BRITS on Universal Credit could get half price off their bus and train fares this Christmas and see their families without struggling for cash.
The Jobcentre Plus travel card is a little known way for those claiming the benefit to get on public transport and spend 50% less on tickets.
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It’s only available to those who are unemployed but looking for work who also claim Jobseekers Allowance.
You’ll also have needed to have claimed Universal Credit for three to nine months if you’re aged between 18 and 24 years’ old.
For those aged 25 or older, you must have claimed the benefit for three to 12 months to be eligible for the discount.
You’ll be able to use it on tickets to get back home for Christmas to see friends and family – and cards are valid for up to three months.
The discount will come in handy as households claiming Universal Credit saw their payments slashed by £20 a week earlier in October.
This is when the temporary £80 a month uplift given to families over the Covid crisis came to an end.
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Experts estimate that the cut will push over 2.3million people claiming the benefit into debt, as households battle against a cost of living crisis.
Energy bills have surged, food prices have hiked and petrol has gone up as inflation adds hundreds of pounds onto Brits’ bills.
How do I get one?
Just because you claim Universal Credit doesn’t mean you will automatically get the discount card.
You’ll need to ask your local Jobcentre whether you can get one as staff hand them out on a case-by-case basis at the discretion of the work coaches.
Unfortunately, there’s no way of appealing if your application for a card is turned down.
You can find your nearest Jobcentre via Gov.uk.
How else can I get money off my travel?
There are other ways to save cash on your travel costs.
Instead of buying a ticket that goes directly to your destination, you could save money by splitting your journey up.
There are websites and apps that can help you to do this, such as TrainPal, Split Ticketing and Trainsplit.
Cashback websites can also help you get money back when you buy tickets.
For example, TopCashback has an offer where you can get up to £10 cash back when you book tickets through Trainline.
Buying a railcard could be a good option if you travel a lot.
In total there are nine types of railcard available – you can check them all out on railcard.co.uk’s website.
Most of them cost £30 each and you can save a third on your fares.
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