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!

Yep, agree, for most people it would only be helpful in limited circumstances in the short term.

TFL have a discount on travel in London for certain benefits.

London Zoo have a UC discount.

On PIP you can get a reduction on your council tax. Exemption from road charges if you live in London or Greater London . Concession tickets to theatre shows & concerts. Be listed as vulnerable with gas, electricity & water suppliers. A Blue badge, possibly, so sometimes free parking

Each council is different. Our local council is one of the few in the country that now takes PIP as income so people pay more council tax. You could only get a council tax disregard if you have a severe mental impairment or house adaptions due to disability.

If you don't live in London and have a disabled persons railcard and have an oyster card you can add your railcard to your oyster card and get a discount

@Zeborah being in receipt of PIP does not, on its own, usually qualify you for a reduction in council tax. Most councils offer a reduction if a room has been adapted specifically for the use of the disabled person (e.g. adapted bathroom) or if the disabled person has severe and enduring mental illness SMI (e.g. dementia).

I think you need to get back to basics which means look at every outgoing and see if you can do it cheaper. Batch cook, hone your yellow sticker radar. Set a financially responsible budget for Christmas and stick to it, don’t feel pressured about ‘experiences’ and expensive hype. Your goal is saving money and setting money aside for broken washing machine type emergencies.

I know that, I was giving general feedback indicators.
Not all councils require you to have adaptations, sometimes just a separate bedroom & bathroom

How strange, as council tax is not income based or means tested. Council tax in UK is based on where you live and what band your house falls into

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

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.

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

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

And you get a discount for being on a low income

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

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

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.

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?

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.

There’ve been quite a few things listed upthread.

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.

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

That is a good point, thank you

Because they do. Look at the responses on this 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)