OVER six million people on Universal Credit could be entitled to extra help worth thousands of pounds.
From cheaper broadband to reduced council tax bills it all adds up and can make a serious difference to your monthly expenses.
In fact, we’ve calculated that if you get all the help available in July it adds up to £4706.71.
Eligibility criteria varies, so what you’ll be entitled to will depend on your personal circumstances.
Here’s all the benefits to consider.
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Help with health costs
If you receive Universal Credit, you may also qualify for help with health costs.
You might be able to get free NHS prescriptions, dental treatment, eye tests and help with other NHS costs.
To qualify, you need to meet certain criteria on the day you apply. You must either:
- Receive Universal Credit and have net earnings of £435 or less
- Receive Universal Credit including the child element and have net earnings of £935 or less
- Receive universal credit and you (or your partner) have limited capability for work (LCW) or limited capability for work and work-related activity (LCWRA), and net earnings of £935 or less
You’ll need to show a copy of your Universal Credit award notice when you apply.
NHS dental treatment costs £26.80 for the lowest band of treatment, including examinations. More complicated treatments such as fillings and root canals cost £73.50.
If you need a cap, crown, false teeth, or orthodontic treatment, the NHS cost rises to £319.10.
An annual NHS prescription prepayment certificate costs £114.50 for twelve months, so that’s the maximum you should be spending on healthcare prescriptions. Individual prescriptions cost £9.90 each.
To apply, you need to complete a Help with Health Costs HC1 form and post it or take it to your local Jobs & Benefits office.
Financial help to get a job – up to £300
If you’re on Job Seeker’s Allowance (JSA), you may be able to get extra financial help towards finding employment from the Advisor Discretion Fund.
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The most you can claim is £300 in any twelve-month period.
The money doesn’t have to be repaid and is designed to allow you to buy items that will help you get back to work.
It needs to be linked to a specific job interview or offer, for instance travel to work costs, or clothes to wear to an interview.
The fund is discretionary and is decided on a case-by-case basis. You should apply through your Job Centre advisor.
Cheap broadband – save £16.39
Most broadband providers offer social tariffs for people on certain benefits.
The exact benefits vary by provider, but most accept people on Universal Credit, Pension Credit, Employment and Support Allowance, Jobseeker’s Allowance and Income Support.
If your provider doesn’t have a social tariff available, you can switch to one that does. Ofcom has a list of options on its website – with prices ranging from £10 to £23 a month.
According to Uswitch’s global broadband index, the UK ranks as the fifth most affordable country in the world for broadband, with an average cost of £26.39 per month.
That means switching to the cheapest social tariff would save you at least £16.39 on average.
Help paying your mortgage interest – worth up to £526.66 a month
If you get certain benefits, you might be able you get help towards your mortgage interest payments.
Most people who qualify get help paying the interest on up to £200,000 of their mortgage.
But this limit is reduced to £100,000 if you’re on Pension Credit or if you started claiming another qualifying benefit before January 2009 and you were below State Pension age at that time.
The interest rate used to calculate the amount of SMI you’ll get is 3.16%, although this can change.
If your mortgage is £200,000 or more, that means you’ll get a loan worth £526.66 a month.
However, it’s worth noting that this must be repaid when you sell your home.
How you apply depends on which benefits you receive. The government explains all the processes on the gov.uk website.
Free school meals - £79.50
If you’re on a low income and certain benefits, you might be eligible for free school meals.
In England, the relevant benefits are:
- Income Support
- income-based Jobseeker’s Allowance
- income-related Employment and Support Allowance
- support under Part VI of the Immigration and Asylum Act 1999
- the guaranteed element of Pension Credit
- Child Tax Credit (provided you’re not also entitled to Working Tax Credit and have an annual gross income of no more than £16,190)
- Working Tax Credit run-on - paid for 4 weeks after you stop qualifying for Working Tax Credit
- Universal Credit - if you apply on or after 1 April 2018 your household income must be less than £7,400 a year (after tax and not including any benefits you get)
If you get free school meals, you’ll also qualify for the holiday and activity food programme.
To apply you need to go to your local authority website.
The Food Foundation’s research shows that the average cost of a school meal was £2.65 in 2023. In a month with 30 days, that adds up to savings of £79.50.
Council tax support - £180.92 a month
People on low incomes or certain benefits can apply for a council tax reduction worth up to 100%.
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
- if other adults live with you
To apply, you need to speak to your local council.
The average Band D council tax set by local authorities in England for 2024-25 is £2,171. That works out as £180.92 per month, if you were to split it into 12 equal payments.
Help with energy bills: Save £125 a month
Most energy firms have grant schemes available to customers that are struggling to cover their bills.
Eligibility criteria varies depending on the supplier and the amount you can get depends on your financial circumstances.
For example, British Gas or Scottish Gas customers struggling to pay their energy bills can get grants worth up to £1,500.
Check with your supplier to learn what help they offer and how to apply.
