Help with paying for childcare
You can get up to £500 every 3 months (up to £2,000 a year) for each of your children to help with the cost of childcare.
Look into free childcare for various age ranges:
15 hours free childcare for working parents with a child from 9-months-old
Free education and childcare for 2-year-olds
15 hours free childcare for 3 and 4-year-olds – or 570 free hours a year
30 hours free childcare for 3 and 4-year-olds – depending on your work situation, income, circumstances and your immigration status
You may be able to claim back up to 85% of your childcare costs if you’re eligible for Universal Credit, with up to £646 back each month for one child or £1,108 for two or more children.
If you’re a parent carer of a disabled child
Disability Living Allowance (DLA) for children
If you’re the parent carer of a disabled child, aged under 16 who has difficulties walking, or needs much more looking after than a child of the same age who doesn’t have a disability, you could claim DLA.
Carer’s assessment
You can request a carer’s assessment for free, and anyone over 18 can ask for one. The assessment intends to see what help might make your life as a carer easier and it’s separate from the needs assessment that the person you care for might have.
If you’re expecting a baby
You could get a one-off payment of £500 to help towards the costs of having a child through the Sure Start Maternity Grant.
If you’re a grandparent caring for your grandchildren
Grandparents caring for their grandchildren (under 12) could qualify for National Insurance Credits that can top up their income in retirement.
If you need help with school-related costs
Free school meals
Your child may be able to get free school meals and up to £150 towards school uniform costs through your local council’s website.
National Breakfast Clubs
All participating schools will receive a 75% government subsidy for breakfast club provision, with 25% from other funding streams.
Child Benefit
You can claim Child Benefit if you’re responsible for bringing up a child who is under 16 or under 20 (if they say in approved education or training).
Only one person can get Child Benefit for a child. It’s paid every four weeks and there’s no limit to how many children you can claim for.
Holiday activities and food programme
You can get access to free activities and food for your children in the holidays if they receive free school meals. The programme usually runs through the Easter, Summer and Christmas school holidays.
Vouchers
Healthy Start vouchers
If you’re more than ten weeks pregnant or have a child aged under four, you may be entitled to get help to buy healthy food and milk for the Healthy Start scheme.
If you’re in Scotland, you can apply for Best Start Foods instead.
If you work in healthcare, the Armed Forces, or the emergency services
Blue Light Card
A Blue Light Card costs £4.99 for two years and you’ll need your work ID or a recent payslip to prove you’re eligible. It offers discounts at over 15,000 high street and online stores and covers lots of areas including insurance, phones, cars, and days out.
Defence Privilege Card
The Defence Discount Service provides discounts both online and on the high street for members of the Armed Forces, Veterans and Armed Forces Community. It’s the home of the Defence Privilege Card, which is a vetted discount card that can be used in stores, restaurants, and venues to obtain discounts.
Other costs
Six months free broadband
TalkTalk works with Jobcentre Plus and the Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) to offer six months of free broadband to jobseekers across the UK.
Vodafone Together scheme
The Trussell Trust, which is the UK’s biggest foodbank network, has teamed up with Vodafone to provide phones and SIMs to people in need. You’ll have to be referred to a Trussell Trust foodbank to benefit from the scheme.
Freecycle
Freecycle is a not-for-profit organisation which helps people in need of furniture reuse perfectly good items which might otherwise have ended up in a landfill.
Disclaimer:
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