Full list of Universal Credit freebies and discounts you can claim in July worth up to £10,000
BENEFIT BOOST Full list of Universal Credit freebies and discounts you can claim in July worth up to £10,000
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HOUSEHOLDS on Universal Credit can top up their incomes with freebies and discounts worth up to £10,000 in July.
Around 7.5million people are on the government benefit but might not realise it comes with a host of added perks.
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If you're on Universal Credit you could get a host of additional perks
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From cost of living cash to cheap days out, savings accounts and water bill help, it could be worth £1,000s.
Here's the full list of help you can get this month.
Household Support Fund - £300
The Household Support Fund is a giant £742million pot of money that's been shared between councils in England.
These councils are in the process of allocating their share of the fund, with most distributing it to those on benefits, like Universal Credit, or low incomes.
Birmingham Council is issuing payments worth £200 to cover the cost of energy, grocery and water costs.
Cheshire West, Doncaster and Calderdale Councils are also sharing out help worth up to £300 to residents in need.
Contact your local council to see what help is on offer. You can find your council via www.gov.uk/find-local-council.
Healthy Start Scheme - £442 a year
New or expectant mums can get up to £442 annually to cover the cost of fruit, veg and other essentials through the NHS' Healthy Start scheme.
The scheme is open to those on certain benefits, including Universal Credit.
Those eligible for help receive a prepaid card loaded with funds every four weeks. You can get up to £8.50 per week - worth £442 a year.
How does work affect Universal Credit?
Find out more via www.healthystart.nhs.uk.
Cheap days out – save £101
You can get major discounts on days out if you're on Universal Credit. Here are some of the deals on this month:
London Transport Museum: Entry for just £1 – usually £21
Yorkshire museums: Free entry, saving up to £17 per adult
ZSL London Zoo: Entry for £3 – a £31.50 saving
Tower of London & Hampton Court: £1 entry instead of £33.60
In total you could save up to £101 on these days out.
Help to Save - worth £1,200 over four years
People on Universal Credit can sign up for a Help to Save account and get a £1,200 bonus.
You can save up to £50 into one of the accounts each month and get a 50% bonus at the end of your second and fourth year.
Add the maximum £50 in every month and over four years you'd get a £1,200 bonus.
Find out more via www.gov.uk/get-help-savings-low-income.
Water bill help – worth £400
Households on Universal Credit can slash their water bill through the WaterSure scheme.
It's available to low income families or those who use lots of water due to disability in England and Wales and caps your bills at a certain amount.
Contact your water supplier to see if you're eligible.
Some water companies offer customers free water-saving devices like shower timers and cistern bags to bring usage down too.
Free prescriptions and healthcare – up to £119
Those on Universal Credit can sometimes get free NHS prescriptions, which are currently £9.90 per item.
Based on one item a month, that's a £118.80 a year saving.
You can also get other NHS-based freebies if you're on Universal Credit. These include:
Free dental checks
Free eye tests
Travel reimbursement for medical appointments
Free wigs or glasses
Use the NHS online checker to see what you can get.
Discounted broadband and mobile contracts – worth £370
You should be able to sign up to a social tariff if you're on Universal Credit.
The discounted tariffs are for those on certain benefits and, usually but not always, can save you money on your bill.
One lady previously told The Sun switching from a standard tariff to a social tariff saved her £300 a year.
Ofcom has a list on its website of all the firms offering the tariffs, either for phone or broadband.
You can also use The Sun's free checker tool.
Council tax support – up to £2,280
Those on Universal Credit can sometimes get money off their council tax, or even have the bill wiped completely.
The help on offer varies from location to location, but based on the average Band D, which is £2,280, you could save £1,000s.
Head to gov.uk/apply-for-council-tax-discount to check your eligibility.
Energy bill help – up to £2,000
Energy firms like British Gas offer hardship grants worth up to £2,000 to those struggling with their bills.
EDF also offers customers support if they're struggling to keep up with energy bills.
If you don't qualify for a grant through your supplier, charity Turn2Us has a tool you can use to find grants available based on your location.
You can find it via - www.turn2us.org.uk/get-support/apply-for-grants.
Pregnancy grant – worth £500
Mums expecting their first child can claim a one-off £500 Sure Start Maternity Grant.
It's available to those on Universal Credit or other qualifying benefits.
You must apply within 11 weeks of the due date or six months after the baby is born.
Find out more via www.gov.uk/sure-start-maternity-grant.
Support with travel and job applications – worth £150
Claimants can get a Jobcentre Plus Travel Discount card, cutting public transport costs by 50% across the UK.
The card lasts for three months and is free, you just need to be actively job hunting.
There's also the Flexible Support Fund, which can cover costs like:
Travel to interviews
Job training (up to £150)
Uniforms, work tools, and childcare
Apply at your local JobCentre.
Cheap gym memberships – worth £100s
Some leisure centres offer Universal Credit claimants gym memberships from as little as £5 a month.
Based on the price of the standard membership, it could save you £100s a year.
Everyone Active and Better Leisure both offer discounted rates.
Access is often off-peak and varies by location, so check with your nearest centre.
Free childcare – worth up to £1,769 a month
Working parents on Universal Credit can get up to 85% of childcare costs covered, either paid up front or in arrears.
The maximum payout is £1,031.88 a month for one child, or £1,768.94 for two or more – that's over £21,000 a year if claimed in full.
You can find out more via www.gov.uk/guidance/universal-credit-childcare-costs.
Are you missing out on benefits?
YOU can use a benefits calculator to help check that you are not missing out on money you are entitled to
Charity Turn2Us' benefits calculator works out what you could get.
Entitledto's free calculator determines whether you qualify for various benefits, tax credit and Universal Credit.
MoneySavingExpert.com and charity StepChange both have benefits tools powered by Entitledto's data.
You can use Policy in Practice's calculator to determine which benefits you could receive and how much cash you'll have left over each month after paying for housing costs.
Your exact entitlement will only be clear when you make a claim, but calculators can indicate what you might be eligible for.
Do you have a money problem that needs sorting? Get in touch by emailing money-sm@news.co.uk.
Plus, you can join our Sun Money Chats and Tips Facebook group to share your tips and stories
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