JANUARY can be a tough time financially but there are a number of ways to top up your bank account.
Millions of households are contending with stubbornly high energy bills and mortgage costs as budgets take a hit.
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But from claiming benefits, to renting out unused space, there are a multitude of ways to earn extra cash and ease some of the burden.
Here’s nine ways you can boost your bank in January.
Pension credit – £290 a month
Pension credit is a Government benefit designed to top up your income if you’re over state pension age and on a low income.
It also opens up other perks such as a free TV licence, cost of living payments and housing benefit.
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But the latest Government figures reveal around 850,000 eligible households aren’t claiming it when they could be.
The average award is worth £3,500 a year, or £290 a month, so is well worth looking into if you’ve not already.
You can make a claim for pension credit up to four months before reaching state pension age via the Government’s website and can backdate any claims by up to three months.
That means you can get up to three months of the benefit in your first payment.
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Energy grants – up to £1,500
Several major energy firms offer customers struggling with bills up to £1,500 in free cash.
British Gas, Octopus Energy, E.ON and EDF are among some of the firms offering the support.
But you usually have to prove you are in financial difficulty and struggling to pay your bills to receive any help.
Meanwhile, how much you can get, as well as any added freebies, depends on the supplier you are with.
Octopus Energy and Ovo Energy, for example, are both handing out thousands of free electric blankets this winter.
Fuel vouchers – £50
Customers on prepayment meters, usually the most vulnerable, can get a one-off voucher to top up if they’re struggling.
The Fuel Bank Foundation charity’s fuel voucher scheme is offered through a range of organisations including food banks and Citizens Advice.
Your first port of call about getting one of the vouchers should be your local council.
You can find yours by typing your postcode into the Government’s council locator tool online.
Meanwhile, some energy companies issue their own vouchers, so it’s worth checking in with yours about any help that might be available.
Switch bank account – £175
Banks and building societies regularly offer cash bonuses to customers switching across their current account.
All you have to do is make the switch using the Current Account Switch Service (CASS).
It usually only takes minutes to get started too.
Not only are switches great for earning extra cash, they can open up more competitive savings accounts or better overdrafts.
For example, First Direct is currently offering anyone who signs up to its 1st Account £175, and access to a 7% savings account.
Switchers will also open up a £250 0% overdraft.
Rent out your spare space – up to £130
You might not think it, but there’s a host of websites which pay you to rent out your spare space.
Ashish Jain revealed to The Sun how he makes around £130 a month renting out his spare garage as storage.
It took him just minutes to set up a profile and he received his first booking in just days, describing the side hustle as a “no-brainer”.
Meanwhile, a pensioner described how she makes hundreds of pounds a month renting out her driveway.
You could also make some extra money renting out your entire property via Airbnb, or a spare room via Spareroom.co.uk.
Sell old furniture – up to £1,000 per item
Why not top up your budget by selling any old furniture you no longer need.
Antiques dealer Brad West previously revealed to The Sun five pieces in your home that could earn you hundreds of pounds.
Coffee tables, chairs, lamps, desks and mid-century sideboards can all sell for up to £1,000.
Of course, make sure you spruce any old furniture up to ensure you can get the best price.
Complete online surveys – up to £100
Sites such as Swagbucks, Toluna and i-Say offer you cash just to fill out online surveys.
The surveys are distributed based on your personal circumstances, like where you live and your interests, and usually take around 10 to 15 minutes to complete.
If you qualify for surveys and check in regularly, you could make around £5 an hour, or £100 a month.
It’s a side hustle which can usually be fit around a full-time job and done in your own time too.
Payments are usually made via PayPal once you’ve reached a certain threshold, but check carefully, as this can vary from site to site.
However, as a general rule, steer clear of survey sites where you have to pay to be a member.
Sell on phones – £200 an hour
“Flipping” phones, when you buy them on the cheap and resell them for more, can earn you hundreds of pounds at a time.
The side hustle takes minimal effort too.
Londoner Eliot Davey revealed to The Sun how he can earn £600 in three hours, all from the comfort of his sofa doing it.
The 25-year-old said he uses the app Twig online, but there are others you can use too.
Even if you don’t want to buy and resell phones on a regular basis, you could always make some extra money selling your old model on websites like Mazuma Mobile.
Deliver food – £7 to £13 an hour
Signing up to food delivery platforms Just Eat, Deliveroo and Uber Eats as a driver is a great way to bag extra cash fast.
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You don’t need a car either, just an electric bike, moped or bicycle to earn up to £13 an hour.
Make sure you do your research beforehand to figure out which platforms pay best though.
You can also join our new Sun Money Facebook group to share stories and tips and engage with the consumer team and other group members.