Help with childcare costs - £1,739.37
If you’re eligible for Universal Credit, you should also be able to claim back 85% of your childcare costs.
You’ll typically need to either be working or have a job offer lined up.
The most you can get back each month is:
- £1,014.63 for one child
- £1,739.37 for 2 or more children
Help paying your water bills: £27.04
Water suppliers have social tariffs for people on low incomes or certain benefits. The type of discount you get will depend on your supplier.
For instance, eligible customers of Southern Water, Wessex Water and Hafren Dyfrdwy will get up to 90% off, depending on personal circumstances.
Other companies offer a much lower fixed rate than usual. For example, qualifying Affinity Water customers will get their annual water bills capped at £119.50.
The average water bill in England and Wales is £37 a month (£448 a year), according to Water UK.
On the Affinity Water social tariff rate, that works out as a discount of £27.04 a month.
To apply, speak to your water provider.
Help travelling to work – up to £150
Universal Credit claimants can receive a 50% discount on bus and train fares through the Jobcentre Plus Travel Discount.
This benefit is only available to those who are unemployed, actively seeking work, and receiving Jobseeker's Allowance.
Eligibility requirements include having claimed Universal Credit for three to nine months if you're between 18 and 24 years old.
For those aged 25 and older, you must have claimed Universal Credit for three to 12 months to qualify for the discount.
It's important to note that receiving the discount is not guaranteed; the decision is made by your local JobCentre Plus branch.
Additionally, the Flexible Support Fund is available to help with job-related expenses. This fund is managed by local job centres and can cover costs such as:
- Job training, up to £150
- Interview travel
- Childcare
- Work tools
- Work clothing and uniforms
- Emergency financial support for single parents in the first 26 weeks of employment.
Help with funeral costs - £1,000
If you’re arranging a funeral and you receive certain benefits, it’s possible to get something called a Funeral Expenses Payment to help with the costs.
You can use the money to help for things like burial or cremation fees, travel to arrange or attend the funeral, and even death certificates or other documents you might need.
On top of that, you can also get up to £1,000 for expenses related to the funeral such as flowers or a coffin.
The total amount you’ll get depends on your specific circumstances, and it may not be enough to pay for the whole funeral.
To be eligible, you need to get certain benefits or tax credits and be arranging a funeral in the UK, the European Economic Area (EEA) or Switzerland.
The eligible benefits include:
- Universal Credit
- Income Support
- income-based Jobseeker’s Allowance
- income-related Employment and Support Allowance
- Pension Credit
- Housing Benefit
- the disability or severe disability element of Working Tax Credit
- Child Tax Credit
If the person who died was your partner or child, you should be able to get the payment.
You might also be able to get it for a close relative or friend, if they did not have a partner who could pay for their funeral.
You can claim by calling the Bereavement Service helpline on 0800 151 2012 or by downloading and filling in the claim form (SF200), then sending it to the address on the form.
Healthy start scheme – up to £36.83 per month
Parents or expectant mothers can get free milk, fruit, vegetables and vitamins through the Healthy Start scheme.
If you’re over 18, then you need to receive certain benefits before you can apply.
If you’re eligible, you’ll be sent a Healthy Start card with money on it that you can use in some UK shops.
The NHS tops up your benefit onto this card every four weeks.
You can use the card to buy:
- plain liquid cow’s milk
- fresh, frozen, and tinned fruit and vegetables
- fresh, dried, and tinned pulses
- infant formula milk based on cow’s milk
- Healthy Start vitamins
- Vitamin drops for babies and young children
You’ll get:
- £4.25 each week of your pregnancy from the 10th week
- £8.50 each week for children from birth to 1 year old
- £4.25 each week for children between 1 and 4 years old
The full list of qualifying benefits is:
- Income Support
- Income-based Jobseeker’s Allowance
- Income-related Employment and Support Allowance
- Child Tax Credit with a family income of £16,190 or less per year
- Pension Credit
- Universal Credit with no earned income or total earned income of £408 or less per month for the family
Maternity grants - £500
If you’re on Universal Credit and you’re pregnant with your first child, you can get a maternity grant worth £500.
If you already have a child, you can still get a payment if you’re expecting twins, or if you have refugee status, humanitarian protection, or a Ukraine visa and this is your first child born in the UK.
You can claim the money from 11 weeks before your due date to six months after the child is born.
The eligible benefits are:
- Income Support
- income-based Jobseeker’s Allowance
- income-related Employment and Support Allowance
- Pension Credit
- Child Tax Credit
- Working Tax Credit that includes a disability or severe disability element
- Universal Credit
You may also qualify if you’re getting a Support for Mortgage Interest loan.
To apply, you need to print out and fill in the Sure Start Maternity Grant (SF100) claim form.
You also need to provide evidence of the pregnancy or childbirth from a health professional such as a doctor or midwife. This could be your MAT B1 form or a written statement confirming the pregnancy or childbirth.
Post your SF100 form with the evidence to ‘Freepost DWP SSMG’. You do not need a postcode or a stamp.
