HOUSEHOLDS on Universal Credit could get free cash to help them pay bills this winter – here’s how.
Many people are having to borrow to help them cover essentials – but there’s help you could get that you don’t have to repay.
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Help for those on Universal Credit and other benefits ranges from council tax discounts to supermarket food vouchers.
Here we’ve rounded up all the help you could get and how to claim.
Check your benefit entitlement
Just because you get Universal Credit, it doesn’t mean that’ s all you can get.
Millions of Brits are missing out on benefits they’re entitled to adding up to billions of pounds in total unclaimed each year.
Benefit calculators can help you check what you could be entitled to.
For instance you might get extra cash if you’re looking after someone else or for housing costs.
There are several benefit checker tools you can use – here’s our guide.
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Get a council tax discount
Council tax is one of the biggest household bills and the most important – if you fall behind you could be asked to pay the entire yearly upfront.
Non-payment can also result in bailiffs visiting your home, court action or even imprisonment.
Paying this bill is a priority so if you’re struggling with it you should seek help straight away.
And you can also find help from charities like Citizens Advice.
Brits struggling can also get council tax debt written off using a little known rule.
Many don’t know that they could get a discount on their council tax bill, or be exempt from paying it altogether.
Reductions are available for those on low-incomes, people claiming certain benefits, those caring for others as well as other circumstances.
The amount your bill is reduced by can range from 25% off to 100% which would mean you pay nothing at all for this bill.
You can check out when you might get a council tax discount in our guide or contact your local council to check what support you can claim and apply.
Around 80% of households will get a £150 council tax rebate to help with the rising cost of living.
You’ll get it if you’re in council tax bands A-D, and a discretionary fund is also available for households not eligible or that need help on top and will give out payments of up to £150 too.
Here’s everything you need to know about the scheme.
Grant schemes
Low-income families may be eligible for charitable grants to cover housing costs.
As grants are typically different to loans, most do not have to be paid back.
Turn2Us has a tool that can help you check out grants available near you on its website.
You’ll need to enter some personal information like your postcode, your gender, and your age.
Energy suppliers are offering cash grants to those hardest hit by bills rises.
For instance British Gas is giving out up to £1,500 to struggling debt payers – check if you’re eligible here.
But the amount can vary according to your supplier and your circumstances so ask directly what’s on offer and how to apply.
Household Support Fund
Extra cash totalling £500m has been handed to councils to give out to struggling families.
The Household Support Fund previously included vouchers to spend in the supermarket and for buying kids clothes in one area and £100 cash in another.
The help you can get depends on you location and your circumstances.
You can find your local council using this tool and searching you postcode. to see what help is available near to you.
Cash for paying rent
There’s cash help for anyone struggling that’s available from your local council through the discretionary housing payment.
Anyone claiming Housing Benefit or the Housing Element of Universal Credit could be eligible if they are struggling with rent costs.
Each local authority dishes out the cash to those in need on a case-by-case basis and the amounts available can vary.
Here’s everything you need to know about who can get the cash and how to claim.
Welfare assistance scheme
Some councils also offer support through the welfare support fund, to help cover the costs of essentials, from buying new furniture to food vouchers.
An investigation by The Sun found that hard-up Brits can apply for help worth up to £1,000.
But exactly how much you get and what for will depend on where you live – and not all councils have this help.
Grants are given on a case-by-case basis and there will be a different application process depending on where in the country you live.
You can find out who your local council is by visiting the gov.uk website and get in touch with them about whether help is available in your area.
Cost of living payment – £326
Eight million households on means-tested benefits will get a £650 cost of living payment.
The payments will go to those on: Universal Credit, income-based Jobseeker’s Allowance (JSA), income-related Employment and Support Allowance (ESA), income support, Pension Credit.
The Department for Work and Pensions will make the payment in two lump sums, These are both tax-free and won’t affect your benefits, or count towards the benefit cap.
The first half of the cash has started to be paid from July 14 and most people should get it before July 31.
It comes as a separate payment to your normal benefit amount, and then a second instalment will follow some time in Autumn.
You will need to be on eligible benefits or have begun a successful claim which is later, as of May 25 2022 to get the first payment.
If you have a joint claim with a partner, both of you will get one payment of £650.
Anyone on working tax credit and child tax credit is also eligible but you’ll get the cash at later dates.
Further cost of living payments are coming too – but not in July.
Every household in the UK will be given £400 to help cover spiralling energy bills in Autumn, which are set to rise by hundreds of pounds more this winter.
Pensioners will get an extra £300 one-off payment during the coldest months, and six million people with disabilities will receive £150 in September.
Free school meals – up to £500 a year
If you’re claiming certain benefits including Universal Credit, JSA and Child Tax Credit then your child might be entitled to free school meals.
You will need to apply through your local authority so that they can apply for extra funding from the Government, while some councils ask you to contact the school directly.
Simply click here and type in your postcode to be redirected to your local council’s website and apply.
The exact amount you’ll get depends on where you are, but ranges from around £2.15 to £2.50 per day, or around £400-£500 each school year.
Over the school holidays many councils are giving out cash to help parents during the break – check out our guide.
Free milk, fruit and veg – up to £442
The Healthy Start scheme offers thousands of parents on low incomes help to feed their kids.
You get a prepaid card and payments worth up to £442 a year for those claiming certain benefits.
You can start getting the cash from 10 weeks pregnant up to when the child turns four.
The card can be used at major supermarkets and shops to but the following:
- cow’s milk
- fresh, frozen or tinned fruit and vegetables
- infant formula milk
- fresh, dried, and tinned pulses
Check out how to apply for the Healthy Start scheme in our guide.
Free £200 for school uniforms
It’s not just food costs that can add up quickly if you have kids.
You can get a grant of up top £200 to help cover the cost of school uniforms for the year ahead, depending on where you are.
As a general rule, those on income support, Universal Credit, JSA, child tax credit, ESA, and pension tax credit are entitled to support under Part IV of the Immigration and Asylum Act 1999.
You may also be eligible if your annual income is less than £16,190.
To apply enter your postcode on the Gov.uk website, which will direct you to your council’s website where you should search for “uniform grant” to find out what help is available in your area.
Water bill help – as much as £600
Some water companies offer bill help if you’re on a low income, or debt write-off schemes if you’re in arrears.
What you can get depends on your water company so you’ll need to contact them directly.
For instance one woman on Universal Credit slashed her bill by £600 a year thanks to a fund from Severn Trent water.
Many water companies also offer free water-saving devices that shave pounds off your bills.
Contact your supplier. Freebies include shower timers and buffalo bags, which save water with every flush. Check out savewatersavemoney.co.uk.
Large families on Universal Credit or other benefits may be eligible for a cap on their bills under the WaterSure scheme.
To qualify for the scheme you need to already have a water meter installed, and prove you need to use a lot of water.
Work from home cash
If you have worked from home even for just one day since the pandemic started, you could get tax back.
It’s worth up to £125 a year for the previous two years and you can make a claim for both if you haven’t already.
Millions of people have still not claimed the cash back but there’s still time to do it.
HMRC has a simple tool you can use to apply – here’s what yo need to do.
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