11 money changes coming in November including Autumn Statement and Ofgem update

01 November 2023 , 07:22

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We round up all the November money changes (Image: Getty Images)

November is set to be a big month for your personal finances, with the Autumn Statement set to be delivered by Jeremy Hunt.

Reports suggest the Chancellor is unlikely to unveil any sweeping tax cuts, although he could be set to reveal further help for first-time buyers, as well as make changes to ISAs. We won’t know exactly how the Autumn Statement will affect your wallet until the day of the announcement.

On top of this, more cost of living payments will be handed out in November and the cold weather payment scheme will return for this winter. There will also be changes to Disney+ prices and new Royal Mail surcharges.

Ofgem will also announce its price cap for next January, which will have a direct impact on your energy bill. Here is everything you need to know.

Cold Weather Payments - November 1

Cold Weather Payments are worth £25 and are awarded when the average temperature where you live is recorded as, or forecast to be, 0C or below over seven consecutive days. The scheme reopens in England and Wales on November 1 and will run until March 31 next year.

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You need to be claiming certain benefits or Support for Mortgage Interest to be eligible for a Cold Weather Payment. If you live in Scotland, you might be entitled to an annual £50 Winter Heating Payment instead.

Disney+ price hike - November 1

Disney+ is raising prices for UK customers from November 1. The streaming service currently has one subscription plan which costs £7.99 a month, or £79.90 if you pay for the year upfront - but from next month, everyone on this package will see their price rise to £10.99 a month, or £109.90 for the year, and this will be called the “premium“ plan.

There will be two new cheaper packages introduced, which you can choose to downgrade to. The “standard with ads” plan will cost £4.99 a month - there is no annual fee option - while there will be a “standard“ package which costs £7.99 a month, or £79.90 for the year (the same price as its current deal now).

Customers who choose not to switch will be billed the most expensive “premium” price starting from their next billing cycle on or after December 6. The content will be the same across all three plans, but the picture quality and the number of devices you can stream and download on to will differ.

Interest rates - November 2

The Bank of England will announce whether interest rates will go up again on November 2. The central bank held its base rate at 5.25% on September 21 - giving relief to homeowners following fourteen rate hikes in a row.

Before this, the Bank had been putting up its base rate at every meeting of its Monetary Policy Committee since December 2021. The base rate is what the Bank of England charges other banks and lenders - this in turn then influences the rates you are charged as a customer when you borrow money.

If interest rates are higher, you'll pay more to borrow on products like variable rate mortgages - but the flip side is, savings rates should go up.

Royal Mail green surcharge - November 6

Royal Mail is adding a "green" surcharge to the cost of posting letters and parcels from November 6. The 2p green surcharge will affect its business customers, rather than directly hitting regular consumer customers.

However, there are fears companies may increase costs for customers to make up the extra charge. The surcharge will apply against:

Royal Mail Special Delivery Guaranteed by 9am, 1pm and end of the day Sunday
Royal Mail Tracked 24 and Royal Mail Tracked 48
Royal Mail 24 and Royal Mail 48
Special Delivery Guaranteed Returns
Royal Mail Tracked Returns

Inflation - November 15

The Office for National Statistics (ONS) will release the inflation rate for the 12 months to October on November 15. Consumer Price Index (CPI) inflation is a figure used to explain how much the prices of goods and services have increased over time.

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When inflation is high, it means prices have risen more sharply and you’re getting less for your money than before. CPI inflation stuck at 6.7% in the 12 months to September. At its worst point, inflation hit a 41-year high of 11.1% in October last year.

Cost of living payment - November 19

Most people should receive the next cost of living payment, worth £300, by November 19. If you claim benefits from the Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) then the payments start from October 31.

For those claiming HMRC Tax Credits only, they will be paid between November 10 and November 19. To get the payment, you need to be claiming one of the following benefits during the qualifying period:

Income-based Jobseeker’s Allowance
Income-related Employment and Support Allowance
Income Support
Pension Credit
Tax Credits (Child Tax Credit and Working Tax Credit)
Universal Credit
Child Tax Credit
Working Tax Credit

You need to have been entitled to a payment between August 18 and September 17 , or entitled to a payment for an assessment period ending between these dates.

Royal Mail peak time surcharge - November 20

Royal Mail will also introduce a "peak" surcharge to cover the busy Christmas period from November 20 until January 7. The surcharge will be between 5p and 10p depending on what type of parcel or letter is being sent.

Again, it will affect business customers rather than regular household customers. The surcharge will apply against:

Royal Mail Special Delivery Guaranteed by 9am, 1pm and end of the day Sunday (10p for both parcel and large letter)
Royal Mail Tracked 24 and Royal Mail Tracked 48 (10p for parcel, 5p for large letter)
Royal Mail 24 and Royal Mail 48 (10p for parcel, 5p for large letter)
Special Delivery Guaranteed Returns (10p for both parcel and large letter)
Royal Mail Tracked Returns (10p for both parcel and large letter)

Autumn Statement - November 22

Chancellor Jeremy Hunt will deliver his Autumn Statement on November 22. We don't know for sure what the package of measures he'll announce will include just yet, but reports claim he could extend the mortgage guarantee scheme by another year.

The scheme allows first-time buyers to take out a mortgage with a 5% deposit - the Government then promises to cover some costs if your lender loses money, for example, if the property is repossessed.

Other help for first-time buyers reportedly being considered by the Treasury includes a new ISA product specifically for people saving to buy a property. Jeremy Hunt is also reported to be considering merging cash ISAs and stocks and shares ISAs, as well as introducing an additional tax-free ISA allowance for investing in UK companies.

Ofgem price cap - November 23

Ofgem will announce its next price cap on November 23 - this will affect energy prices from January 1 to March 31. The energy regulator has just changed how it calculates its price cap, due to people using less gas and electricity as a way to save money.

Its old calculations were based on the average household using 2,900 kilowatt hour (kWh) of electricity and 12,000 kWh of gas over 12 months. This has now been reduced to 2,700 kWh of electricity and 11,500 kWh of gas.

Based on the old methodology, the price cap is currently set at £1,923 a year, but with the new figures (which Ofgem will be using going forward) Ofgem says the price cap is £1,834 a year. But it's important to remember there isn’t a total cap on how much you can pay for energy.

This headline figure is used illustrate what someone with typical usage is likely to pay over a year. You can end up paying more or less, depending on how much energy you use - as well as how you pay your bill.

Black Friday - November 24

Black Friday will take place on November 24, with Cyber Monday falling on November 27 - but deals normally start popping up way before these dates. If you're looking for a bargain, make sure you always compare prices online first so you don't get ripped off.

While there will be genuine deals to be had, last year we revealed how some popular products were up to 86% more expensive on Black Friday in 2021, compared to just weeks earlier.

Use websites such as Price Spy, Idealo or CamelCamelCamel to track costs from thousands of different retailers, including Argos, Amazon, eBay and the supermarkets.

Winter Fuel Payment - throughout November

Most eligible state pensioners who are due to receive a Winter Fuel Payment will receive the cash in November or December. The Winter Fuel Payment itself is worth up to £300, depending on your living arrangements and circumstances.

But the Government is then topping this up with an extra £300 pensioner cost of living payment - meaning some households will get up to £600 this winter. You can get a Winter Fuel Payment for winter 2023/24 if you were born before September 25, 1957.

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 between September 18 to September 24, 2023. Most people who receive the following benefits will get the Winter Fuel Payment automatically: