14 freebies and discounts you can get on Universal Credit in November – from free boilers to £150 off your energy bill

STRUGGLING households on Universal Credit can top up their income with these 14 freebies and discounts.

From free cash grants to discounts on childcare we have rounded up all the help available to help you can snap up.

The exact amount you can get will vary depending on your circumstances.

But if you qualify for all the help available then you could be in line for help worth £9,470.15 a year.

Here is all the help you can get in November.

Warm Home Discount – £150

The Warm Home Discount Scheme is a one-off £150 discount on your electricity bill.

If you’re eligible, your electricity supplier will apply the discount to your bill. The money is not paid to you.

The scheme opens in October each year, however, you may not get the help until March at the latest.

To qualify you’ll usually need to be actively claiming one of a number of means-tested benefits during the qualifying week – which is usually in August.

However, if you later launch a successful claim for backdated benefits, you may still be able to qualify after this date and once it’s confirmed.

If you qualify for the WHD, you should receive a letter telling you. These are usually sent between October and January

Your electricity supplier will automatically apply the discount to your bill by the end of March.

Some suppliers have already started applying the discount. See if you’re eligible in our guide.

Household support fund – up to £500

Struggling households can apply for support via the Household Support Fund (HSF).

The scheme, which is funded by the Department for Work and Pensions, was first launched in 2021.

It has been extended multiple times since, with the latest funding round opening in October.

Many councils will be dishing out funding this month,

However, what you’re able to access depends on whereabouts you live, and the money will either be given to you as a direct cash transfer, shopping vouchers or in another form.

To find out what you may be eligible for, visit your local council’s website.

If you’re unsure of the name of your council, find out using the Government’s council locator tool.

Funding is given to local councils to distribute, so the amount handed out varies across the country.

But in the past, some families have had up to £500 help.

You can find out more about the Household Support Fund, by reading this article.

Free insulation or boilers – £1,000s

Low-income households may qualify for major discounts on installing boilers or insulating their homes.

For example, the Energy Company Obligation, set up by the Government, lets households on certain benefits apply to have energy-saving measures installed in their homes.

It might mean cavity wall or loft insulation, or maybe even a new boiler fitted, sometimes for free.

To qualify you usually need to be on one of the following benefits

• Pension Guarantee Credit
• Income-related Employment and Support Allowance (ESA)
• Income-based Jobseeker’s Allowance (JSA)
• Income Support
• Tax Credits (Child Tax Credits and Working Tax Credits)
• Universal Credit
• Housing Benefit
• Pension Credit Saving Credit

Households’ needs are assessed on a case-by-case basis, so there’s no guarantee you’ll get help, but it is worth looking into.

Check out more on the scheme here.

Council tax – £2,171

Council tax is a priority bill, which means if you don’t pay you can end up in court.

But you can get money off the bill and in some cases have it wiped completely.

Council Tax Support is a scheme where those on a low income or benefits can get money off council tax.

The discount you get varies depending on your circumstances and where you live.

That said, if you do get it wiped completely it can be worth thousands of pounds, with the average Band D council tax bill currently standing at £2,171 a year.

Check out what help you can get by using the Government’s online tool at gov.uk/apply-for-council-tax-discount.

Universal Credit childcare costs – up to £1,739.37

Parents on Universal Credit and in a paid job can have up to 85% of their childcare costs covered, up to £1,014.63 a month for one child and £1,739.37 a month for two or more children.

It doesn’t matter how many hours you work.

If you live with a partner, you both need to work to qualify.

You usually have to pay for the childcare and claim back the costs, but if you go back to work or increase your hours you can request for the money to be paid upfront.

You can learn more about the benefit by clicking the link here.

Cheap travel – £150

Universal Credit claimants can get 50% off their bus and train fares with the Jobcentre Plus Travel Discount.

However, it’s only available if you’re unemployed but looking for work and are on Jobseeker’s Allowance.

You’ll also need to have claimed Universal Credit for three to nine months if you’re aged between 18 and 24 years old.

For those aged 25 or older, you must have claimed the benefit for three to 12 months to be eligible for a discount.

There’s no guarantee you’ll get the discount, though – it’s up to your local JobCentre Plus branch to decide.

