By 30 June 2025, the Radio Teleswitch Service (RTS) will end as it is reaching the end of its operational life. RTS is also known as Dynamic Teleswitch Service (DTS). The switch off will affect energy customers that have an RTS meter in their home, and may mean that their heating and hot water supply stops functioning as normal.

How to find out if you’ve got an RTS meter

If you’re not sure whether you have an RTS meter, there are a few things you can look out for:

• there may be a separate switch box near your meter with a radio teleswitch label on it
• your property is heated using electricity or storage heaters
• there is no gas supply to your area. This includes households in rural areas and high-rise flats
• you get cheaper energy at different times of day. Your tariff might be: Economy 7, Economy 10 or Total Heat Total Control

If you’re unsure if you have RTS equipment, contact your electricity supplier who will be able to confirm for you.

If you think you have RTS equipment in your home or business, or you’re unsure, contact your electricity supplier. They will let you know whether you have an RTS meter, and when you can get your smart meter upgrade. A smart meter will give you a similar service to your RTS meter. You should speak to your supplier to find out more.

Pension Credit gives you extra money to help with your living costs if you’re over State Pension age and on a low income. Pension Credit can also help with housing costs such as ground rent or service charges.

You might get extra help if you’re a carer, severely disabled, or responsible for a child or young person.

Pension Credit is separate from your State Pension.

You can get Pension Credit even if you have other income, savings or own your own home.

You must live in England, Scotland or Wales and have reached State Pension age to qualify for Pension Credit.

You must include your partner on your application.

You’ll be eligible if either:

• you and your partner have both reached State Pension age
• one of you is getting Housing Benefit for people over State Pension age
• When you apply for Pension Credit your income is calculated. If you have a partner, your income is calculated together.

When you apply for Pension Credit your income is calculated. If you have a partner, your income is calculated together.

Pension Credit tops up:

• your weekly income to £218.15 if you’re single
• your joint weekly income to £332.95 if you have a partner

If your income is higher, you might still be eligible for Pension Credit if you have a disability, you care for someone, you have savings or you have housing costs.

Contact Ashford Advice on 01233 626 185 or drop-in to our offices for further advice.

We are open from 09:30 -11:00 from Monday to Thursday without a prior appointment

The Pensioner Just Missing Out scheme supports Kent pensioners in need of help with significantly rising living costs. The scheme is available for pension-aged residents on lower incomes who are not eligible for Pension Credit or the government’s Winter Fuel Payment.

The scheme is funded by the Department for Work and Pensions on behalf of the UK government.

You will be eligible for assistance if you:

• or a partner living with you is aged 66 or over
• are a Kent resident, permanently living within one of the 12 local authorities covered by Kent County Council (this excludes Medway, Bexley, or Bromley)
• have an annual household income (before tax) of more than £11,343.80 (£17,313.40 for a joint household income) and below £40,000
• do not have more than £1000 in savings
• are not in receipt of Pension Credit.

You can apply for the scheme at https://www.kent.gov.uk/leisure-and-community/cost-of-living-support/find-help-and-support-with-money-worries/pensioner-just-missing-out-scheme

If your application is successful, you will receive voucher(s) which will be sent via email for energy vouchers and either by email or post for food vouchers, based on what you request in your application. The total value of your vouchers will be £200, which you can use towards food, energy, or both, depending on what you asked for support with in your application.

The scheme will close on 28 February 2025, or when all funds are spent.

The Government has accepted the Low Pay Commission’s (LPC) recommendations on the rates of the National Minimum Wage (NMW), including the National Living Wage (NLW). The rates which will apply from 1 April 2025 are as follows:

You get Child Benefit if you’re responsible for bringing up a child who is:

• under 16
• under 20 if they stay in approved education or training

Only one person can get Child Benefit for a child.

There’s no limit to how many children you can claim for.

There are 2 Child Benefit rates.

In April 2025, child benefit in the United Kingdom will increase by 1.7%. This means that the weekly rate for the eldest or only child will be £26.05, and £17.25 for younger children. 

From April 2024, the lower income threshold to be eligible for child benefit will rise to £60,000(previously £50,000). The rate at which Child Benefit is withdrawn will be 1% for every £200(previously £100) above this level. It is fully withdrawn when individuals earn £80,000 (previously £60,000) or more.

