MILLIONS of households on Universal Credit can get up to £1,880 in free cash every month to cover the cost of living.
The cost of everyday essentials is still stubbornly high, with inflation sitting at 6.7% in August, well over the Bank of England’s 2% target.
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But if you’re on benefits and struggling to make ends meet, there’s a host of help on offer every month – and you don’t have to pay it back.
From free childcare, to council tax rebates, here’s all the freebies you can get on Universal Credit every month.
1. Free childcare – £1,630
If you’re on Universal Credit and working you can claim back up to 85% of your childcare costs every month.
You can also claim if you have a job offer in the pipeline.
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The most eligible households can receive is £950.92 for one child and £1,630.15 for two or more children.
In a massive win for The Sun’s Make Universal Credit Work campaign, payments are now made upfront rather than having to be clawed back.
Parents can also take advantage of other childcare support whether they are claiming Universal Credit or not, including up to 30 hours free childcare.
2. Council tax discount – £130
Households on Universal Credit can apply for a council tax discount worth up to 100%.
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But, crucially, what level of discount you are entitled to varies depending on where you live.
This is because each local authority has its own eligibility criteria for reductions.
You should get in touch with your local council to find out what help is on offer.
You can find what council area you fall under by using the Government’s council locator tool on its website.
When it comes to applying for the discount, you will need your National Insurance number, bank statements, a recent payslip or letter from the Jobcentre and a passport or driving licence to hand.
The average council tax bill per home will be £1,578 a year in 2023/24, or £131.50 a month, so you could save a fair amount with a reduction.
3. Healthy Start – £36
The Healthy Start scheme is available to new or expectant parents on certain benefits, including Universal Credit, and designed to cover the cost of food.
If eligible, you receive a prepaid card which is loaded with free cash every four weeks and can be used in a number of retailers.
The maximum amount you can receive is £442 a year, but you have to be over 10 weeks pregnant or have a child under four to qualify.
Meanwhile, you can only use the card if you are buying:
- plain liquid cow’s milk
- fresh, frozen, and tinned fruit and vegetables
- fresh, dried, and tinned pulses
- infant formula milk based on cow’s milk
- Healthy Start vitamins – for during pregnancy and breastfeeding
- vitamin drops for babies and young children – suitable from birth to four years old
4. Help to Save – £25
Those on Universal Credit can receive a free cash boost by putting money into a Help to Save account.
Under the scheme, you receive a 50p bonus for every £1 you put into the account, up to a maximum of £50 a month.
If you save the maximum amount every month, that’s a £25 bonus.
However, you can only withdraw your bonus after two or four years of holding an account.
You don’t have to add money to the account every month, but of course this means your bonus will be smaller at the end of the 24 or 48 months.
5. Free prescriptions – £19
You can get help covering the cost of prescriptions if you’re on Universal Credit and earning below a certain amount.
You have to be on the benefit and either had no earnings or net earnings of £435 or less in your last assessment period on the day you claim.
You also qualify if you receive a child element, or you or your partner had a limited capability for work or limited capability for work and work-related activity and you either had no earnings or net earnings of £935 or less in your last assessment period.
If you are eligible, you need to show a copy of your Universal Credit award where you pick up your prescription.
The current cost of a prescription is £9.65 per item, so if you ordered twice a month, you’d be bagging £19.30 worth of freebies a month.
6. Free school meals – £40
If you’re claiming benefits, including Universal Credit, your child could be eligible for free school meals.
The application process is different depending on where you live though.
Some local authorities ask you to apply through them, while others ask you to contact the school directly.
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Again, you can find what council authority you fall under by using the Government’s locator tool.
The exact amount you could claw back varies, but you could get up to the equivalent of £500 a year or around £40 a month.
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