If you’re one of the low income households not getting the help you’re entitled to, then use our Benefits Calculator to find out what you could claim.
How to make the most of your benefits
Benefits can be a great help to make ends meet, repay your loans or even start building a rainy day fund and save for your retirement. We will explore how you can get the most out of your benefits and also help you to find out what you can claim.
Increase your income
Universal Credit is a benefit that can assist people who are unemployed, or those with low salaries, to top up their income. The total amount you can get depends on several things such as whether you have a partner, 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 a great way to smooth your income.
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 cost
Benefits can also help low and middle-income families 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 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 help you become more financially resilient enabling you to save a little each month and the Help to Save scheme can help build your savings with up to £1,200 given over 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. Within 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.
Local Advice Services
- The Advice Shop
- Citizens Advice Edinburgh
- Community Help and Advice Initiative (CHAI)
- Granton Information Centre (GIC)
Check your benefits
The challenge now is to find out the benefits you might be eligible for, but no worries, we have you covered! You can use our benefits calculator to get a free and impartial assessment of all the benefits and grants you can claim.
