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CIS Cost of Living Tips
by cis-security
With the cost of living in the UK rising, there are many support options for individuals and families directly from the Government.
Millions of people are not claiming what they are entitled to, and there are support schemes for people who are not just unemployed
We have put together few tips and some useful links for you to check your eligibility for benefits and what schemes are available to you and your family
Benefits Calculator
You can use a free, independent, and anonymous benefits calculator to check what you are entitled to Visit https://www.gov.uk/benefits-calculators and choose from a selection of different calculators.
Cost of Living Payment
The Government has announced further cost of living payments between spring 2023 and spring 2024 Most people should have received their 2022 payment, but please visit https://www.gov.uk/guidance/cost-of-living-payment for accurate information
Energy Bills Support Scheme (EBSS)
You should have received a £400 discount to help with your energy bills between October 2022 and March 2023. This would have been applied to your household electricity bill, so please check you have received this. Further information can be found here: https://www.gov.uk/get-help-energy-bills/getting-discount-energy-bill
Tax-Free Childcare
You can get up to £500 every 3 months (up to £2,000 a year) for each of your children to help with the cost of childcare. You will need to set up an online childcare account, and for every £8 you pay into this account, the Government will pay £2 to use to pay your provider. Please visit https://www.gov.uk/tax-free-childcare for further information.
Marriage Allowance
Marriage Allowance lets you transfer £1,260 of your Personal Allowance to your husband, wife or civil partner. This reduces their tax by up to £252 in the tax year.
To benefit as a couple, you (as the lower earner) must normally have an income below your Personal Allowance - this is usually £12,570.
When you transfer some of your Personal Allowance to your husband, wife or civil partner you might have to pay more tax yourself, but you could still pay less as a couple
More information can be found here https://www.gov.uk/marriage-allowance
