Help you didn't know existed
Lesson 1 of 13 in our free Benefits & Support guide: a 5-minute money game with the key points below.
Reading is cool. Playing is cooler.
This lesson is a 5-minute game. Free, no sign-up needed.
The story so far
Mo: Nobody: / Me: assuming benefits are a secret club you need a password for.
Dex: Benefits are only for people who don't work, bro. I work. On my mindset.
Nana: Wrong again, Dex. Loads of people on Universal Credit are in work. Support is for gaps — low pay, kids, rent, illness, a rough patch.
Chip: Loads of support goes unclaimed every year because people don't know they qualify. Let's fix that.
Questions you'll answer
What's a sensible FIRST step to find out what you might be entitled to?
Use a free, independent benefits calculator (gov.uk links to some) and talk to a free adviser. Yes. Calculators give you a ballpark in minutes, and free advisers like Citizens Advice can check the details.
Quick facts
- Universal Credit — one monthly payment for people on a low income, in or out of work → Real. Real. It replaced six older benefits and covers living costs, and can include help with rent and childcare.
- Child Benefit — money for people bringing up a child, set at a weekly rate → Real. Real. It's £27.05 a week for the first child in 2026/27 (usually paid every four weeks).
- The 'Hustle Bonus' — the government matches your crypto losses → Made up. Dex wishes. No such thing exists. Losses are yours alone.
- Council Tax Reduction — help paying council tax if you're on a low income → Real. Real. Your local council runs it, and the rules vary by area.
- Personal Independence Payment (PIP) — help with extra costs of a long-term health condition or disability → Real. Real (in Scotland it's Adult Disability Payment). And it's not means-tested.
- Free money for anyone who follows a finfluencer for 30 days → Made up. Made up — and if someone offers this, it's a Ronnie special.
- Fact: “You can get Universal Credit while working.” — Yes. UC tops up low earnings, and it goes down gradually as you earn more rather than stopping dead.
- Myth: “If you've got any savings at all, you can't claim Universal Credit.” — Savings under £6,000 don't affect UC. Between £6,000 and £16,000 reduces it. Over £16,000 usually means no UC.
- Fact: “Some support isn't from the government at all — like charity grants and uni hardship funds.” — Yes. Charities, unis and councils all have pots of help. A benefits calculator plus a chat with an adviser finds them.