12 Universal Credit freebies and discounts you can claim this summer worth up to £4,300

The Sun

2 days ago

PEOPLE on Universal Credit can get up to £4,300 worth of freebies and discounts this summer.
Universal Credit is a monthly payment aimed at helping out unemployed and low-paid people.
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Claimants can get upwards of £316.98 a month from the Government - but they might not know they're entitled to more help.
From food vouchers to help with bills and even cheap days out, there is plenty of extra support available.
Here's the full list of what you could be claiming this month.
Household Support Fund – worth up to £500
The Household Support Fund has been extended until March 2026 – and it's dishing out direct payments of up to £500.
The Government scheme is sharing out a pot of £742million between councils in England to help them support struggling households.
Each council is setting its own rules on how it distributes the money, but many are offering vouchers or cash payments to help residents with food and energy bills.
Ribble Valley Borough Council is giving out food vouchers worth between £200 to £500 to households with a combined income of less than £35,000 a year.
Hartlepool Borough Council is awarding £100 food vouchers to families who have a child aged between two and 19 who is eligible for free school meals.
Meanwhile City of Doncaster Council is giving a one-off payment of between £100 to £300 to families on Universal Credit.
If you're outside of these areas, you should check your local council's website to see what's on offer and how to apply.
Three key benefits you could be missing out on
Cheap days out – save £108
You can get huge savings on days out across the UK if you're on Universal Credit.
These are some examples of what you can get, but there's plenty on offer...
ZSL London Zoo: Entry for £3. Adult tickets are usually priced from £27 so you can make a £24 saving
Eden Project: £5 for adults or £1 for kids. Adult tickets are usually £38 and child tickets are £12, saving you £44 in total if you buy one of each
Tower of London: £1 tickets for up to six people per household. It's usually £35.80 for an adult ticket, so this would save you £34.80
York Castle Museum: Free entry. It's usually £17 for an adult ticket
As a single adult, you could save £108.80 in total by going to all of these attractions.
But of course you'll save even more if you're taking other family members too.
Healthy Start food help – worth £442 a year
New parents or expectant mums can get up to £442 a year for essentials like fruit, veg and baby formula.
It's part of the Healthy Start scheme, which gives you a prepaid card loaded with funds every four weeks.
You can apply for it online if you're on benefits including Universal Credit or Child Tax Credit.
Help to Save – get £1,200 bonus cash
People on Universal Credit or Working Tax Credit have access to the Government's Help to Save scheme.
This gives you a 50% top-up when you put away savings.
It's available on savings of up to £50 a month, meaning you can get a maximum of £2,400 over four years.
The top-up is paid as a bonus at the end of the second and fourth years.
Water bill help – worth £173
You could slash your water bill by hundreds through social tariffs or the WaterSure scheme.
Every water supplier has social tariffs aimed at reducing costs for low-income families or people who use lots of water due to disability or large households.
The eligibility criteria and level of support depends on your supplier.
For example, Affinity Water offers a low-income fixed tariff (LIFT) for customers with a household income of less than £19,995 a year.
The tariff is fixed at £143.80, but if you also receive a council tax reduction then your bill will be even lower at £95.80.
Affinity Water said the average household bill for 2023/24 was up to £269, which would save you £173.
It's not clear what the average household bill is for this year but it's likely to have gone up.
You should contact your supplier directly to see what help is available.
Some firms even offer free water-saving devices like shower timers and cistern bags to bring your usage down.
Free prescriptions and healthcare – up to £119
If you're on Universal Credit, you might be eligible for free NHS prescriptions, saving you £9.90 a pop – or nearly £120 a year if you get your prescription monthly.
You could also get:
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 £290
You can also get social tariffs for your broadband and mobile contract if you're on Universal Credit.
The cheapest deals start at £12.50 a month for broadband.
Virgin Media Essential offers £12.50 a month for 15Mbps, with no set-up cost and a rolling 30-day contract.
Its standard broadband deals start at £23.99 a month for a 24-month contract, so the social tariff would save you £137.88 a year.
For mobile contracts, you can get social tariffs from the likes of EE, Smarty and Voxi.
Voxi For Now costs just £10 a month and gives you unlimited data for six months, plus unlimited social media, calls and texts.
Its usual unlimited data contract costs £35 a month, so the social tariff would save you £150 over the six months.
In total both the mobile and broadband social tariffs would save you almost £290.
Council tax support – up to £4,300
Those struggling with council tax could get a major discount – or even have their bill wiped completely.
Council Tax Support varies by area, but if you're on a low income or receiving Universal Credit you could save thousands.
For example, the Royal Borough of Greenwich offers up to 100% council tax discounts for eligible pensioner households.
Council tax is as high as £4,323.52 in Greenwich.
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 are offering hardship grants worth up to £2,000.
British Gas has a Gas Energy Support Fund that pays up to £2,000, but applications have closed for now.
Other suppliers like EDF, Octopus, Ovo, E.on Next and Utilita have no set limit on payments.
If you don't qualify through your supplier, charities like Turn2Us have searchable databases to help you find other grants.
The Household Support Fund also covers energy costs, so you can reach out to your council now.
Pregnancy grant – worth £500
Mums expecting their first child could 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.
Print off the SF100 form online and get it signed by a midwife before posting.
Support with travel and job applications – worth £150
Claimants can get 50% off travel across the UK by applying for a Jobcentre Plus Travel Discount card.
It's aimed at helping you get to job interviews if you're actively job hunting.
The card is free and lasts for three months.
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 £336
Some leisure centres offer Universal Credit claimants gym memberships from as little as £5 a month.
For example, a Better Health national membership would cost you £70 usually.
But if you get a concessionary membership it's £42 a month.
That would save you £336 over the course of a year.
Alternatively if you get a Better Flex Adult Concessionary membership for you get one activity booking for £5 a month.
Everyone Active also offers discounted rates. Access is often off-peak and varies by location, so check with your nearest centre.