Meanwhile, there’s the Flexible Support Fund, which is a pot of money that has been set aside by the Government to help people with the costs of getting a job.

The fund is managed by local job centres and can be used to cover the following costs of job hunting:

• Training for a job, up to £150
• Travel to interviews
• Childcare
• Tools for work
• Cost of medical evidence required by a disabled person
• Clothing and uniforms to start work
• Support for single parents in financial emergencies in the first 26 weeks of starting a job.

You can find out more about how to apply in our guide.

Healthy Start vouchers – £442

If you’re more than 10 weeks pregnant or have a child under four, you may be able to get help to buy healthy food and milk.

Families on Universal Credit can apply online if their take-home pay is £408 or less from employment.

If you get Child Tax Credit, you may be eligible for Healthy Start if:

• your family’s annual income is £16,190 or less
• you do not get Working Tax Credit

You can learn more about this benefit, by clicking the link here.

Free prescriptions – worth £9.90

Once you reach 60, you can get free prescriptions from your local pharmacy – prescriptions usually cost £9.90 each in England.

So if you usually buy a single prescription each month you could save £118.80 over the year.

This benefit is automatic and there’s no need to apply.

Free eye test – up to £30

If you’re 60 or over you’re also entitled to a free NHS sight test, so you should let your optician know when you reach 60 if you haven’t already. 

Eye tests can usually cost between £20 and £30.

To qualify you may need to bring an entitlement letter stating the benefits you receive.

Discounted water bills – £1,000

If you claim Universal Credit you may be able to get a discount on your water bill.

Some companies offer a percentage discount, while others offer a fixed rate. If you get money off your council tax bill, you might qualify for an even lower amount.

The amounts you can get off vary, but someone got more than £1,000 refunded through the scheme.

To qualify, you need to receive certain income-related benefits, including Pension Credit, and have a water meter installed.

You’ll also need to show that you need a lot of water and that this is essential for your family.

If you are unsure if you qualify it may be worth reading the article here.

Social tariffs – £227.88

Thousands of low-income households could be eligible for discounted broadband and mobile phone contracts, with huge savings up for grabs.

A number of providers offer special tariffs for those receiving qualifying benefits.

These tariffs, known as “social tariffs”, are available to households on certain benefits, including Universal Credit, and usually cost substantially less than a firm’s standard broadband packages.

Tariffs begin at £12 for mobile contracts and £12.50 for broadband contracts.

BT’s Home Essentials social package starts from £15 a month, while standard tariffs begin at £33.99 – a saving of £227.88 a year.

You can read about how to apply here.

Sure Start maternity grant – £500

The Sure Start maternity grant is given to the new and expectant parents.

You usually qualify if you’re pregnant with your first child or already have children and are expecting a multiple birth (such as twins).

You or your partner will need to be on one of the following benefits to qualify:

• 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 are receiving support for a Mortgage Interest loan.

You can make a claim for a Sure Start grant by filling in the Sure Start Maternity Grant (SF100) claim form.

You can read more about how to scheme by clicking the article here.

Help to Save – £1,200

Help to Save is a scheme available to those on Universal Credit and offers a 50% bonus on any savings you make.

You can deposit up to £50 into a Help to Save account every month for up to four years.

So, if you added the maximum amount each month for 48 months, you would end up with a £1,200 bonus.

But you can still get some of the bonus even by saving a small amount – check out how it works.

Free school meals – up to £500

If you live in England and have children at a state school in reception, year 1 or year 2, they are entitled to free school meals regardless of your household income.

However, if you’re claiming certain benefits, including Universal Credit, Jobseeker’s Allowance (JSA) and Child Tax Credits, you can get free school meals for older children too.

How you apply depends on your personal circumstances – some people may be able to via their local council, while others might have to speak to their children’s school directly.

You can type your postcode into the government’s website to see who to contact and how to apply at gov.uk/apply-free-school-meals.

The exact amount you’ll get depends on where you live, but the help is worth around £460 on average per child per year, according to the Institute for Fiscal Studies.

If you’re eligible for free school meals, you may also get similar help during school holidays like Christmas and Easter, as well as half terms.

You can learn about how to apply by clicking the link here.