Yahoo News DWP Universal Credit claimants can get five freebies worth thousands of pounds - see if you qualify
If you are claiming benefits like Universal Credit, you may be able to get some extra cash support.
A number of schemes are in place to help parents on DWP benefits who may be struggling financially. These include help to provide a healthy and nutritional diet for your children, free childcare so you can continue working, and free meals for your child at school, reports the Manchester Evening News.
Here's a list of the initiatives in place and what they can provide. Scroll down to see if you are eligible for any of these schemes.
Read More: Martin Lewis explains how DWP Universal Credit claimants can get £1,200 bonus with savings scheme
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Free childcare
If you claim Universal Credit as a parent, you're eligible for extra help with your childcare costs. Currently, you can claim 85% of your childcare expenses per month up to £1,014 for one child and £1,739 for two more children.
Fortunately, changes to the rules in June mean that the childcare cost support is paid upfront, instead of claimed back after you have already forked out the cash. Read more about this scheme here.
Up to £442 worth of free food per year
Parents who have just had their child, or are very close to having their child, can claim up to £442 worth of free food each year via the Healthy Start Scheme. In order to be eligible for the scheme, a claimant must be either more than 10 weeks pregnant or have a child under the age of four.
Parents must also be claiming one of the following benefits:
Universal Credit with less than £408 a month of total income
Pension Credit
Income Support
Income-based Jobseeker’s Allowance
Income-related Employment and Support Allowance
Child Tax Credit alongside a family income of £16,190 or less a year
However, parents under the age of 18 can apply for the scheme even if they are not claiming any benefits. Once you qualify for the scheme, you will receive a card that can be used at a variety of supermarkets and shops. The card can only be used to buy certain products, such as vegetables, fruit and milk.
Grant worth £500
Parents can claim up to £500 as a one-off payment via the Sure Start Maternity Grant. In order to qualify, you must be expecting your first child (or children if it's twins or more).
The grant can be claimed in an 11-week window prior to the baby's due date. Otherwise, it can be claimed up to six months after the baby is born.
Household Support Fund support
The Household Support Fund is a Government scheme that allocates money to councils to help locals with the cost of living. As part of the support, some councils may choose to provide vouchers to help parents pay for things such as food or energy bills.
However, it is up to each individual council to decide what they do with the fund and who qualifies for the support. As a result you should contact your local council and ask them about the Household Support Fund to see if you qualify for extra support as a parent on benefits.
Free School Meals
Parents claiming benefits can help their children have a meal at school for free. While this is automatically provided in years one and two, anytime after a parent must be claiming one of the following:
Income Support
Income-based Jobseeker’s Allowance
Income-related Employment and Support Allowance
The guaranteed element of Pension Credit
Child Tax Credit
Working Tax Credit
Universal Credit
The level of support provided through the free school meals scheme may vary depending on your council, school, or area. To see what level of support you can receive through this scheme, simply enter your postcode into the Government website here.
