Free debt advice

If you’re in debt there are plenty of services you can take advantage of and they offer free advice on how to manage debt.

Most of them can offer you free guidance and help in person, over the telephone or online.

Universal Credit calculators

Trying to work out how much Universal Credit you can get can be overwhelming.

If you need help working out how much you may be entitled to, the good news is there are a number of free calculators that you can use to help make the process easier and provide you with an estimate.

These include:

Major high street bank giving customers £200 for free

HSBC is giving new customers free cash if they switch to the provider.

The bank is offering customers £200 if they switch from a different provider to either its HSBC UK Advance or Premier Bank accounts.

The offer is available now and there is currently no end date in sight.

Any customers who choose to switch will need to do so using the Current Account Switch Service (CASS) to qualify for the £200 cash.

Find out if you are eligible here.

Highest-paying jobs that don’t require qualifications

Some of the highest-paying jobs available in 2023 don’t require you to have any qualifications at all.

Job site Adzuna has listed 20 roles that don’t require a university education and pay more than the average UK annual salary of £33,000.

Some of them even pay a whopping £90,000 a year, and for many positions “knowledge and skills are far more important than formal education”, according to Andrew Hunter, the co-founder of Adzuna.

Find out more here.

Five top tips to avoid wasting diesel and petrol while driving

With the cost of living crisis continuing to take a toll, the increased cost of fuel is a concern for most drivers.

Handily, insurance experts at A-Plan Insurance have rounded up five tips to help motorists avoid wasting fuel unnecessarily while driving.

• Watch your speed
• Watch your gears
• Remove weight and reduce drag
• Maintain your tyres
• Avoid travel hotspots

You can find more details on each of the above top tips here.

How do you log in to Universal Credit?

Universal Credit claimants can see their online account by logging in via the gov.uk website.

You’ll need your username and password – which are the same ones you had to set up when you first applied for benefits.

If you have forgotten your login details, you can put in a request to reset your username or password by entering your email address.

If you have an online Universal Credit account, you can also sign in via gov.uk verify.

In a worse case scenario, you can always try calling the Universal Credit helpline on 0800 328 5644 (Textphone: 0800 328 1344).

You can also get in contact via NGT text relay on 18001 then 0800 328 5644.

There’s a Welsh language helpline available on 0800 328 1744 too.

How to know if you need Universal Credit?

Universal Credit combines a number of benefits into one monthly payment.

It replaces: Child Tax Credit, Housing Benefit, Income Support, Income-based Jobseeker’s Allowance (JSA), Income-related Employment and Support Allowance (ESA) and Working Tax Credit.

People who are already receiving these benefits will be transferred to Universal Credit between now and 2024 in a move known as managed migration.

The payment is made up of a standard allowance and any extra amounts that apply to you, for example if you:

• Have children
• Have a disability or health condition which prevents you from working
• Need help paying your rent

You can use a benefits calculator to see how much you could get.

Find out more about what Universal Credit is and whether you might be eligible for a claim.

The more you earn the less you’ll get, because of the taper system – here’s how it works.

Universal Credit claimants often struggle with the five-week wait for payments, but you can get an advance.

How to reduce the cost of your supermarket shop

At a time when prices are sky high, households will be looking for ways to cut costs on their supermarket shop where they can.

Here we share a number of savvy saving tips to help you cut the cost at the till – and save some much-needed cash.

• Know when to shop – Heading to the shops when products are marked down and bright yellow discount stickers are applied can save a fair bit of cash.
• Hunt for yellow sticker bargains – You should also keep an eye out for yellow stickers to get the best food bargains.
• Make the most of loyalty schemes – Here we revealed the best and worst supermarket loyalty schemes including Asda, Tesco, Sainsbury’s and Morrisons.
• Shop wonky – Strange-shaped fruit and vegetables taste the same but cost less.
• Make a list – One of the most common mistakes shoppers make is going out underprepared.

What is pension credit?

Pension credit is designed to boost your income if you’re over the state pension age and on a low income.

On top of the government’s cost of living payment, pension credit also makes you eligible for other support such as the Warm Home Discount scheme worth £150 a year and help with council tax.

The benefit could be worth more than £3,300 a year.

How to listen to The Martin Lewis Podcast

Those wanting to learn tips and tricks to help manage their finances can tune in to The Martin Lewis Podcast.

Each week, the money-saving expert answers your financial questions, as well as offering valuable money-saving advice.

You can listen and subscribe via:

Martin Lewis issues major pension warning

Millions of Brits have a matter of months to carry out checks and claim thousands of pounds.

Last month, the government gave people extra time to plug the gaps in their National Insurance record to boost their state pension.

This extension came after many Brits failed to carry out their checks.

Now, Martin Lewis has warned eligible Brits to get the checks done as soon as they can.

Writing in this week’s MoneySavingExpert newsletter, Martin said: “A special deadline for people to backfill gaps from 2006 to 2016 was due to end with the last tax year on April 5.

“But so many struggled to get through to jammed government phone lines that it’s been extended till July 31.

“Yet don’t leave it till then, as there’ll likely be the same problem.

“So… if you’re 45 to 70, you should be checking ASAP if you need to do this. It’s not quick, but it can be immensely lucrative.”

11 ways to get interest-free or cheap loans if you’re struggling

There is help available for struggling households hit with surprise costs.

A rainy-day savings pot is the ideal way to cover an unexpected hit – but a stash of surplus cash during the cost of living crisis is a tough ask for many.

You should always check you are getting all the help you are entitled to before turning to borrowing.

However, if other options have been exhausted, it’s important to consider the best and cheapest way of taking on debt.

