The Treasury will put the proposed cuts to the government’s official forecaster, the Office for Budget Responsibility (OBR), on Wednesday amid expectations the chancellor’s financial buffer has been wiped out.

14 freebies and discounts you can get on Universal Credit in March ahead of Budget cuts from the Labour Party government have been revealed. The Treasury will put the proposed cuts to the government’s official forecaster, the Office for Budget Responsibility (OBR), on Wednesday amid expectations the chancellor’s financial buffer has been wiped out.

Sources said “the world has changed” since Rachel Reeves’s Budget last October, when the OBR indicated she had £9.9bn available to spend against her self-imposed borrowing rules.

The Treasury has blamed several global factors, including trade tariffs and the war in Ukraine for pushing up government borrowing costs.

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“Clearly the world has changed a lot since the autumn Budget. People are watching that change happen before their eyes,” a government insider told the BBC.

Thankfully, before the cuts, there are plenty of freebies and discounts coming for Universal Credit claimants:

Warm Home Discount – £150

The Warm Home Discount scheme has been open since last October and is run by the Department for Energy Security and Net Zero (DESNZ). If you’re eligible, you get a £150 one-off discount that is applied directly to your electricity bill. Prepayment customers should be given a top-up voucher.

If you’re a dual fuel customer, you can ask your energy supplier if they can apply the discount to your gas bill instead. If you’re entitled to the Warm Home Discount, you should have received a letter in the post by now – but if you haven’t, and you believe you’re eligible, you have until February 28 to get in contact with the Warm Home Discount scheme.

Household support fund – up to £500

The Household Support Fund provides financial help to residents who are on a low income and struggling to afford energy, food and water bills. If you receive an award under this scheme, you will not be required to pay it back and it will not be treated as income for tax or benefit purposes.

Awards are limited to a single award per household within a 3 month period. Multiple claims will be rejected.

The grant is funded by the Department for Work and Pensions. You can find Cost of Living support on GOV.UK

Free insulation or boilers – £1,000s

Most energy suppliers in the UK are part of what’s known as the Energy Company Obligation (ECO) scheme, meaning they’re required to help improve households’ energy efficiency through boiler grants and insulation measures, such as for cavity walls and lofts. £1,000s of grants are up for grabs, but it’s only available to people who get certain benefits.

Also as part of the scheme, if you live in a property that’s heated by electricity, and you’re in receipt of benefits, you might be eligible to replace your old electric heaters and radiators with new, energy efficient electric storage heaters for free.

Council tax – £2,171

You could be eligible if you’re on a low income or claim benefits. Your bill could be reduced by up to 100%.

You can apply if you own your home, rent, are unemployed or working.

What you get depends on:

• where you live – each council runs its own scheme
• your circumstances (for example income, number of children, benefits, residency status)
• your household income – this includes savings, pensions and your partner’s income
• if your children live with you
• if other adults live with you

Universal Credit childcare costs – up to £1,739.37

Universal Credit can reimburse up to 85% of your eligible registered childcare costs. There is a monthly cap of £1,014.63 for one child and £1,739.37 for two or more children. You need evidence uploaded to your UC account.

UC Childcare costs can be used to top up your eligible funded childcare hours if you are working more hours and require childcare.

Claimants are told you might be eligible to claim upfront childcare costs, please speak to your work coach. If eligible, the payment will be made directly to your provider. You will not have to pay the money back.

Cheap travel – £150

People on Universal Credit and sometimes Jobseeker’s Allowance can get discounts on travel costs. Recipients of both can apply for a JobCentre Plus Travel Discount Card. It’s available for free and cuts the cost of travelling on public transport, including buses and trains, by 50%. All train operators in England, Scotland and Wales accept the discount and cards are valid for up to three months.

Healthy Start vouchers – £442

You can apply online if you’re more than 10 weeks pregnant or have at least one child under 4 years old or your family’s monthly ‘take-home pay’ (also called ‘earned income’) is £408 or less from employment.

The details you use to apply for Healthy Start must match the details on your Universal Credit claim.

Go to your Universal Credit account to check your address details, including your postcode or all of your children are named and verified on your Universal Credit claim.

Free prescriptions – worth £9.90

Not everyone getting Universal Credit is entitled to free NHS prescriptions. Your entitlement depends on your take-home pay in the last assessment period. If you’re entitled to free NHS prescriptions because you claim Universal Credit and your take home pay is under the limit, tick box ‘U’ on the prescription form.

Not all prescription forms have a tick box for Universal Credit. If that’s the case you should tick box ‘K’ for income-based Jobseeker’s Allowance instead.

Free eye test – up to £30

If you’re eligible, you can have a free NHS eye test, and even qualify for a free optical voucher for a new pair of glasses or contact lenses. Whether you qualify for a free NHS eye test can depend on a few circumstances, like your age, where you live, your eye health and general health.

If you’ve already paid for an eye test or bought some new glasses or contact lenses and think you may be eligible for a free NHS eye test or optical voucher, you may be able to claim a refund through the NHS.

You’ll need a receipt from your opticians which shows the date of the eye test, as well as how much you paid. You can find out more about claiming for this on the NHS website.

Discounted water bills – £1,000

You might be eligible for a discounted water bill through the WaterSure scheme if you receive Universal Credit and have a water meter. The scheme limits your bill to a fixed amount each year, regardless of how much water you use.

Social tariffs – £227.88

Social tariffs are cheaper broadband and phone packages for people claiming Universal Credit, Pension Credit and some other benefits. Some providers call them ‘essential’ or ‘basic’ broadband.

They’re delivered in the same way as normal packages, just at a lower price. Amid rising living costs, Ofcom is encouraging companies to offer social tariffs to help customers on low incomes.

Sure Start maternity grant – £500

If you are receiving certain benefits or tax credits, you could get a Sure Start Maternity Grant. This is a one-off, tax-free payment to help towards the cost of maternity expenses and baby items. You do not need to pay it back.

To apply fill in claim form SF100 (Sure Start) which you can ask for either online or by phoning 0800 0224 250. Send your filled in form to:

Sure Start Maternity Grants Mail Opening Unit PO Box 42 Limavady BT49 4AN

You can also request a form by post.

Help to Save – £1,200

Help to Save is a type of savings account specially designed for low-paid workers. On the face of it, it’s pretty simple. You can save between £1 and £50 a month, but you don’t have to save every month. At the end of two and four years, you’re paid a 50% bonus, up to a maximum £1,200. It’s easy access, so you can make withdrawals if you need to.

Free school meals – up to £500

If you get certain welfare benefits, you can apply for free school meals for your child. You could save up to £500 a year if your child gets free school meals and it will mean they get a healthy school lunch every day. All children in primary school, from reception to Year 6 are also entitled to free school meals.

Universal credit is being introduced over the next few years and will replace existing benefits, such as housing benefit and JSA. We expect the rollout to be completed by March 2025. This may affect your school meals eligibility.