FOUR ways Universal Credit households can boost spare cash for summer holidays
CASH BOOST FOUR ways Universal Credit households can boost spare cash for summer holidays
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HOUSEHOLDS on Universal Credit should be aware of these four easy ways to boost spare cash for the summer holidays.
There are a number of government support schemes that can help parents ease costs over the break.
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We share support available for families over the summer holiday
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That includes school uniform grants worth £300 and a child care hack that can help grandparents save over £6,600.
Take a look below to see if you're missing out.
School uniform grants
Parents claiming Universal Credit and other benefits can get support with school uniform costs.
The amount you get depends on what year your child is in.
For example, in Tower Hamlets families can get up to £150 per child.
Parents with reception year children can get £50 per child, but this increases to £150 per child when they reach Year 7.
So, if you had two children in Year 7 or above you would receive £300 to support them with school uniform costs.
The support comes through the government's Household Support Fund (HSF), which helps hard-up families with living costs.
You will need to get in touch with your council to apply.
You can find your local council by visiting visit www.gov.uk/find-local-council.
Families can get FREE washing machines, fridges and kids' beds or £200 payments this summer – and you can apply now
Support for grandparents
Grandparents can be financially compensated for the time spent looking after their grandchildren this summer.
The cash boost comes through specified adult childcare credits, which are a type of National Insurance (NI) credit that can help you qualify for the full state pension.
You need 35 years' worth of NI contributions to get the full amount worth £230.25 a week.
This means parents and other relatives looking after a child under 12 can give their pension a boost.
Every year of transferred credit will boost your state pension by £330 a year.
This could add nearly £6,600 to the value of your state pension over the course of a 20-year retirement.
You can also backdate your claim to 2011, when the credits were first introduced.
Holiday Activities and Food (HAF) programme
The Holiday Activities and Food (HAF) programme is a government fund which provides free food, childcare and activities to children from low income families.
Your local council is responsible for administering the scheme.
This means what exactly is on offer depends on where you live.
Most offer help to families with children in receipt of benefits-related free school meals, but local councils are also allowed to offer help to children outside of this group.
Household support fund
If you are claiming Universal Credit you could get help through the Household Support Fund.
Every council in England has cash they can hand out to struggling families.
The £742million Household Support Fund has been shared between all councils in England.
For example, North Somerset Council has also announced it will provide food vouchers worth up to £100 to those in need.
And, families living in Worcestershire can apply for cost of living cash worth £500.
What type of help you can get will vary but it could range from a free cash payment to supermarket vouchers.
It may be worth calling your local council for more details if you cannot see the support advertised.
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