Here we outline some of the options that could be available to you.

• Interest-free loans for food
• Money from your job
• Free overdraft
• Interest-free purchases
• Buy now pay later
• Interest-free credit cards
• Interest-free help with mortgage repayments
• Universal Credit Budgeting Advances
• Budgeting Loans
• Credit union loans
• Interest-free local council loans

Find out more about each of the above loans here.

Every benefit set to be paid early next week

Millions of Brits will get their benefits early next week.

This comes as May 1 is a bank holiday which means no benefits will be paid that day.

Those who are due to receive their benefit on the May 1 will receive theirs on April 28 instead.

This counts for the following 12 benefits:

• Attendance Allowance
• Carer’s Allowance
• Child Benefit
• Disability Living Allowance
• Employment and Support Allowance
• Income Support
• Jobseeker’s Allowance
• Pension Credit
• Personal Independence Payment
• State Pension
• Tax Credits (such as Working Tax Credit)
• Universal Credit

List of supermarkets where prices are rising the most revealed

Consumer brand Which? has shared which supermarkets have the fastest-rising prices as the cost of living soars.

This includes Aldi, Asda, Lidl, Morrisons, Ocado, Sainsbury’s, Tesco and Waitrose.

Overall inflation on food and drink at supermarkets continued to rise in April by 17.2%, an increase from 16.5% in March.

With that in mind, inflation increased the most at Lidl, where it has gone up 25.2% compared to March 2022.

Fellow discounter Aldi was close behind, with prices rising by 23.7%.

Find out more here.

Free debt advice

If you’re in debt there are plenty of services you can take advantage of and they offer free advice on how to manage debt.

Most of them can offer you free guidance and help in person, over the telephone or online.

What are Universal Credit and benefits deductions?

Money can be taken directly out of your benefits payments to pay off any debts.

This is sometimes called “third party deductions” or, for gas and electricity payments, Fuel Direct.

Deductions are applicable and can be requested with the following income-based benefits:

Thousands of households can get up to £1,000 free cash direct to bank accounts within days

Thousands of households can get up to £1,000 in free cash direct to their bank accounts via the Household Support Fund (HSF).

The scheme is provided by the Department for Work and Pensions and has been created to help support vulnerable households throughout England.

The pot of cash has been shared between councils in England – those councils then decide how to distribute their share of the fund among residents.

That means what you can get depends on where you live but, in most cases, help is offered to households on benefits or a low income.

For example, residents living in Torridge can get thousands of pounds in support.

There isn’t a set limited on how much people can get, but struggling households could get anywhere between £600 and £1,000.

If you don’t live in Torridge, check with your local council – as local authorities are in charge of distributing the funding.

To find your local council, use the gov.uk council finder tool.

Can I work while on Universal Credit?

The government says that the flagship welfare system has been designed to help people get back into work.

This means you can work as many hours as you want while claiming benefits but it may reduce the amount you get.

This is due to your wages will be subject to the taper rate: for every £1 you earn, your Universal Credit payment will go down 55p.

If you’ve got a job and a child who is dependent on you or you can’t work due to an illness then you might be entitled to a work allowance.

This is the amount you can earn every month before the taper rate kicks in.

If you get help with your housing costs then this will be set at £344, or £573 if you don’t.

If you don’t get a work allowance then all of your salary is subject to the taper rate.

What temperature to run your washing machine at to save money

To save on your energy bills, experts suggest lowering the temperature at which you wash clothes.

You’ll still be getting fresh and clean clothes if you switch from a 40C wash to a 30C one and it could save you £12 a year on average, according to Energy Saving Trust.

If you use your washing machine a lot, you’ll save even more if you lower the temperature.

Uswitch energy expert Will Owen previously told The Sun: “Use a cold water or 30C cycle where possible. It’s only for particularly dirty clothes, bad stains or underwear that you are likely to need warmer temperatures.”

Get money for your antiques with Vintage Cash Cow

Vintage Cash Cow is a great way to earn some cash by selling your old things.

Here’s how to get started:

• Box it: While you wait for your postage pack, examine every corner of your home for unloved treasures. Place everything in a suitable box ready to go.
• Send it: Check the weight of your box is no more than 30kg using your bathroom scales. Then seal it and attached your free postage label and drop off at your nearest Post Office or arrange a home collection.
• Sell it: An expert valuer will review your box contents and will call you with a fair price for everything within three working days.

You can accept the offer and receive the money within 24 hours, or decline the offer and have your items safely returned for free.

Cost of living latest news:

Martin Lewis will be back on Good Morning Britain tomorrow for Wallet Wednesday

Martin Lewis will return to screens tomorrow to answer all your money questions.

The money saving expert will be back on Good Morning Britain covering topics such as minimum wage rights and cash from switching banks.

Having your fridge freezer in the wrong place could be adding to your energy bills

The way your fridge freezer is positioned in your home could be adding to your energy bills.

As it turns out, not leaving enough space around your appliance could decrease energy efficiency by 15% – and ramp up your bills.

That’s the equivalent of adding an extra £75 onto bills by the end of the year.

Nicholas Auckland, heating and energy expert from Trade Radiators said: “Many factors can affect the efficiency of the fridge, including how full it is, what temperature it’s set to and even the types of food and material of the containers used inside.

“One certainly is that the position of the fridge in the room and how near or far away it is to other appliances has an impact on how hard it has to work and the annual cost of running it.

“A poorly located fridge, next to heat sources like ovens and radiators, positioned in direct sunlight or fitted in a space with inadequate ventilation around it, can be costing you more money than it should.

“We estimate up to £75 annually, based on the current price cap.”