How struggling families can get up to £2k help through simple grant checking tool to help pay for food, bills and essential household costs
Low-income families could be missing out on up to £2,000 in extra cash to help pay for school uniforms, the weekly food shop and other essential bills – and it’s simple to check if you’re eligible for assistance. Households can use the online tool by charity Turn2us to see if they’re due any extra financial help in the form of grants and other support.
‘You could be missing out on money which you never have to pay back. Use our Grants Search tool and we’ll match you to grants for which you may be eligible,’ the charity’s website states.Charity Step Change offers free expert debt advice: https://t.co/tTiylEjvLNFor more info, visit: https://t.co/OJNxfpucQA#DebtAwarenessWeek pic.twitter.
‘When I was struggling to cover my bills, the Grants Search tool helped me to check everything I might be entitled to.’It is time for the UK government to take decisive action to ensure that every child has the opportunity to thrive, regardless of their background.@EndChildPoverty pic.twitter.com/WnuCJRnrmuWho is eligible for the help? Anyone can apply for the help – whether or not they claim government benefits.
First introduced in 2021, the HSF was due to end for good on 31 March this year. However, in the Spring Budget earlier this month, Chancellor Jeremy Hunt announced the scheme would be extended until the end of September 2024. However, this is just one example of the help available, similar schemes are running across the country. Cash payments available In Wolverhampton, the council is urging residents to apply without ‘delay’.
The scheme was due to end on 31 March but was extended, meaning more councils will soon be able to apply for funding once again soon. It might sound too good to be true but Aldi is recruiting shoppers to try its wine – for free. The budget supermarket is known for selling quality wine at bargain prices, with a number of its tipples gaining gold, silver and bronze medals at prestigious wine awards.
All they need to do in exchange is post an honest review of the wine on their social media channels using the hashtag #AldiWineClub. Entries are open now and you have until 4 March to apply. Winners will be contacted within seven days after this date. 1. See: ‘The colour will give an indication of the style of wine says Sam. ‘A deep red will suggest youth and a full-bodied wine, while a pale colour will propose it is lighter and juicier.’
5. Savour: This tip is probably our favourite. ‘Now relax, savour those deep flavours that are developing in your mouth and enjoy!’CHAT: With other parents in our forumTeachers at a school in the West Midlands are to be given an extra day off every fortnight to help boost their motivation and attract new staff. A trial of the scheme will start at St Peter’s Catholic School, a secondary school in Solihull, from September.
We are excited to announce from September 2024 we are introducing a flexible working arrangement for teaching staff, enabling them to work 9 days a fortnight! Please read more! @OurLadyandAllS1 @VPStPeters @SolihullUpdates https://t.co/uDWE4SmD7RWhy is this being introduced? The head said that, traditionally, teachers have been incentivised by more pay or additional responsibilities. However, he added that this wasn’t sustainable.
St Peter’s Catholic School is the only school in the West Midlands and the only Catholic school in the country to introduce this scheme. What impact will it have on the pupils? The school has confirmed that there will be no disruption to teaching levels at the school. But there will be a change made to pupils’ timetables.What do parents think? Parents and teachers had mixed response to the news.‘Wow! Love the idea of working 9 out of 10 days with no impact on PPA or pay!,’ said one. ‘It will be really interesting to see the evaluation of the impact of this on staff and also on results.
Dixons Academies Trust, which has several schools across the district, will also give teacher personal days during term time. This is so that they’re ‘not restricted to only take time off in the school holidays’.A statement from the Trust reads: ‘Given the nature of teaching, we know that the scale of this flexibility will not always match what others offer outside the sector, but making these changes will go a long way in making a difference.’Joe Wicks pulls daughter out of reception and reveals plans to homeschool
Currently, parents or carers who claim Child Benefit receive £24 per week for the first child and £15.90 per week, per child for any younger children. Photo credit : Shutterstock Is Guardian’s Allowance increasing too? Guardian’s Allowance – a benefit paid to those bringing up a child whose parents have died – will also increase by 6.7% on 6 April 2024. It is usually paid every four weeks and is on top of Child Benefit.From 6 April 2024 Guardian’s Allowance payments will rise to:
To get the benefit, you should be contributing at least the same amount as Child Benefit to caring for the child you’re responsible for. Costs include food, living costs and pocket money. The charge is currently paid via Self-Assessment – the system which HMRC uses to collect income tax from people who have their own business or other sources of income.Mum sparks a debate asking if she should save her child benefit to give kids laterGiving your child an iPad or phone to play with might be one of the easiest things parents can do to keep kids entertained, but Kirstie Allsopp has sparked a debate about doing so.
