BENEFITS claimants can use these loopholes to put more cash into their wallets this year.
How much extra you can get will depend on your personal circumstances but it could be worth seeing if you might be eligible for these six things…
1
Council tax reduction
If you’re on Universal Credit, you might be able to get a reduction on your council tax.
Whether you’re eligible or not depends on where you live as only some councils offer reductions.
Some local authorities even give you a 100% reduction so you don’t have to pay at all.
To apply, you should visit your council’s website.
You’ll need to provide the council with information on your earnings and what pensions and benefits you receive.
The average Band D council tax set by local authorities in England for this financial year is £2,280 – so you could save thousands.
Applying for extra benefits
If you’ve got a long-term illness you might be able to claim extra benefits.
For example, Personal Independent Payments (PIP) is a benefit for people who are under state pension age and need help with day-to-day life because of a long-term illness or disability.
If you struggle with carrying out everyday activities you can get the daily living part of PIP, which is worth either £73.90 a week or £110.40 a week depending on how severe your condition is.
People who have trouble getting around can get the mobility part of PIP, which is worth £29.20 per week for the lower rate or £77.05 for the higher rate.
That means in total you can get a maximum of £187.45 per week.
You can also boost your Universal Credit payments by claiming the health element of the benefit if you have a health condition or disability that limits how much work you can do.
If you’re single and over 25 then the Universal Credit standard allowance is £400.14, but if you claim the health element too you can get an extra £416.19 per month.
Payments boost if you’re on certain elements
Universal Credit is designed to help people back into work.
This means if you get a job, the amount you receive each month goes down under what’s known as the “taper rate”.
For every £1 you earn, your Universal payment goes down by 55p.
This means your income becomes your wages plus your reduced Universal Credit payment.
However, the taper rate can be different based on your specific circumstances, including if you have a disability or children.
You can use a benefits calculator to see how much you can claim. A free-to-use one is available via www.gov.uk/benefits-calculators.
Claiming 85% of childcare costs back
If you’re working and on Universal Credit you can claim back up to 85% of the money you spend on childcare.
Since June 2023, parents starting work or increasing their working hours have been able to get payments up front as well.
The most you can claim is £1,031 per month for one child and £1,768 per month for two or more children.
More details can be found at www.gov.uk/guidance/universal-credit-childcare-costs.
Get help through Household Support Fund
Benefits claimants might also be able to get extra help from the Household Support Fund (HSF).
This is a Government scheme worth £742million that’s being shared among councils to help them support people on low incomes.
Each council is choosing how it wants to spend the money, with some offering supermarket or energy bill vouchers and others giving up free cash payments.
Some are offering as much as £500 to people in need.
To find out if you might be eligible and what you can get, you should visit your local council’s website.
Claim freebies
Universal Credit claimants have access to a number of freebies, including free NHS prescriptions.
You will qualify for help if the total take-home pay for your household in your last assessment period was:
- £435 or less
- £935 or less if your Universal Credit includes a payment for a child, or you have a limited capability for work or limited capability for work and work related activity.
You can get free NHS prescriptions, NHS dental treatment, NHS sight tests and even free NHS wigs and fabric supports.
Find more information via the NHS website.
You can also get discounts on days out through Universal Credit – and some attractions even let you visit for free.
Some of the attractions offering free or discounted visits include the York Castle Museum, Kew Gardens, London Zoo and Edinburgh Zoo.
