How to make the most of your benefits

Benefits can be a great help to make ends meet, start building a rainy day fund and save for your retirement. We will explore how you can get the most of your benefits and will help you to find out the benefits you can claim.

Increase your income

Universal Credit is a benefit unemployed people or those with low salaries receive to top up their income. The total amount you can get depends on several things such as whether you have a partner, your number of dependents or your housing costs. Universal Credit also depends on your monthly take-home pay, so if you have a variable salary, it is also a great way to smooth your income.

Universal Credit ceases once you (and your partner) reach the State Pension Age. If your basic state pension and private pension are not enough to reach a minimum level of income, you will be able to claim Pension Credits.

Specific groups such as low and middle-income families or disabled people can get additional benefits that reflect their higher living costs such as Child Benefit, Scottish Child Payment or Personal Independence Payment.

Reduce your daily living costs

Benefits can also help low and middle-income families to reduce their expenses. For example, Housing Benefit will help you to pay your rent and the Council Tax Reduction might reduce your council tax bill. Families can also apply for Free School Meals and Help with School Clothing costs, while elderly people can get support to pay for the utility bills. Moreover, if you are struggling with your mortgage payments, you might be entitled to Support for Mortgage Interest payments.

Save for your future

Benefits can also help you to build more resilient finances and the Help to Save can give you up to £1,200 in 4 years to start building a savings pot.

Moreover, you can use your benefits to boost your pension pot while still keeping most of your take-home income. In the Universal Credit, all your pension contributions are disregarded in the take-home income calculation, which means that for each £100 in pension contributions, you earn an additional £63 in Universal Credit.

How much you can get

Overall, 83% of our users are entitled to an average of £580/month. However, their benefits entitlement changes according to their household circumstances and financial situation.

The challenge now is to find out the benefits you may be eligible for, but no worries, we have got you covered. You can use our benefits calculator to get a free and impartial assessment of all the benefits and grants you are able to claim.