People on Universal Credit can get £4,531 from DWP they don't have to pay back

People can get £4,500 free cash if they are claiming Universal Credit from the Department for Work and Pensions. And claimants won't have to pay back the cash, either, as the Cost of Living crisis continues up and down the country.

The DWP claimants can get the cash as the financial pressures many are dealing with continue. The list of schemes are set up by the DWP and the government to try and help claimants stay afloat if they're claiming benefits.

If you're not receiving Universal Credit, you should check if you qualify. You'll have to be on a low income or need help with living costs. This doesn't necessarily mean you have to be out of work though. For example, you could be out of work or working (including self-employed or part-time) or unable to work, for example, if you have a health condition.

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Household Support Fund - £500

The free £500 is available thanks to the Government's Household Support Fund which delivers money to local authorities. Funding is delivered to councils which then administer the financial aid to eligible claimants living in the area.

Brent is the latest local authority to administer the £500 in cost of living support. The Brent Resident Support Fund (RSF) was created to help residents who are finding it difficult to manage inflation-hiked prices for goods and services, as well as rising energy bills.

Free childcare - £1,739

You may be entitled to help with childcare costs in your Universal Credit. The maximum award is 85% of what you pay or 85% of the maximum childcare costs, whichever is lower. However, you may get less than this because UC is reduced by your income.

The maximum childcare costs taken into account are £1014.63 a month for one child or £1,739.37 a month for more than one child. The two child limit does not apply to the childcare element of Universal Credit. This means that you can receive payments to cover the childcare costs for any number of children, but the maximum amount of help doesn’t change if you have two children in childcare or more than two.

Sure Start grant - £500

The Sure Start Maternity Grant offers soon-to-be parents expecting twins or triplets in England and Wales a one-off upfront sum of £500 - or £606 for a first child or £303 for a second or later child in Scotland.

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 your claim form. Post it to “Freepost DWP SSMG” - you do not need a postcode or stamp. You can also take the form to your local Jobcentre Plus, but it can take longer to process. If you get Universal Credit, you will not get a decision on your claim until after your next payment.

Free travel and childcare when looking for work - £150

The Flexible Support Fund is available across the UK through your local Jobcentre Plus adviser or work coach and may be able to help you with extra costs associated with getting into and starting work. It is a discretionary fund and your local Jobcentre Plus adviser decides if you can get it.

The money can be used to cover the costs of training for a job, up to £150, travel to interviews and childcare as well as tools for work, the cost of medical evidence required by a disabled person, clothing and uniforms to start work and support for single parents in financial emergencies in the first 26 weeks of starting a job.

Help to Save - £1,200

Help to Save – the government savings scheme for low-income earners, which offers a 50% bonus payment worth up to £1,200 over 4 years – has been extended to April 2025, HM Revenue and Customs (HMRC) has confirmed.

More than 359,200 customers have opened savings accounts since its launch in September 2018 and an additional 3 million individuals could still benefit from the savings scheme as a result of the extension.

Help to Save is a savings scheme for low-income earners. Savers can deposit between £1 and £50 a month into their account and will receive a government bonus– even if money has been withdrawn.

Savers will earn a 50 pence bonus for every £1 saved and the bonus payments are paid in the second and fourth years. This means that someone saving £2,400 - the maximum amount they could deposit over four years - would receive a £1,200 bonus from the government, paid directly into their bank account.

Healthy Start - £442

If you’re more than 10 weeks pregnant or have a child under 4, the Healthy Start scheme can help you buy healthy foods like milk or fruit and get free vitamins. You need to be claiming certain benefits to qualify. If you’re pregnant and under 18 you can claim even if you do not receive any benefits.