Eight freebies and discounts you can get NOW on Universal Credit and benefits worth up to £4,800
HOUSEHOLDS on Universal Credit and other benefits can get freebies worth thousands of pounds to help with the cost of living.
Many benefit payments have recently jumped by 10.1% with the average family on Universal Credit seeing an extra £600 a year.
On top of this boost, there are even more freebies and discounts you can get NOW if you are on benefits.
If you claim all of them you could get up to £4,800.
Cost of living payment – £301
The government is dishing out £900 to millions of households on certain benefits, including Universal Credit and Pension Credit.
The full list of benefits that qualify people for the payment is:
- Universal Credit
- Income-based Jobseekers Allowance
- Income-related Employment and Support Allowance
- Income Support
- Working Tax Credit
- Child Tax Credit
- Pension credit
The payment has been split into three instalments worth £301, £300 and £299.
The second and third payments will be made, for most eligible people, in autumn 2023 and spring 2024, respectively.
The first instalment is already being paid – payments for the vast majority of people are being made between April 25 and May 17.
However, if you are on tax credits only, the payments are being made between May 2 and 9.
The money is tax-free and being paid automatically into bank accounts. But you should look out for a specific code.
Energy supplier grants – £1,500
There are plenty of energy grants and schemes open to help you out if you’re struggling.
The British Gas Energy Trust pays hard-up households up to £1,500 – and it doesn’t matter if you’re not a British Gas customer.
Ask your supplier what’s on offer and how to apply, or check here:
- British Gas Energy Trust Individuals and Family Fund
- British Gas Energy Trust
- EDF Customer Support Fund
- E.ON and E.ON Next Grants
- Octopus Energy Assist Fund
- OVO Energy
- Scottish Power Hardship Fund
Household Support Fund
The Government recently extended the Household Support Fund, with the latest batch of funding worth £842million.
The help is distributed by your local council, so you will need to get in touch with them to find out whether you are eligible and what you can get.
You can find what council area you fall under by using the government’s council locator tool.
In most cases, help is offered out to low income households or those on benefits.
The help usually comes in the form of vouchers or cash payments direct into your bank account.
One council is paying eligible residents £160 cash into their accounts, for example.
Free £500 if you’re pregnant
New mothers can get a £500 one-off payment to help towards the cost of having a child through the Sure Start Maternity Grant.
And because it’s a grant, you don’t have to pay it back either. The full list of benefits that qualify you for it are:
- Income Support
- income-based Jobseeker’s Allowance
- income-related Employment and Support Allowance
- Pension Credit
- Child Tax Credit
- Working Tax Credit that includes a disability or severe disability element
- Universal Credit
- Support for Mortgage Interest loan (in some cases)
Your income, or the amount you get from these payments or benefits, doesn’t matter.
You can be eligible for the grant even if you are already looking after children under the age of 16.
But the child that you’re caring for must be someone else’s and the child was over 12-months-old when the arrangement started.
You can also get the cash payment if you’re adopting a child or becoming a surrogate parent.
Free prescriptions and dental treatment
You can get help covering the cost of dental or other health treatments, including prescriptions.
Those on the following benefits can get free prescriptions for example:
- Income Support
- Income-based Jobseeker’s Allowance
- Income-related Employment and Support Allowance
- Pension Credit Guarantee Credit
- Universal Credit (but you have to meet the criteria)
You can also get help with the cost of glasses, contact lenses and money for travel costs for treatment.
For further information on eligibility, you can check out the NHS’ website.
Water-saving devices and bill help
Some water companies offer water-saving devices that can help you cut the cost of your bills.
The best thing to do is check with your supplier what help you might be able to get.
The types of freebies you can get include shower timers and buffalo bags, which save water when you flush the toilet.
For more information on the help you can get, you should check out savewatersavemoney.co.uk.
Meanwhile, families on Universal Credit and other benefits may be eligible for a cap on their bills under the WaterSure scheme.
But to qualify you will need to have had a water meter installed and prove you need to use a lot of water.
For example, if you have three or more children under the age of 19 living in the house.
Free milk, fruit and veg
You can get hold of free milk, fruit and veggies through the Healthy Start Scheme.
Under the scheme, you get a prepaid card and payments worth up to £442 a year, if you are on certain benefits.
You can start getting the cash from ten weeks pregnant up to when your child turns four.
You can use the card to buy cow’s milk, fresh, frozen or tinned fruit and vegetables, instant formula milk, fresh, dried, and tinned pulses at major supermarkets and shops.
Council tax discounts
Households up and down England saw their council tax bills rise by up to 15% from April.
But you can get a discount on the bill if you are on a low income.
In some cases, you can even get your bill reduced to zero too, and with the average bill for a B and D home at £1,966, you could end up saving a massive amount.
The amount of discount you are entitled to varies depending on where you live, as local councils decide how to allocate them.
That means you have to apply through your local authority, which you can do on the Government’s website.
Do you have a money problem that needs sorting? Get in touch by emailing money-sm@news.co.uk