disabled.

Among those denied the help, 1.6m already live in poverty and another 900,000 are just above the poverty line. A Government spokesperson said: “We will do everything possible to support vulnerable families this winter - including with the £150 Warm Home Discount expected to support three million eligible households, while around 1.3 million households in England and Wales will continue to receive up to £300 in winter fuel payments.”

09:31Levi Winchester

How are Winter Fuel Payments changing - will I still receive £300?

Around ten million fewer pensioners will receive a Winter Fuel Payment after the rules were changed so that you need to be claiming benefits to continue receiving this cash. Winter Fuel Payments are worth up to £300, depending on your living arrangements and age.

In order to receive this uplift this winter, you must be over state pension age and have been claiming one of the following benefits between September 16 and September 22, 2024:

• Income Support
• Income-based Jobseeker's Allowance
• Income-related Employment and Support Allowance
• Pension Credit
• Universal Credit

09:11Levi Winchester

Check if you’re eligible for free £2,000 energy help 

If you’re struggling to pay your energy bill or you’ve fallen behind with payments, you could get up to £2,000 free from your supplier. There are several hardship schemes run by major energy firms, which you may be eligible for.

For example, you could get up to £2,000 to wipe your energy debt through the Individuals and Families Fund which is run by the British Gas Energy Trust, an independent charity that is funded by British Gas. You don't need to be a British Gas customer to access its help - meaning it is open to anyone who cannot get help from their own energy supplier.

08:49Levi Winchester

Energy bills may drop this winter - but it’s not all good news

Ofgem updates its price cap every three months, so it will change again on January 1 - and the good news is, energy analysts are expecting a slight fall, but the bad news is, it may not come down by much. Cornwall Insight predicts the January energy price cap will go down by 1% from £1,717 to £1,697 a year for the typical household.

Ofgem will announce its price cap for January by November 25. We are around half way through the assessment period Ofgem uses to decide its price cap, which means predictions will change over the next few weeks. The assessment period for the January price cap is August 19 to November 15, 2024.

08:29Levi Winchester

Martin Lewis issues 'fix now' energy warning

Martin Lewis has been urging households to consider fixing their energy tariff - as there are deals out there now that are cheaper than the October price cap. His MoneySavingExpert.com website has flagged the cheapest one-year energy fixes - the top one of which, the Ovo Energy 1 Year Fixed Loyalty tariff, works out 9.9% less than the October price cap on average if you take into account cashback that is available through the MSE website.

The next cheapest on the MSE list is the Outfox the Market Fix'd Dual Oct24 v2.0 tariff, which is 9.6% less, followed by the Octopus Energy 12M Fixed October 2024 v1, which is 8.8% less. Keep in mind that when you fix, what you're fixing is your unit rates and standing charges - so again, your bill can vary depending on how much energy you use.

08:21Levi Winchester

What is the Ofgem energy price cap?

You've probably seen the headlines about energy bills going up again this winter - but what exactly does the Ofgem price cap mean, and how do you know if you're on it? Despite what its name suggests, the Ofgem price cap does not put a limit on how much you can pay for energy.

Instead, it sets a limit on unit rates for gas and electricity, as well as the standing charges, which is what you pay to be connected to the grid. This means if you use more energy, you’ll pay more - or use less, and you’ll pay less. The main Ofgem figure is based on what someone with typical energy usage, who pays by direct debit, can expect to pay.

Around 27 million people are covered by the price cap. You are covered by the price cap if you're on a "default" or standard variable rate (SVR) tariff.