‘This makes me so sad. I really feel like children shouldn’t be subjected to so much screen time,‘ said a third follower. ‘Your child wakes up, they go downstairs they play a bit of Minecraft, they then do some homework, they then might watch a bit of TV, they might speak to granny on a Zoom call,’ she said.
‘The priority was protecting those three children’ Victoria explained: ‘The Princess made the decision two weeks ago that she was going to do this public statement.Kate, 42, and Prince William, 41, share three children: George, 10, Charlotte, eight, and Louis, five. It’s believed they started their school Easter holidays on Friday.
This follows continued discussion over Kate’s whereabouts, particularly on social media, as she hadn’t been seen publically since her planned abdominal surgery on 17 January. Kate explained that she had taken time out of her royal duties ‘to recover from major surgery’ before starting treatment. She was also using the time to speak to her young kids about the diagnosis.
‘The surgery was successful. However, tests after the operation found cancer had been present,’ she said. ‘Incredibly tough couple of months for our entire family’ Kate said: ‘I wanted to take this opportunity to say thank you, personally, for all the wonderful messages of support and for your understanding whilst I have been recovering from surgery.
Moto services are the UK’s best rated services, and with 67 of them around the country – from Cornwall to Scotland – you’re never far from one on your journey. From play areas for the kids to tasty food options from brands like Burger King, Greggs, Pret and more, break up your journey and ease the quease with regular stops at Moto services.
If you need to wear them out first, then stop at Moto services and get them to blow off some steam in the playground, then get them in the car for some shut-eye.Another way to keep kids distracted and focused on something other than feeling unwell, is by having a singsong in the car.
Likewise, any families due a payment which would normally fall on Saturday 30 March or Sunday 31 March 2024 will also be paid on Thursday 28 March 2024. However, those who are due a payment before or after the Easter period won’t see a change to their payment dates. The money is paid directly into your bank account every four weeks. If you’re a single parent or receiving certain benefits, you can ask to have it paid weekly instead.From early April 2024, the rates will rise to:See how much Universal Credit YOU will get after April’s increase
Steph, a single mum of four, enrolled on a training course and has been supported back into work by #UniversalCreditChildcare pic.twitter.com/VmuODgk2NdHow much extra Universal Credit will I get? Around 5.5 million families in the UK who claim Universal Credit will be £470 better off a year, or £39 better off a month.
Who is eligible for Universal Credit? You may be able to get Universal Credit if you’re on a low income or need help with your living costs. Other benefits set to increase As well as Universal Credit, Child Benefit will also be increasing in April. What is the bank account switching bonus? The bank account switching bonus involves switching your current account to a new bank – many banks offer sign-up bonuses in the £100s for doing so.
You must then use the Current Account Switch Service , which will close your old account and move all your payees, direct debits and money over to the new bank. I was told the switching bonus cash would come through within 28 days but actually it was more like two or three. This has made life easy – for example, I don’t need to tell my friends or my employer I have new payment details every few months .
So be especially wary if you’re in the process of buying a house or any other big purchase as you’re often asked how long you’ve been with your bank. ‘The government will introduce new passport fees’ Announcing the passport price increase, the Home Office said: ‘The government will introduce new passport fees for all applications on 11 April 2024.’
Passports are usually issued within three weeks but the government advises applying or renewing as early as possible so it comes in time for any summer holidays. The DWP has already paid more than 7.6 million payments to families, out of the 8.2m million total households expecting payments.Millions to receive £299 This round of payments will be sent out to those claiming working tax credit and child tax credit and will land in recipients’ bank accounts any day from this Friday to 22 February.
The payments are given to anyone who claims certain eligible benefits including Universal Credit and tax credits. If you are eligible, you will be paid automatically into the bank account where you receive your benefits.
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