Latest news with #Income-basedJobseeker'sAllowance
Scottish Sun
26-05-2025
- Health
- Scottish Sun
How to get free milk from supermarkets including Tesco, Sainsbury's and Asda
Scroll to see how you can get free fruit and veg too HELPING HAND How to get free milk from supermarkets including Tesco, Sainsbury's and Asda Click to share on X/Twitter (Opens in new window) Click to share on Facebook (Opens in new window) EXPECTANT parents or those with young children may be able to get free milk from shops and supermarkets, thanks to a health eating scheme. The initiative also provides nourishing food for free including fruit, vegetables and pulses. Sign up for Scottish Sun newsletter Sign up 1 Get free milk for your children through the NHS Healthy Start scheme Credit: Getty The NHS Healthy Start scheme is available to those expecting a baby or with children under four. You'll also need be on selected benefits such as Universal Credit. If you're eligible you could get up to £442 a year for essentials to feed your family. The scheme also provides free vitamins to mothers and children. Here's what you need to know... Can I use Healthy Start? To be accepted for Healthy Start, you'll need to be on one of the following benefits: Child Tax Credit (only if your family's annual income is £16,190 or less Income Support Income-based Jobseeker's Allowance Pension Credit ( including the child addition) Universal Credit, if your family's take-home pay is £408 or less per month from employment Income-related Employment and Support Allowance (ESA) However, if you're under 18 and pregnant you can claim, even if you are not claiming any benefits. How do I get the free food? The funds to buy food is given through a prepaid card which can be used in any shop or supermarket that accepts Mastercard. This includes major supermarkets such as Tesco, Sainsbury's, Asda, Morrisons, as well as many smaller food shops. The Healthy Start card is topped up every four weeks. How much will I get? You'll get £4.25 each week of your pregnancy from the 10th week, £8.50 each week for children from birth to one, and £4.25 each week for children between one and four. This works out as up to £442 worth of free food over a year. The scheme stops when your child is four, or if you no longer receive benefits. What can I use the card to buy? With the funds you can buy plain cow's milk or baby formula milk You can also be used to buy fresh, frozen, and tinned fruit and vegetables, as well as fresh, dried, and tinned pulses. You can also use the card to get free vitamin supplements. These are tablets for women and drops for children. How do I get the vitamins? Women can get Healthy Start vitamin tablets while they're pregnant and up to their child's 1st birthday. Children can have free Healthy Start vitamin drops from the age of four weeks until their 4th birthday. Children who are having 500ml or more of formula a day do not need Healthy Start vitamins. How do I apply? Apply for the healthy start scheme online on the government website. You can also print out a paper form from the Heathy Start website here or ask for one from your GP or midwife. If you can't apply online, or you need help applying, contact NHS Healthy Start on 0300 330 7010 or by emailing To apply, you will need to provide some basic details such as you name and address, plus your National Insurance number and benefit award letter. 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. 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.
Wales Online
20-05-2025
- Business
- Wales Online
DWP manage migration to Universal Credit to start in a few weeks
Our community members are treated to special offers, promotions and adverts from us and our partners. You can check out at any time. More info Changes are on the horizon for Universal Credit claimants, with policy and benefits shifts pushing many towards Universal Credit from their existing support arrangements. The move, termed 'managed migration', will see legacy benefits phased out for new claimants. These encompass a selection of payments previously offered through the Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) and HM Revenue and Customs (HMRC), such as Income Support, Income-based Jobseeker's Allowance, Income-related Employment and Support Allowance (ESA), Housing Benefit, Working Tax Credit, and Child Tax Credit. You can find more comprehensive information on the transition to Universal Credit and any payment increases for current recipients below.... Universal Credit migration The DWP is stepping up its efforts in the transition to Universal Credit. Initially, the DWP commenced the process with 60,000 notifications in February, with plans to intensify this figure to 83,000. Resolute on completing the migration, the final batch of notices is anticipated to be distributed by September. The DWP stated that this gradual progression will "allow a little more time before the end of March 2026 to provide support for our more vulnerable customers and complete the migration of ESA cases to Universal Credit". The DWP has allocated an extra £15 million to the Help to Claim initiative, bolstering support for over 800,000 people transitioning from ESA to Universal Credit by March 2026, which is two years earlier than the original 2028 deadline. Sir Stephen Timms MP, Minister for Social Security and Disability, recently stated: "This funding boost will support many people as they make the move from old benefits to Universal Credit - ensuring customers feel confident and informed throughout the application process." He urged claimants to be proactive, saying: "I want to encourage anyone receiving a migration notice over the coming months to act without delay to secure quick access to benefit entitlement." Sir Stephen also highlighted broader reforms, adding: "The biggest reforms to employment support for a generation will also ensure more people get the help they need to get into work and on at work, by overhauling Jobcentres, tackling