TO YOUR BENEFIT
From free childcare to money off water bills, how to get help over Christmas if you’re struggling with cash
Councils offer various financial help for families in need
MORE than a third of us are worried about the cost of Christmas this year.
A nationwide poll found the average cost of festivities will be around £700, although a fifth said they will likely fall into debt to afford it, Skipton Building Society reports.
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But for those struggling, millions of pounds are available from the Government and charities.
Some money is handed out automatically, or you may need to apply.
Kenny Stewart, of Skipton Building Society, said: “The pressure to create a special day can push many people to their limits.
"For some, the only way to cope is by seeking help from loved ones and charities, to ensure their children don’t miss out.”
Harriet Cooke suggests where to find help . . .
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WHERE TO START
COUNCILS offer various financial help for families in need, with the Government’s Household Support Fund a key support in England.
Each authority will have its own rules for distributing this, so do enquire.
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For example families from the Medway area of Kent can get food and home essential vouchers for £65 for a single person, or £225 for families with six or more people.
You’ll need to show you have less than £500 in your bank account.
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Richmond Council in South West London is offering up to £600 for households with two children or more, applications being run by the local Citizens Advice service or Richmond Aid charities.
Councils in England, Wales and Scotland also offer help to those not covered by other aid.
I rewrap my son's birthday presents for Christmas as I can't afford new ones
If your housing benefit is less than your rent, you can apply for a Discretionary Housing Payment.
If you’re not sure which is the right authority to call, visit gov.uk/find- local-council.
OTHER HELP
COUNCIL TAX: Discounts are available for people who live alone or with someone who has dementia, or who are on low income.
Speak to your council.
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WATER BILLS: The WaterSure scheme caps bills for families on benefits such as Universal Credit who have high essential usage.
Contact your supplier.
CHILDCARE: Get up to £500 every three months (£2,000 a year) for each of your children to help with care, including nursery, pre-school and after-school clubs, from the Government’s Tax Free Childcare scheme.
The child must be under 12 and both parents in work, with each earning between £2,379 every three months and £100,000 a year.
Visit gov.uk/tax-free-childcare.
YOUNG KIDS: If you have a child under four or are pregnant, and get a benefit such as Universal Credit, you may get vouchers for milk and healthy foods through NHS Healthy Start.
DEBT: For debt advice, contact stepchange.org.uk (0800 138 1111) or nationaldebtline.org (0808 808 4000).
PETS
THE Blue Cross charity offers free pet food, cat litter, dog leads and other animal-care items from its rehoming centres in Sheffield, Exeter, Newport and Manchester and its charity shop in Bicester, Oxon.
You do not need any documents to use them.
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It also donates pet food to 500 food banks across the country.
Referrals from a council or charity may be required to use these.
For more information, visit bluecross.org.uk/help-and-support/our-pet-food-banks.
The Dogs Trust also offers free dog food.
Visit dogstrust.org.uk/rehoming/our-centres/dog-food-bank.
PHONES
VIRGIN MEDIA O2 runs the National Databank service to help people get free mobile data if they can’t afford it.
It offers a free O2 SIM card, with 25GB of mobile data per month for a year, enough for 275 hours of internet browsing per month.
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You must be over 18, from a low-income household and unable to pay your monthly contract or top-up, or you have no or insufficient access to the internet.
The O2 SIM gives free data monthly for a year (top up each month via a code sent to you).
To find out more visit your nearest O2 store, or other Databank hubs run from places such as libraries and community centres.
Visit goodthingsfoundation.org to find out where to go.
BENEFITS AND GRANTS
USE links like calculator.turn2us.org.uk and grants-search.turn2us.org.uk to check your eligibilities.
More than 850,000 pensioners qualify for pension credit but are not receiving it, and a similar number of eligible parents are not claiming up to £2,000 a year for childcare.
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Search tool Turn2Us can pinpoint any cash you’re missing out on.
It asks for your age, home town and other basic information, like any disabilities you have, and who provides your electricity.
Once you put in these details, it will list charities and other groups that can help.
For example, a 25-year-old from Oxford can contact the Charity of Thomas Dawson, which supplies one-off educational grants for local young people who need help with training costs.
There’s all kinds of little-known organisations that provide money to people in specific situations.
For example, the Benevolent Society of St Patrick helps Irish people living in London, or the Vegetarian Charity grants of up to £500 to young people who don’t eat meat.
Citizens Advice can direct you to local support services, and advise on money troubles.
ENERGY BILLS
THERE are various reductions on bills, such as winter fuel payments in England, cold weather payments and warm home discounts – but these are usually applied automatically if you qualify.
Most energy firms have funds available to help struggling families but what you can get and whether you qualify depends on the supplier.
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For example, the British Gas Energy Trust offers energy debt write-off grants of up to £2,000, as well as free white goods.
You don’t have to be a customer to benefit.
Halide Kalfaoglu, welfare benefits specialist at Turn2us, said: “Some energy companies have set up charitable trusts or may have schemes to help customers.”
Give them a call to find out what they can do for you.
If you’re over 66, ill or disabled, or have children at home, ask your energy firm to add you to their Priority Services Register.
The supplier will provide extra support, like regular meter readings or bills sent in large print, and it may help protect you from disconnection.
STATE PENSION OF . . . £47K
TEN retirees are paid £47,803 a year in state pension – four times more than the typical OAP, new data reveals.
Responding to a freedom of information request by Sun Money, the Department for Work and Pensions said those lucky claimants got £919.30 a week in the 2023/24 tax year.
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And last year 540 pensioners were handed more than £576.93 a week, or £30,000 over the year.
People get more than the usual full state pension of £221.20 a week, for various reasons, inlcuding because they deferred taking their pension.
Those who get additional payments from the State Earnings-Related Pension Scheme, also called the second state pension, can get significantly more.
And payments are set to rise even further next year owing to the triple-lock guarantee.
Helen Morrissey, head of retire-ment analysis at Hargreaves Lansdown, believes these figures show the importance of pension planning.
She said: “Many of these people have accrued extra benefits through the second state pension and have really enhanced their retirement as a result.
“It shows the importance of getting a state pension forecast so you have a sense of what you are on track to receive.”
Check this by visiting gov.uk/check-state-pension or call the Future Pension Centre on 0800 731 0175.
ADELE COOKE
BEWARE DELIVERY HOAXES
BE on alert for home delivery scams over Christmas, where you are tricked into giving out personal details or paying money.
Which? consumer expert Rob Lilley-Jones said: “Scammers impersonate well known delivery brands, claiming you’ve missed a delivery and pressuring you to click on a malicious link.”
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Here’s a guide . . .
OUTSTANDING FEES: A demand for a fee to release your parcel can be a ploy to steal payment card details.
Try to check any text or email asking for such payments.
FAILED DELIVERIES: A link prompting you to reschedule leads to a website that steals your personal details.
Check the delivery status directly through the official courier website.
UNEXPECTED PARCELS: May be a sign scammers have your details and are boosting their sales figures by creating bogus orders, and even writing reviews in your name.
Alert the retailer and trading standards.
Another scam involves being asked to forward high-value items, a tactic used to launder money.
Never do this if unsure of a parcel’s origin.
STOLEN PARCELS: Creates chances for scammers posing as sellers or delivery firms to request personal and financial details.
If you’ve lost money after following a link sent to you in a fake text, call your bank.
READ MORE SUN STORIES
Or contact actionfraud.police.uk/reporting-fraud-and-cyber-crime (0300 123 2040).
JAMES FLANDERS
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