Energy bills are forecast to rocket in April when the government's temporary freeze on charges ends and Ofgem's price cap takes control of our bills once again.

With the cost of living still sky-high and rocketing food prices contributing to the crisis there are concerns many households will find 2023 a desperate struggle when it comes to making ends meet.

While state benefits and pensions will be paid out as normal in February - with no public holidays to complicate the payment process - what other help can struggling homes expect to get this month and what else is on the horizon?

We take a look at the benefits, pensions and cost of living support being paid-out this month and what's likely to be available in the near future.

State benefits and pensions

With no bank holidays to alter payment dates this month those entitled to state benefits and pension payments can expect to receive their money as normal. Among the payments to be made this month are:

Universal Credit

State Pension

Pension Credit

Disability Living Allowance

Personal Independence Payment

Attendance Allowance

Carer’s Allowance

Employment Support Allowance

Income Support

Jobseeker’s Allowance

Cold weather payments

Cold weather payments are made to vulnerable people, including pensioners, in England and Wales to help them cover the cost of higher heating bills when the temperature dips below freezing over seven consecutive days.

Despite a chilly end to January, the Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) says so far payments have most recently been triggered across parts of north-east England, Cumbria, west Wales and Oxfordshire.

But with weather watchers keeping a close eye on February's forecast and the likelihood of a return of a weather system that bought the Beast from the East there is a chance cold weather payments could be made this month if temperatures again plummet. Learn more about the scheme and who is entitled here.

Energy bills discount

Since October all households have been given help with rising energy bills through the energy bills support scheme. Announced by Rishi Sunak last spring during his role as Chancellor, the policy has given every home with a domestic energy contract £400 of extra help to put towards soaring gas and electric charges and is money that doesn't need to be paid back.

The money has been split across the six coldest winter months - with the first £66 instalment dispatched in October and again in November followed by £67 in December and January.

This month households can expect another £67 payout, arriving in the same way as the previous four payments, ahead of the final instalment in March at which point the scheme will end.

So far reports suggest that this, along with an end to the price cap on energy bills in April, will mark the end of government help for all households and instead attention will shift to just helping only the most vulnerable.

Cost of living support payments

Low-income households struggling to manage the cost of rising bills and hefty outgoings will get further help this year, promises the government, but they have some weeks to wait yet for their first deposit of cash.

Last year struggling households on certain means tested benefits were sent two payments of over £300 each to help them with the cost of living. A further £900 in cost of living support payments has been announced for 2023 and 2024 - which will again be split into periodic instalments.

The cash - which again won't need paying back - will be sent directly to bank accounts in three payments over the course of the next financial year - with £301 arriving in the spring with the exact date yet to be confirmed, followed by another £300 boost later this autumn ahead of a final £299 lump sum in spring 2024.

Healthy Start vouchers

Healthy Start cards are available to pregnant women and families with very young children - who claim certain means tested benefits - to help ensure they have enough money for adequate amounts of milk, fruit and vegetables.

Households can apply online for the cards here and can very quickly begin using the money each month - with some supermarkets such as Sainsbury's offering additional coupon top-ups to shoppers using the cards.

Money is added onto the cards automatically every four weeks and can range from just over £4 for every week of pregnancy, £8.50 a week if your baby is under one and £4.25 a week for children aged one to four.