MILLIONS of households can get over £6,500 in free cash – and they don’t have to pay it back.
The cost of living remains an ongoing concern across the UK, so it’s important you take up any help you are entitled to.
Those on Universal Credit qualify for a whole raft of freebies and discounts which could leave them thousands of pounds better off.
A claim for the benefit if you are single and under 25 is worth up to £311.68 a month – almost £4,000 a year.
The exact extra help you can get from claiming Universal Credit varies depending on your circumstances.
But, if you are eligible for all of it, it could give you a boost worth up to £6,531 a year.
Here’s how each one works and how to claim the help.
Households struggling with the cost of living can claim free cash via the Household Support Fund.
The scheme was first launched in 2021 and has been extended multiple times since.
The latest round is worth £421million and has been shared between councils in England.
Those councils then decide how to distribute their share of the fund among residents in need.
That means what you can get depends on where you live.
In many cases, help is offered to households on benefits or a low income, but that’s not always the case.
Help includes free cash, grocery vouchers, or white goods.
The amount you are entitled to will vary depending on the area you live in too and each council will have a different application process.
To find your local council, use the gov.uk council finder tool.
HERE'S all you need to know about applying for Universal Credit.
You’ll need to apply to the new welfare system via the Gov.UK website, starting by setting up an online account.
To make an account, you’ll need an email address and a phone number.
After that, you’ll need to answer a set of questions about your current circumstances, known as your “to do list”.
These include things like when you last received payment for a job, what your household income is and how many people depend on you financially.
If you’ve lost your job, Citizens Advice recommends that you don’t apply until you’ve received your final wages or any final holiday pay.
This is because any money you receive after you’ve applied for Universal Credit will count as income and mean that you’re entitled to less in your first payment.
You will then need to confirm your identity online.
In certain circumstances, you’ll be able to apply over the phone, such as those who don’t have regular access to the internet, are visually impaired, or have a physical condition that stops you from using a computer or smartphone.
To do this, you will need to contact the Universal Credit helpline to ask if you can apply by phone or arrange a home visit.
In this case, someone can call them on your behalf if you can’t do it yourself.
For example, residents in Herefordshire can get supermarket vouchers or cash grants worth up to £500.
Meanwhile, residents in Medway can get supermarket vouchers worth £225.
Childcare costs are paid upfront for many parents after a major change.
It’s a huge win for The Sun’s Make Universal Credit Work campaign, and around 120,000 families on Universal Credit who are eligible for childcare payments will benefit.
The amount of cash parents can claim is £1,014 for one child and £1,739 for two or more children.
But it’s important to note that while the new rates came into force earlier this summer, most won’t see their payments rise until August.
Parents may also be able to take advantage of other childcare support, whether you’re claiming Universal Credit or not, including up to 30 hours of free childcare.
Some new parents can get £500 in free cash through a pretty unknown scheme.
The Sure Start Maternity Grant is a payment that comes from the Government and is issued to new or expectant parents.
The money is designed to help you cover the costs of having a child.
You usually qualify if you’re pregnant with your first child or are expecting a multiple birth (such as twins) and have children already.
Either you or your partner must also be receiving any of the below benefits:
You may also qualify if you are receiving Support for a Mortgage Interest loan.
Your income or the amount you get of any of these payments or benefits doesn’t matter but there are also exceptions to these rules.
For example, you can usually only get one of the grants if you have no other children under 16.
But you might be able to get the £500 if you are expecting twins, the child you’re caring for is someone else’s or you’re claiming for a family member who is under 16.
You can make a claim for the grant by filling in the Sure Start Maternity Grant (SF100) claim form.
You have to claim the grant within 11 weeks of the baby’s due date or within six months of its birth.
For more information head over to the government website.
The Restart Scheme is designed to help those who’ve been on Universal Credit for more than a year and launched last year.
It can help cover the costs associated with finding a job, including travel, childcare and other expenses.
If you’re on the scheme ask the provider or your work coach about how to claim.
The Flexible Support Fund is a pot of money that has been put aside by the government to help you with the costs of getting a job.
The fund is managed by local job centres and can be used to cover the following costs of job hunting:
You can find out more about how to apply in our guide.
The Jobcentre Plus travel card is available for free and cuts the cost of travelling on public transport, including buses and trains, by 50%.
If you’re on the scheme ask the provider or your work coach about how to claim.
The Flexible Support Fund is a pot of money that has been put aside by the government to help you with the costs of getting a job.
The fund is managed by local job centres and can be used to cover the following costs of job hunting:
You can find out more about how to apply in our guide.
The Jobcentre Plus travel card is available for free and cuts the cost of travelling on public transport, including buses and trains, by 50%.
All train operators in England, Scotland and Wales accept the discount and cards are valid for up to three months.
But just because you’re on benefits, it doesn’t mean you’ll automatically get one – they’re handed out by Jobcentre staff on a case-by-case basis at the discretion of the work coaches.
To find out if you qualify for the boost, speak to your work coach at your nearest Jobcentre, which you can find via Gov.uk.
Not everyone is in a position to save, but if you are it’s worth getting a specific account that offers a generous bonus.
With the Help to Save account, anyone on Universal Credit can put away between £1 and £50 every month and you get a 50% bonus on top.
If you save the maximum amount over four years you can get a sum of £1,200 from the government, topping up your own savings of £2,400.
But you can still get some of the bonus even by saving a small amount – check out how it works.
New or expectant parents can get up to £442 worth of free food a year through the relatively unknown Healthy Start scheme.
It’s open to anyone more than 10 weeks pregnant or with a child under four years old and on benefits.
If eligible, you are issued a Healthy Start card which you can use in a number of supermarkets and retailers.
You can use the card to buy plain liquid cow’s milk, fresh, frozen and tinned fruit and vegetables, fresh, dried and tinned pulses and infant formula milk.
You can also use it to purchase vitamins and vitamin drops for your baby or young child.
The maximum amount you can get your card topped up by is £8.50 a week, which totals £442 a year.
You will also normally need to be claiming one of the following benefits:
However, you can also apply for the scheme if you are under 18 and not on any benefits.
Recent figures suggest over 200,000 parents across the UK are missing out on the help, so why not see if you’re eligible and save yourself some money?
For more on the scheme and how to apply you can go on the government website.
Alternatively, you can print out a paper form from the Healthy Start website or request one from your GP or midwife.
There’s also an option to request one from the healthy start helpline on 0345 607 6823.
Several suppliers offer energy bill help through hardship funds and give out grants.
These can be worth up to £2,000 and you don’t need to repay the cash.
British Gas has a hardship fund for struggling households – and you don’t have to be a customer to apply.
The cash can be used to pay off energy bill arrears, but you need to get debt advice first to be eligible – find out more about how to apply.
Other suppliers including Octopus Energy and E.On have schemes too.
Check with yours directly to see what they offer. Eligibility and how much you get can vary between them.
Do you have a money problem that needs sorting? Get in touch by emailing money-sm@news.co.uk.
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