FAMILIES can get up to £430 of free cash to beat the January blues by helping them with bill payments.
Many people will have splashed out in recent weeks as Christmas is an expensive time and the cost of living is rising – so you might need extra help with essential expenses this month.
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If you’re struggling with money, there are government schemes you can apply for to help you pay your gas and electricity bills during colder weather.
This could be particularly necessary this year as many households are facing rocketing energy bills.
There are also ways to save on your internet and phone bills if you’re having a hard time covering the cost.
Many of the schemes are means-tested, which means you’ll need to be in receipt of other benefits already in order to be eligible.
But we’ve also included top tips on how everyone can reduce their bills in January.
We explain how to get up to £430 in free cash that could help cover your bills this year.
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Cold weather payment – up to £25 a week
The cold weather payment is a £25 payout that some households will receive when temperatures plummet.
Benefits claimants will get the discount when the mercury in their area falls below zero degrees Celsius for seven consecutive days between November and March.
You don’t need to apply for the cold weather payment as it’s handed out automatically.
You can check if your area has had a cold weather payment by entering your postcode into the government’s tool from November 1 onward.
Warm home discount – up to £140 a year
The Warm Home Discount Scheme is a one-off payment of £140 to help with your energy costs.
It is usually paid directly to your energy supplier which will then apply the discount to your bills.
If you have a pre-payment meter, you’ll be sent a £140 voucher instead.
You can then use that to top up your account.
The discount is applied between October and March and can also be used towards a gas bill if you have the same supplier for both gas and electricity.
Household Support Fund – up to £250 payment
Families struggling this winter can get financial aid through the Household Support Fund.
The scheme allows hard-up households to apply for help with bills and other essentials under the £500million government programme.
Councils were given the funding back in October to dish out help to families most in need of it, and there’s still time to apply.
It’s a postcode lottery though, as the amount you can claim and the deadline date differs across the country.
A Sun investigation found that some councils are offering as much as £285.
Families who live in the North Yorkshire County Council catchment area can claim a £125 voucher to help pay for food and other essentials.
If you apply in time, you will get a £125 voucher and a separate voucher worth the same amount in January next year – which means you can get up to £250 cash in total.
Meanwhile, families can get up to £120 in vouchers that can be put towards paying off prepayment meter energy bills if they live in North Northamptonshire.
And thousands of families can get £200 cash if they live in Birmingham as part of help from the scheme.
You should ask your local council what help is available in your area and what the eligibility requirements are.
Use the gov.uk website to find your local authority area.
Free mobile data – £15 a month
You can get free mobile data through a new scheme to help more Brits get connected.
Virgin Media O2 has launched a National Databank with 319million hours of internet use to be donated to more than 200,000 people.
The scheme was trialled over the summer and has been in action since November, with more people set to benefit in 2022.
Through the National Databank, community groups can access free O2 data voucher codes worth 15GB for those in need, as well as O2 SIM cards.
It is up to individual community groups to decide who to allocate the vouchers, worth around £15 a month to.
The cost of mobile data can change but currently O2 charges £15 a month for unlimited calls and texts and £15GB of data.
You can find a centre near you here, you should contact them directly about the scheme.
Other ways to save money
If you’re not eligible for any of the above schemes, there are still ways you can save money on bills this month.
First of all, you should check that you’re getting all of the benefits that you can claim.
You can do this by using a benefits checker, like the one provided by Turn2Us.
The charity also provides a grant search tool, so you can find out if there are any other money pots you might be eligible for help from.
If you’re really struggling to pay your household bills or have found yourself in debt, you should speak to your supplier.
They might be able to help you with a payment plan to make the situation more manageable.
Another way to save some money could be to compare bills and switch to a cheaper deal.
This won’t work for gas and electricity at the moment as cheaper fixed deals have been taken off the market – the energy price cap is probably going to be the best you can find.
But it could be worthwhile for other expenses such as your phone, internet and insurance bills.
Finally, you can check out our top tips to reduce your energy expenditure to help you save cash.
Martin Lewis reveals how households will pay 40% more for steeper energy bills next year
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