People on Universal Credit being handed six freebies and discounts worth £6,730 in February
Six Department for Work and Pensions freebies and discounts are being rolled out for people on benefits from this week. Six freebies landing in February have been confirmed by the DWP as Universal Credit claimants prepare for a payment hike in April.
Universal Credit is a benefit from the Department for Work and Pensions. It helps pay your daily living costs. Most new benefit claims will be for Universal Credit. To get Universal Credit, you have to live in England, Northern Ireland, Scotland or Wales.
Universal Credit has replaced 6 benefts: Child Tax Credit and Working Tax Credit and Housing Benefit and Income Support and Income-based Jobseeker’s Allowance, as well as Income-related Employment and Support Allowance too.
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If you get 1 or more of these benefits now, you will be told when to move to Universal Credit in the future.
Council Tax Discount – up to £2,200
You could be eligible if you’re on a low income or claim benefits. Your bill could be reduced by up to 100%. You can apply if you own your home, rent, are unemployed or working. What you get depends on where you live - each council runs its own scheme, your circumstances (for example income, number of children, benefits, residency status), your household income - this includes savings, pensions and your partner’s income, if your children live with you and if other adults live with you.
In some cases, those facing severe financial difficulty might even have their entire council tax bill covered. For example, a 100 per cent discount on a typical Band D property could result in savings of around £2,200.
E nergy bills – up to £2,000
The British Gas Energy Support Fund schemes can write off between £50 and £2,000 of debt on gas and electricity bills. British Gas also has a You Pay We Pay scheme, adding: "It’s simple - we’ll match 100% of every payment you make into your energy account for a six-month period with the same amount. By doing this, we’ll help you reduce the cost of your energy bills and get you back on track.
"We know there’s a lot of pressure on householders to pay their bills - this scheme can help to provide peace of mind during the winter months when energy bills are higher."
Warm Homes Discount - £150
You should receive a letter in the post. You'll receive the £150 as a one-off discount that is applied directly to your electricity bill, as opposed to a bank payment, or if you have a traditional prepayment meter, you'll be given a top-up voucher. If you're a dual fuel customer, you can ask your energy supplier if it is possible to have the discount applied to your gas bill instead.
The discount should be given automatically to most people by the end of March - although if you're in Scotland, you may need to apply for it. Minister for Energy Consumers, Miatta Fahnbulleh, said: “This is an important day for those worried about energy costs as we launch our Warm Home Discount to help more than three million households with their energy bills this winter.
“From now until mid-December, letters will be sent to those eligible notifying them of their £150 discount. For most people, this will be applied automatically, and if not, there are easy-to-follow instructions provided in the letter. If you don’t receive one but think you might be eligible then you can visit GOV.UK for an eligibility checker. Today we are also launching a helpline, open until February, which you can call to find out whether you meet the criteria.”
NHS Healthcare - up to £141
You qualify for help with health costs if, on the date you claim, you either:
receive Universal Credit and either had no earnings or had take-home pay of £435 or less in your last Universal Credit assessment period
receive Universal Credit, which includes an element for a child, or you (or your partner) had limited capability for work (LCW) or limited capability for work and work-related activity (LCWRA), and you either had no earnings or take-home pay of £935 or less in your last Universal Credit assessment period
If you're part of a couple, the take-home pay threshold applies to your combined take-home pay.
You should present a copy of your Universal Credit award notice to prove your entitlement. You'll need to have met the eligibility criteria in the last completed Universal Credit assessment period before your health costs arose.
Household Support Fund – up to £500
Camden Council offers up to £500 in cash to low-income households, while other councils may offer between £50 and £400. Camden's local authority states: "If you cannot afford essentials such as food, energy bills or housing, you may be eligible for a payment from our Cost of Living Crisis Fund.
"Each Crisis Fund payment is worth up to £500. The amount depends on your circumstances and the size of your household. You can apply for two payments in a 12-month period, but you must wait at least two months to make the second application.
"If you're eligible, refer yourself to our Money Advice Service. One of our advisors will call you back to go through the application with you."
Free childcare – up to £1,739.37
People on Universal Credit may be eligible to claim back up to 85 per cent of their childcare costs. You (and your partner if you live with them) will usually need to either be working - it does not matter how many hours you or your partner work or have a job offer.
The most you can get back each month is £1,014.63 for one child or £1,739.37 for 2 or more children.