inactivity with local work, health and skills plans, and delivering a Youth Guarantee." The Help to Claim service is dedicated to providing expert guidance to those starting a new Universal Credit claim or transitioning from an older benefits system. The service ensures continuity of support until the claimant receives their first correct payment. Payment increase Labour has confirmed that the standard allowance of Universal Credit will surpass the rate of inflation for the remainder of the current government's term. Baroness Maeve Sherlock said: "The proposed increases are inflation (measured by CPI), plus: 2.3 percent in 2026/27, 3.1 percent in 2027/28, 4.0 percent in 2028/29 and 4.8 percent in 2029/30. "As such, in each year, the rates will be what they would have been under CPI uprating and then increased by the relevant percentage figure." The current Universal Credit rate is: Single and under 25 - £316.98 Single and 25 or over - £400.14 Couple both under 25 - £497.55 (for you both) Couple if either partner are 25 or over £628.10 (for you both) Sign up for the North Wales Live newsletter sent twice daily to your inbox Find out what's happening near you
North Wales Live
20-05-2025
- Business
- North Wales Live
DWP manage migration to Universal Credit to start in a few weeks
Changes are on the horizon for Universal Credit claimants, with policy and benefits shifts pushing many towards Universal Credit from their existing support arrangements. The move, termed 'managed migration', will see legacy benefits phased out for new claimants. These encompass a selection of payments previously offered through the Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) and HM Revenue and Customs (HMRC), such as Income Support, Income-based Jobseeker's Allowance, Income-related Employment and Support Allowance (ESA), Housing Benefit, Working Tax Credit, and Child Tax Credit. You can find more comprehensive information on the transition to Universal Credit and any payment increases for current recipients below.... Universal Credit migration The DWP is stepping up its efforts in the transition to Universal Credit. Initially, the DWP commenced the process with 60,000 notifications in February, with plans to intensify this figure to 83,000. Resolute on completing the migration, the final batch of notices is anticipated to be distributed by September. The DWP stated that this gradual progression will "allow a little more time before the end of March 2026 to provide support for our more vulnerable customers and complete the migration of ESA cases to Universal Credit". The DWP has allocated an extra £15 million to the Help to Claim initiative, bolstering support for over 800,000 people transitioning from ESA to Universal Credit by March 2026, which is two years earlier than the original 2028 deadline. Sir Stephen Timms MP, Minister for Social Security and Disability, recently stated: "This funding boost will support many people as they make the move from old benefits to Universal Credit - ensuring customers feel confident and informed throughout the application process." He urged claimants to be proactive, saying: "I want to encourage anyone receiving a migration notice over the coming months to act without delay to secure quick access to benefit entitlement." Sir Stephen also highlighted broader reforms, adding: "The biggest reforms to employment support for a generation will also ensure more people get the help they need to get into work and on at work, by overhauling Jobcentres, tackling inactivity with local work, health and skills plans, and delivering a Youth Guarantee." The Help to Claim service is dedicated to providing expert guidance to those starting a new Universal Credit claim or transitioning from an older benefits system. The service ensures continuity of support until the claimant receives their first correct payment. Payment increase Labour has confirmed that the standard allowance of Universal Credit will surpass the rate of inflation for the remainder of the current government's term. Baroness Maeve Sherlock said: "The proposed increases are inflation (measured by CPI), plus: 2.3 percent in 2026/27, 3.1 percent in 2027/28, 4.0 percent in 2028/29 and 4.8 percent in 2029/30. "As such, in each year, the rates will be what they would have been under CPI uprating and then increased by the relevant percentage figure." The current Universal Credit rate is: Single and under 25 - £316.98 Single and 25 or over - £400.14 Couple both under 25 - £497.55 (for you both) Couple if either partner are 25 or over £628.10 (for you both)
Daily Mirror
12-05-2025
- Business
- Daily Mirror
DWP claimants told to act after 355,000 have benefits payments stopped
Currently, the benefits department is working to move people claiming older "legacy benefits" onto Universal Credit through a process called Managed Migration The Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) is currently sending letters to hundreds and thousands of benefit claimants urging them to act or risk losing their payments. Currently, the benefits department is working to move people claiming older "legacy benefits" onto Universal Credit through a process called Managed Migration. Under the plan, the DWP sends letters called "migration notices" to households claiming certain benefits, asking them to move to Universal Credit. Recently, the department started ramping up the process and is sending more migration notices out, with the aim of transferring everyone over by March next year. The benefits included in this shake-up are Income-based Jobseeker's Allowance (JSA), Income Support, Housing Benefit, and Income-related Employment and Support Allowance (ESA). The Government initially planned to transfer all ESA claimants to Universal Credit by the end of 2028. However, this deadline has since been brought forward significantly to September 2025 for ESA claimants. The DWP has already sent 200,000 ESA claimants their migration notices, but a further 400,000 still need to