All the major changes affecting your money in April - including new DWP cost of living payment

A series of financial changes will come into place as we start the new tax year in April.

Many can expect to see some key benefit rule changes as well as increases to payments and wages. Meanwhile, other utility bills such as gas, electricity, water, and broadband will face a series of increases.

Taxes will also be subjected to change in April, covering income tax and council tax which will have a direct effect on people's financial situations. It can be hard to keep track of all the changes coming next month, so we've broken everything down for you.

Read more: DWP confirms qualifying dates for £301 cost of living payment

Here are all the key changes and dates that you should be aware of for April 2023...

Parts of the help to buy scheme which was to help first-time buyers for houses will come to an end in England. It initially provided extra financial help for those concerned with rising house prices and interest rates.

The energy bill support scheme will come to an end, which will result in a monthly increase of roughly £70 on average. It's important to note that this has been buffered somewhat by the energy price guarantee which will remain in place.

The large majority of local authorities in the UK will raise council tax by just under 5 per cent. For an average Band D property, this will result in a £100 increase.

The National Living Wage and National Minimum wage will rise for workers across the country. You will receive one of the following increases depending on your situation:

Households across the country will face the largest increase to water bills in almost 20 years. According to Water UK, an increase of 7.5 per cent would results in an average price rise of £448 a year.

It means customers will pay around