With the ever-increasing cost of energy bills and other essentials, households on the lowest incomes are seeing a continuous squeeze on their budgets. For those on fixed incomes like Universal Credit recipients, household expenses can quickly grow larger than household incomes.
Many will begin to see debts and arrears start to grow as their essential costs get more and more expensive. However, there are lots of free schemes and cash grants on offer from charities and local councils which can help to reduce these fixed costs and bills, from massive council tax and gas bill reductions, to help purchase clothes and food.
As these services and grants are offered with no expectation of being paid back, they can be essential for helping people escape a spiral of debt or financial stress. Many of these schemes and grants are dependent on your local area, so we have included some of the best grant eligibility websites in our list.