As of January 2025, the energy price cap in the UK is set at £1,738 per year for a typical household paying by direct debit for both electricity and gas, representing a 1.2% increase from the previous cap

Electricity and gas unit prices and standing charges, 1 January to 31 March 2025  

Thousands of grandparents caring for their grandchildren over the summer holidays could be missing out on the chance to boost their future State Pension.

Many working-age grandmothers and fathers could qualify for Class 3 National Insurance credits for looking after children aged under 12 – which can be used to top up their income in retirement.

Many grandparents are working hard all year round looking after their grandchildren, and it is important that they do not damage their own state pension rights as a result. Such grandparents are contributing to society just as much as someone in a paid job and should therefore be entitled to the same protection for their state pension as if they were in work.

The new system of transferable National Insurance credits means that grandparents need no longer lose out on building up a full state pension just because they are caring for a grandchild.

Applications for NI credits for caring for children under 12 need to be made to HM Revenue & Customs (HMRC) and must be signed by both the adult carer and the Child Benefit recipient. Applications need to be made in the October following the end of the tax year in which the caring took place.

Grandparents who have cared for their grandchildren during the tax year 2011/12 are able to apply for their credits now.

The credit is a Class 3 National Insurance credit and protects entitlement to basic State Pension and bereavement benefits for spouses and civil partners.

There is no minimum requirement for the number of hours of care in a week as long as the credit is transferred for a full week. For details of who can apply and how, visit www.gov.uk/national-insurance-credits/eligibility or phone the National Insurance Helpline on 0845 302 1479.

The Government is introducing the following changes to DROs in England and Wales (with Scotland and Northern Ireland to receive equivalent Barnett Consequential funding): 

• From 6 April, the £90 administration fee will be permanently removed.
• From 28 June, the maximum amount of debt that an individual entering a DRO can hold will be increased from £30,000 to £50,000. In addition, the value of single motor vehicle that can be disregarded from the total value of assets an individual seeking a DRO is permitted to own, will also be increased from £2,000 to £4,000.

Ashford Advice are registered intermediaries for debt relief orders. Subject to meeting the eligibility criteria you will be offered face to face advice, and we will submit your application without any fees

Tax-Free Childcare (TFC) is a government scheme to help working families with their childcare costs.

Parents and carers who are eligible can open online childcare accounts to pay their registered childcare providers directly and the government will add to the account to help towards childcare costs and save money.

For every £8 a parent or carer pays in, the government will pay in an extra £2. Families can receive up to £2,000 per child, per year, towards their childcare costs, or £4,000 for a child with a disability.

Tax-Free Childcare (TFC) is for working families, including the self-employed, in the UK:

• each parent/carer earning under £100k and at least £152 per week (equal to 16 hours at the National Minimum or Living Wage)
• who aren’t receiving Tax Credits, Universal Credit or childcare vouchers
• with children aged 0 to 11 years (or 0 to 16 if disabled).

Your child will be eligible for TFC until the September following their 11th birthday, or 17th birthday if they are disabled.

Apply for Tax Free Childcare

Tax credits are coming to an end, and most people will need to apply for Universal Credit instead.

Look out for a letter called a Universal Credit Migration Notice from the Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) explaining what you’ll need to do, and by when.

If you are claiming tax credits and are of State Pension Age DWP will write to you to ask you to apply for Universal Credit or Pension Credit, depending on your circumstances.

You won’t be moved automatically, so it’s important to act quickly and follow the instructions in the letter, otherwise your benefits will stop.

If you receive a Migration Notice, meaning you need to go through the managed migration process, and you end up being entitled to less under Universal Credit than your current legacy benefits, you could be entitled to a temporary top-up payment so that you do not lose out. This is called a ‘transitional protection element’.

To continue to receive financial support, you will need to claim Universal Credit by the deadline stated in your Migration Notice letter, even if you have just renewed your tax credits claim. There may be some additional benefit to waiting until after 8 April 2024 to start your Universal Credit claim, this is because, around this date, most benefit rates will be increased by 6.7%.

To find out more about the support Ashford Advice can provide to help you switchover. Call 012233 626185