Free stuff if on UC or PIP or money saving advice?

Ah ok. Thank you 🙂

They don’t need to. The government uses a list of claimants from the 24th August. If you’re on UC, you’re considered a core recipient and don’t need to apply.

Thanks for this.
My energy company does not know I am on UC though. Is this something you have to apply for?

Worth knowing that you had to be in receipt of UC or another qualifying benefit on 24th August, though.

If you are on Universal Credit or another means tested benefit, you might be eligible for the Warm Home Discount, which is a £150 rebate on your electricity bill. Some energy companies apply it automatically so check your energy account online between now and the end of October.

www.gov.uk/the-warm-home-discount-scheme/low-income-England-Wales

Yes agree, feel in the spirit of pointing out things that are not automatic, your blue badge advice is not automatic in all areas of the UK:
“If your DH doesn’t already have a blue badge, then if he scores at least eight points on the mobility component of PiP, or ten points on planning and following a journey he will automatically qualify for a blue badge with no further assessment.”

Source: I score 10pts on PIP for mobility but my local council requires 12 pts/enhanced mobility to automatically qualify for a blue badge. I do not qualify for a blue badge.

HMRC don't care about you selling your own second hand stuff. And neither do UC, as long as your capital does not go above £6k, at which point you have to declare it.
Vinted might report what you make to HMRC but that does not mean you will have to pay tax on it.

Maybe read the thread ?

I think people have mentioned train discounts but there is also a discount on the bus for PIP I think

Also check out Food Pantries in the local area.

Pupil premium in schools, linked to free school meals. Also ask schools themselves as they sometimes have a discretionary fund for things like towards school uniform or trips (sometimes linked to the pupil premium)

Because they do. Look at the responses on this thread.

A reduction is also offered if there is a member of the household who uses a wheelchair indoors.

There are council tax benefits available for low incomes. Just being disabled doesn’t qualify you though. You have to prove that an extra room for the exclusive use of the disabled person is necessary, or that they use a wheelchair indoors. You can also get a band reduction if someone in your household has dementia - but this doesn’t apply if there are more than two people in the household.

There’ve been quite a few things listed upthread.

It's worth checking if there's a benevolent fund for the sector you worked in. Many industries have one - retail, hospitality, most professions, newspaper industry, motor industry etc. Often they will offer grants for carers. Just try a few searches using keywords for your job plus fund or charity.

Well he needs to be able to have and acceot care from others. You cannot do it all without burnout and your dc will suffer. And contingency if you get ill. Who looks after him and dc then ? You need to be in hospital with a dc . What happens then?

Lots of free stuff in london check time out kids .
Charity shops for gifts for children. Stop buying gifts for adults. Or if is famiky gathering one gift bought per person max £10 or f 15 goes in a pile take turns to pick one. Swaps allowed. It is fun and saves buying multiple adult presents.

If as you say he literally needs full time care and cannot be left on his own then ask for a carer assessment and for him to be provided with carers.
Speak to carers uk and get advice from your local carer group.
You need to care for dc primarily so if dh needs care 24 7 then get assessed maybe he can access a day centre or in home carers
You need to ask and find what is available and get proper carer assessment and his care needs assessed.

I've never heard of folk on PIP and UC qualifying for free things. What type of things are you expecting free.

Well I’m disabled, not on universal credit & I am a pensioner & get a council tax reduction down to the band below the one my house is currently in; therefore a reduction

And you get a discount for being on a low income

That’s just not true. Your house is banded and it’s based on what band your house comes into. You can get a reduction if you’re a single occupier or you are disabled. Never has my council tax been based on what a household earns

I’ve been disabled my entire life and I’m a single parent to my son who’s also disabled - his needs are so severe that he’s only in part time school. Yet many services, school etc are aware of both mine and my sons complex issues especially me being a single parent and no one offers ‘free’ or ‘reduced’ things to help. They say to apply for PIP and DLA (which we both get) and that’s as far as the entitlement people often get help wifh

Council tax support is means tested though so anyone claiming UC alone will likely qualify for council tax support . However you do not get extra council tax support because you claim PIP because many PIP claimants also work and have decent incomes and potentially large savings because it isn't means tested.

Huh? Your council tax bill is based on your income in the sense that you do get a discount for being on a low income