make the switch. In February, 60,000 letters a month were sent to clients. The department is now aiming to increase this to 83,000 a month. The final round of migration notices for all legacy benefits is set to be sent in September this year. The new timeline means claimants must be vigilant about checking their post. Once you receive a migration notice, you have three months to submit a claim for Universal Credit. If you don't, your current claim will be stopped. Your managed migration notice will give you an exact date for when your claim will end. Once the deadline has passed, there is no option to return to your previous benefits once they've been stopped. Once you've made a claim for Universal Credit, your first payment usually arrives in up to five weeks. Join Money Saving Club's specialist topics For all you savvy savers and bargain hunters out there, there's a golden opportunity to stretch your pounds further. The Money Saving Club newsletter, a favourite among thousands who thrive on catching the best deals, is stepping up its game. Simply follow the link and select one or more of the following topics to get all the latest deals and advice on: Travel; Property; Pets, family and home; Personal finance; Shopping and discounts; Utilities. Between July 2022 and December 2024, the DWP sent almost 1.6 million migration notices. According to the latest figures, 355,940 individuals have already lost their benefits after failing to act on these notices. Around 1.1 million people have successfully claimed Universal Credit, with another 174,576 still in the process of moving over. If you claim Universal Credit by the deadline or within one month of the deadline, then you may get an extra payment - which is called a transitional element. This is intended to ensure that you are not worse off on Universal Credit compared to your older legacy benefit, at the point of transfer, with circumstances unchanged. If you miss your deadline day, there is also a Final Deadline Day. This is the day that would have been the last day of your monthly Universal Credit "assessment period" if you had claimed the benefit on your original deadline day. If you fail to claim Universal Credit by the final deadline day, your legacy benefits will have already ended, and you will have missed out on the opportunity to receive the transitional protection payment. You can still make a Universal Credit claim, but you would be treated as a new claimant. The first legacy benefit to be scrapped completely was Tax Credits, which stopped in April of this year.
Daily Mirror
09-05-2025
- Health
- Daily Mirror
Martin Lewis MSE £41 warning to 872,000 people who pay for NHS prescriptions
Money-saving guru Martin Lewis' MSE site has urged Brits to check whether they'll be better off applying for prepayment certificate - instead of paying £9.90 for each individual NHS prescription They say health is wealth - but more than half a million of Brits are overpaying for their treatments. Last month, the Department of Health and Social Care confirmed NHS prescription charges in England will be frozen for the first time in three years, remaining at £9.90 for a single charge. While these fee might not seem a lot for someone who might need a course of antibiotics once every couple of years, it can add up for those with repeat prescriptions. For example, collecting a prescription up every month works out at a whopping £118.80 for those living in England (the rest of the UK gets it for free!). Finance experts over at Martin Lewis ' MSE, have warned that 872,000 patients in England overpaid for medical prescriptions in 2023-24 by not applying for a prepayment certificate. The NHS states that £35 million could have been saved if everyone had moved to the initiative, with average savings of £41 per person. "It's a bit like a prescription season ticket and can mean big savings," MSE stated. "Yet many don't take advantage and end up overpaying unnecessarily. As a rule of thumb, prepayment certificates win for people using at least one prescription a month over a long period." A three-month prepayment certificate costs £32.05, while a 12-month prepayment certificate has been frozen at £114.50. If you claim two prescriptions each month (every fortnight roughly) for a full year - you will have saved more than £100 compared to paying for each individual prescription. Get the best deals and tips from Mirror Money WHATSAPP GROUP: Get money news and top deals straight to your phone by joining our Money WhatsApp group here. We also treat our community members to special offers, promotions, and adverts from us and our partners. If you don't like our community, you can check out any time you like. If you're curious, you can read our Privacy Notice. "If you are going through perimenopause or menopause and you're prescribed HRT by your doctor, you can buy a HRT prepayment certificate (HRT PPC) for a one-off fee of £19.80," MSE added. "This will cover you for a year of prescriptions, including HRT patches, gels and tablets." However, this certificate is specific to HRT and will not cover other medicines. You can read the NHS's full list of prescriptions covered by the HRT PPC here. Am I eligible for free NHS prescriptions? Some prescribed items are already free, despite your circumstances. This includes contraceptives and medication issued to hospital patients. You can also claim free NHS prescriptions if you fit any of the below criteria: Aged under 16 Aged 16-18 and in full-time education Aged 60 or over Receive Income Support / Income-based Jobseeker's Allowance / Income-related Employment and Support Allowance Receive Universal Credit and your earnings for the most recent assessment period were £435 or less (or £935 if your claim includes an element for a child) Pregnant women and those who have had a baby in the last 12 months Have a valid medical exemption certificate - often offered for a range of illnesses including epilepsy or cancer. Have a war pension exemption certificate
