MILLIONS of people are struggling – but checking that you’re getting all the freebies you’re entitled to could help you to make ends meet.
Households getting Universal Credit and benefits could get extra help, like special discounts and free food among other support.
PAMillions of households could be entitled to freebies worth more than £5,000[/caption]
If you’re feeling the pinch then the extra cash and vouchers could give you a much needed boost on top of your existing payments.
Millions of households have already the first £301 cost of living payment, and another payment is to come this month.
And there are plenty of funds and grants that could offer a helping hand too.
All the freebies listed below are worth around £5,592, but of course, you might not be entitled to all the cash.
Here we round up what you could get and how to claim.
£150 disability cost of living payment
More than six million people will get a one-off £150 cost of living payment paid straight into their bank accounts.
The payment is meant to help with the extra costs disabled people in particular often face, such as care and mobility needs.
The tax-free cash will be paid between June 20 and July 4, the Department for Work and Pensions said.
You have to be receiving certain benefits to qualify for the £150 cost of living payment. These are:
Disability Living AllowancePersonal Independence PaymentAttendance AllowanceScottish Disability Benefits (Adult Disability Payment and Child Disability Payment)Armed Forces Independence PaymentConstant Attendance AllowanceWar Pension Mobility Supplement
A small number of people will see the £150 land in their accounts after July 4.
This will apply if you were awaiting confirmation of your eligibility for the qualifying benefits on April 1.
Energy bill grants – up to £1,500
Several suppliers offer energy bill help through hardship funds and give out grants.
These can be worth up to £1,500 and you don’t need to repay the cash.
British Gas has a hardship fund for struggling households – and you don’t have to be a customer to apply.
The cash can be used to pay off energy bill arrears, but you need to get debt advice first to be eligible – find out more about how to apply.
Other suppliers are also offering similar help to their own customers.
Check with yours directly to see what they offer. Eligibility and how much you get can vary between them.
Household Support Fund – up to £1,000
The Government recently extended the Household Support Fund, with the latest batch of funding worth £842million.
The help is distributed by your local council, so you will need to get in touch with them to find out whether you are eligible and what you can get.
You can find what council area you fall under by using the government’s council locator tool.
In most cases, help is offered out to low income households or those on benefits.
The help usually comes in the form of vouchers or cash payments direct into your bank account.
One council is paying eligible residents up to £1,000 cash into their accounts, for example.
Free school meals
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.
Visit the government website 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 milkfresh, frozen or tinned fruit and vegetablesinfant formula milkfresh, dried, and tinned pulses
Check out how to apply for the Healthy Start scheme in our guide.
Free £300 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 £300 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.
Free £500 if you’re pregnant
You may be able to get a one off payment worth £500 to help towards the costs of having a child through the Sure Start Maternity Grant.
You don’t have to pay it back and you can find out who’s eligible in our guide.
You’ll qualify for the grant if you’re already claiming benefits and you’re expecting your first child, or expecting twins or triplets and have children already.
New parents must claim the grant within 11 weeks of the baby’s due date or within six months after the baby is born.
To claim, you’ll need to print out and fill in the Sure Start Maternity Grant (SF100) claim form.
A health professional such as a doctor or midwife must also sign it before you post it to Freepost DWP SSMG.
Up to £1,200 bonus for saving
Not everyone is in a position to save, but of you are it’s worth getting a specific account that offers a generous bonus.
With the Help to Save account, anyone on Universal Credit can put away between £1 and £50 every month and you get a 50% bonus on top.
If you save the maximum amount over four years you can get a sum of £1,200 from the government, topping up your own savings of £2,400.
But you can still get some of the bonus even by saving a small amount – check out how it works.
Water saving devices and bill help
Many water companies 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.
You also need to have three or more children under the age of 19 living in the house, and receive child benefit for them.
You can find out more about the scheme in our guide.
Free prescriptions and dental treatment
You could also get help with covering health costs, such as paying for your prescriptions and dental treatment.
To claim, you’ll need to show a copy of your Universal Credit award notice.
You won’t be able to claim on health costs before you were deemed eligible for the Universal Credit.
If you’re entitled to claim, you could get free NHS prescriptions, dental treatment, sight tests, wigs and fabric supports.
NHS prescriptions currently cost £9.65 in the UK.
You could also get help with the cost of glasses and contact lenses and money for travel costs for treatment.
The NHS has outlined more information on how to go about claiming here.
Council tax discounts
Households up and down England saw their council tax bills rise by up to 15% from April.
But you can get a discount on the bill if you are on a low income.
In some cases, you can even get your bill reduced to zero too, and with the average bill for a B and D home at £1,966, you could end up saving a massive amount.
The amount of discount you are entitled to varies depending on where you live, as local councils decide how to allocate them.
That means you have to apply through your local authority, which you can do on the Government’s website.
Do you have a money problem that needs sorting? Get in touch by emailing [email protected]