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

[StrengthPleaseToday]

I may get flamed here but it's worth it as I think some here may have some good advice.

I've always worked until recently. My husband is disabled and has a number of chronic health conditions but never previously claimed benefits as I was supporting the family. I had managed remote work around caring for him until earlier this year. His health has deteriorated to where I need to be a full time carer, and we have now run out of savings. It will take a lot of treatment before he is well enough for me to take on any more work around his care.

We're now making claims for UC and PIP.

We also have small children aged 4 and 6. We live in London.

Does anyone have any tips or suggestions about either stuff you may get for cheap or free if on UC or PIP, especially anything for families?

I want to keep life for the children as nice as possible while we get through this.

Also with Christmas coming up I'm also interested in any money saving advice or suggestions about either Christmas events or where to buy gifts (ideally online) that are cheap or discounted for people on UC or PIP.

Thanks in advance!

I think you can get cheap broadband deals if you’re on benefits. Possibly called a social tariff, or something like that?

some of this isn't dependent on a PIP award; if you are a carer, paid or unpaid your local carers' association can refer you for support through the GP network (social prescribing)

Because both are gateway benefits to other schemes.

EG with PIP you can generally get discount cards for cinema trips, where a carer goes for free, cheaper rail tickets wtih a railcard... etc etc.

If you're on a means tested benefit you may then be eligible for other support.

Much depends on what else you get and why you're getting UC though.

Contact your local Baby Bank if you need help with school uniform and shoes; winter coats and clothing etc. Ours also does an annual pyjama appeal where they ask the public to donate a pair of new winter pj’s, a book and a chocolate selection box in a gift bag and these are given to those who may need them.

For Christmas gifts your DC are young enough not to realise about shopping second hand for gifts so visit charity shops regularly for toys, books and clothing etc. I have had some great find over the years for DC and I.

Gumtree, Facebook Marketplace, Freecycle, and local Facebook groups for free and low-cost toys and books etc plus clothing. Vinted can be good if you buy multiple items off one seller so that the postage costs are not prohibitive.

Often local churches and chariots around here do free or cheap Christmas events plus Christmas gift for children.

I hope things get better x

Cinema , swimming, theme parks,etc are often discounted with a free carer place

Gas/electricity and water grants. Disabled rail card. If you are eligible for blue badge some free / easier parking

Too good to go good for discounted food but you need to be creative

liddle frui and veg boxes

yellow sticker in supermarket

bulking out mince wuith oats lentilsadding vegg to bolanase

how old are your children some cheap presents can have a big wow factor eg huge cardboard box free from a shop filled with inflated baloons and perhaps bubbles

making gifts eg fudge and saving jars to put these in.
UC can entitlr to lotsof cheaap days out tower bridge london zoo.

do either of the industries you or your dh workred in have charitable funds?

cheap internet priority gas electrics new boilers warm home scheeme.

If you can afford to put up to £50 in a savings account each month open a Help to Save account for a 50% bonus on the highest balance after 2 years.

Lots of places do very cheap entry, just look on the website for places you're interested in.

Review all your finances and go through everything with Moneysavingexpert.com, loads of tips about utilities etc

You could be eligible for the social tariff which gives you discounted broadband and phone packages - check with providers once you know what benefits you will be in receipt of. No flaming for me, I think it's really sensible when your circumstances change to put your best foot forward - I wish you luck.

Your children are quite young, so I wouldn't worry about Christmas being too extravagant and perhaps stay off social media and the photos of people with piles of presents as that I think is where people get made to feel guilty. I know I used to worry what I had wasn't enough but especially when young children don't care.

At that age my children had a lot of second hand presents. We used to buy things from charity shops - there are some specific children's ones near me which are usually reasonably priced for toys and games.
It's probably easier these days to buy things cheaper by going on vinted. Also my overall saving money tip is don't buy things no one wants just to make it look more. Limit yourself. I know lots of people do the want, need, read idea.
I would also suggest looking at who you buy for - do a Martin Lewis and stop buying unnecessary gifts. Or if your family don't like that idea, can you do a secret Santa and each person only buys for one individual in the family.

There are also a few charities/organisations in my local area that offer support and advice - check your local area. Our community centre offers free hot meals on certain days and there is more than one community fridge in our local area where anyone can help themselves.

Days out again don't have to be expensive. I live no where near London but at that age mine would be happy going to the free museum, the library and the local toy shop who run activities during holidays, so I am certain London will have a lot more opportunities. Make the most of these free and less exciting options now and avoid doing too many big days out, even if discounted, so that it isn't expected to always be doing something. Do you have different parks you can visit? Go feed the ducks?

All the things I have suggested are what anyone can access.

check local library some run events and a reggular habbit of this can be great for a love of books.

Your water company might do a reduced bill if you are receiving benefits. Its an online application.

I am sure some of these suggestions will have been mentioned already but I am too tired to look (long day!). So, have a look at the following:
Access card
Council tax discount for disabled occupant if they have a room dedicated to their needs
Disabled facilities grant from your local authority if home needs adapting
Watersure
Vulnerability register with gas and electric supplier
ECO4 energy grants
Carers allowance for you. Employment support allowance for your husband.
Register as a carer with your GP and the council carer team (if there is one). Sometimes there are on-off grants or respite schemes.
Free prescriptions
VAT deducted from any medical equipment purchased
Ask for a carers assessment (either through local authority or GP clinic) as that might signpost other help
The local authority may run schemes for furniture or white goods for benefit recipients (ours does)
Do a check on entitled to which is a website for benefits assessment. It may flag up further entitlement.
Social tariff broadband and mobile.
Use your local library a lot as lots of support groups, books and other entertainment may be on offer.
The council leisure centres may offer a sports membership for families affected by disability (ours does).

I am physically disabled & we own our home. Our local council helped with adaptions due to disability & because we get UC, it was grant funded (free). We got a hand rail out/inside at the stairs + a wet room

If you have a car then with mobility on PIP you can register car as disabled so with a standard award it is 50% , enhanced award the car is exempt from road tax - just reminded myself I need to claim refund on my new car

There are some really good suggestions that have been mentioned. There is help available, you just have to know about what's available, and that is where some people lose out, by not knowing what help they can access.

I think some train tickets are cheaper. I've never remembered to check though.

Chatsworth house do tickers for £1 for UC and discounted cafe

School can help, we help with uniform, and food bags during the holidays. If you are eligible for pupil premium you can HAF vouchers and food tokens.

We work with the Salvation Army who donate Christmas presents to our families, you school may do the same, and a charity for helping with trip money.
Your children do not need to miss out on anything school related, but you do have to ask and let them know so they can help.

You can all apply for cheaper water bills and internet.

Vinted is great, but often the price of postage can cancel out the savings.

There is also £1 tickets for certain places, but they are very limited so book in advance.

Word of caution, the government 'help to save' accounts count against benefits. Even though the government want people to save up and improve their financial stability and the money is out of reach. I think Martin Lewis has been highlighting this lately.

I think the priority is keeping a roof over your heads.

If you've run out of savings can you survive on £1200 a month for the standard UC as a family of 4?. It took a over a year for my friend to be assessed for additional elements and she lost her home.

Do you have a mortgage?

I hope some of the excellent suggestions are helpful to OP but l think it’s important to point out for others who may be looking for similar support that not all of these things are available purely via PIP eligibility. Things like the warm home discount, capped water rates, many social tariffs, will only be available to those on means tested benefits.

Similarly with respite care - it’s means tested on the income of the person going into care and many councils take the PIP daily living component into account after 28 days. Also important to note is the fact that after 28 days in residential respite DWP will stop the daily living component of PIP unless the person is self funding. Linking rules mean that multiple shorter stays within 28 days of each other will be treated as consecutive. This has implications for those claiming carers allowance and carers element of UC, because they would no longer be eligible once PIP stops.

A poster upthread suggested carers allowance for OP and ESA for DH. There are no new claims being taken for means tested ESA as its now part of UC, and for UC the carers allowance will be fully deducted as income, and a carers premium will be paid as part of UC. DH could potentially claim New Style ESA but that would depend on the last two years NI contributions, but this would be deducted in full from any UC claim as they would be treated as a couple.

If the claim for UC is successful OP could potentially claim Support for Mortgage Interest on up to £200,000 of the mortgage capital. It’s not a benefit but a loan that has to be repaid at some point, but could temporarily reduce mortgage payments until they sort themselves out. SMI doesn’t affect other benefits and is paid by DWP directly to the mortgage provider, but household earned income is taken into account and may reduce the amount payable.

Yes but as you say its a loan and only covers the interest after the waiting period.

People with mortgages who fall on hard times are stuffed basically.

Anyone on UC or other means tested benefit needs to be careful if selling on Vinted, EBay, or any of the other selling platforms. Generally if you are just clearing out your old stuff and selling it for less than you paid for it, you’re fine, but if you make a profit, you need to report it to UC. If you reach a certain threshold (around £1750) or exceed thirty sales in a year, the selling platform will report the data they hold on you to HMRC.