Government support, in plain English
The UK system of financial support is genuinely useful and reaches millions of households, but it is also fragmented across departments, councils, the NHS, regulators, and authorised charities. There is no single application form, no single place that lists every option in plain English, and no automatic system that tells you when you become eligible for something new. Eligibility depends on circumstances that change quietly over time: turning 60, having a child, becoming an unpaid carer, a long-term diagnosis, a partner reaching State Pension age, a bereavement, or a council scheme being launched.
This tool was built as a friendly starting point. It reads your circumstances in plain English, surfaces forms of support that may apply, and links you directly to the official source where you would apply. It is not a benefits calculator, and it is not a substitute for personal advice from Citizens Advice, Turn2us, or Age UK. What it is, is a quick and private way to see what may be open to you, in around five minutes, without filling in another form.
AudienceWho this tool is for
The Support Finder is built for people in England checking what financial support may apply to their circumstances or those of someone they care about. It works whether you are checking for yourself, helping an older parent, or supporting a friend or family member. No personal details are required to use it.
Common situations the tool covers well include people over State Pension age who may not have claimed Pension Credit, unpaid carers checking what is open to them, parents on lower incomes, people with long-term health conditions or disabilities, recently bereaved families, and households facing a difficult month and wondering what local support might be available. The questionnaire takes about five minutes and is structured so that selecting more than one situation tag gives a more useful result.
PositioningDesigned for discovery, not calculation
The Squared Money Financial Support Finder is not a benefits calculator. The detailed UK benefits calculators (Turn2us, entitledto, and Policy in Practice's Better Off Calculator) ask for your full income, savings, housing costs, and household composition, then estimate a precise weekly entitlement figure for the means-tested benefits. They are well-built and authoritative. If you want to know how much Universal Credit or Pension Credit or Council Tax Reduction you would receive, those tools are the right place to go.
This tool does something different. It surfaces forms of support that may apply to your situation, including dozens of entitlements that standard benefits calculators do not cover well. The Severely Mentally Impaired Council Tax disregard, which can be worth a 25 or 50 per cent discount on the bill for households with dementia or severe cognitive impairment. The Blue Badge eligibility extension to hidden disabilities such as autism, dementia, and severe anxiety. The Disabled Persons Railcard 2026 expansion, which broadens eligibility to Blue Badge holders and many long-term and degenerative conditions. The NHS Medical Exemption Certificate, the Maternity Exemption Certificate, the Healthcare Travel Costs Scheme, the Priority Services Register, ECO4 and the new Warm Homes Local Grant, the Holiday Activities and Food programme, Marriage Allowance, Help to Save, Carer's Credit, and many more. None of these have a calculation associated with them. The question is whether you qualify, not how much you receive, and they are routinely missed by benefits calculators that concentrate on means-tested cash benefits.
The two kinds of tool work well together. If you are not sure where to start, this tool gives you a five-minute friendly tour of what may apply across the wider system. Once you know which means-tested benefits you may qualify for, the established calculators give you a precise figure. Treat the Support Finder as the front door, and Turn2us or one of the others as the next step when exact numbers matter.
CoverageWhat kinds of support are covered
The tool surfaces 44 forms of UK government support and statutory entitlements across nine broad areas. Every entitlement links directly to the official source where you apply, whether that is GOV.UK, NHS England, your local council, or an authorised scheme administrator.
For people over State Pension age, the tool covers Pension Credit Guarantee Credit, Pension Credit Savings Credit (a closed scheme for those who reached State Pension age before April 2016), Attendance Allowance, the Winter Fuel Payment, the free TV Licence for over-75s on Pension Credit, the Older Person's Bus Pass, and free NHS prescriptions and eye tests from age 60.
For people with disabilities, long-term health conditions, or unpaid carers, the tool covers Personal Independence Payment (PIP), Carer's Allowance, Carer's Credit (the often-overlooked NI-credits scheme for carers under the Carer's Allowance threshold), the Disabled Facilities Grant of up to £30,000, the Disabled Students' Allowance, the Disabled Persons Railcard with its expanded 2026 eligibility, the Blue Badge, and the NHS Medical Exemption Certificate for specified long-term conditions.
For families and parents, the tool covers Child Benefit, Tax-Free Childcare worth up to £2,000 a year per child, the 30 hours free childcare scheme, Healthy Start, Free School Meals (with the September 2026 expansion to all Universal Credit households reflected), the Sure Start Maternity Grant, Statutory Maternity, Paternity, Adoption, Shared Parental, Neonatal Care and Parental Bereavement Pay, Maternity Allowance for people who do not qualify for SMP, the NHS Maternity Exemption Certificate, and the Holiday Activities and Food (HAF) programme.
For working-age people on lower incomes, the tool covers Universal Credit (with the April 2026 abolition of the two-child limit reflected), Marriage Allowance, Help to Save with its 50% government bonus, the NHS Low Income Scheme (HC2 and HC3), and the Healthcare Travel Costs Scheme.
For Council Tax, the tool covers the Single Person Discount, the Council Tax Disabled Band Reduction, the Severely Mentally Impaired Council Tax disregard (one of the most under-claimed entitlements in the UK), and the Council Tax Reduction working-age scheme operated by every English council.
For energy and water bills, the tool covers the Warm Home Discount of £150 per winter, the Cold Weather Payment, ECO4 and the Warm Homes Local Grant for insulation, boiler replacement and heat pumps, the Priority Services Register, and the WaterSure scheme that caps water bills for eligible households.
After a bereavement, the tool covers Bereavement Support Payment for surviving spouses, civil partners and cohabiting parents of children, plus the Funeral Expenses Payment for households on a qualifying low-income benefit. For one-off crisis support, the tool covers the new Crisis and Resilience Fund (which replaced the Household Support Fund and Discretionary Housing Payments from 1 April 2026 and is funded to March 2029), and the interest-free Budgeting Advance from Universal Credit. For employees too ill to work, the tool covers Statutory Sick Pay, including the major April 2026 reform that introduced day-one pay and removed the Lower Earnings Limit.
LimitationsWhat this tool does not cover
To keep results focused and accurate, the tool intentionally does not surface a few things.
It is England-only. The benefits and tax landscape across the four UK nations diverges in important areas. Council Tax, Council Tax Reduction schemes, Free School Meals expansion, Warm Homes funding, Healthy Start, NHS prescription charges, the bus pass age, and crisis support are administered differently in Scotland, Wales, and Northern Ireland. We are working on a Phase 2 expansion that will add Best Start Grant, Scottish Child Payment, Adult Disability Payment, Carer Support Payment, the Welsh Discretionary Assistance Fund and the equivalent schemes for Wales and Northern Ireland. Until then, results from this tool only apply to people living in England.
It does not give an exact award amount. The tool tells you which forms of support may apply to your circumstances and what each is approximately worth. Final award amounts depend on factors that we do not ask about: housing costs, exact savings, any other benefits in payment, and the formal assessment used by the relevant authority. For a personalised income calculation, particularly for Pension Credit and Universal Credit, the official Turn2us Benefits Calculator is more comprehensive and we direct you there from the relevant results.
It does not include legacy benefits being phased out. Working Tax Credit and Child Tax Credit ended in April 2025 and are not surfaced. New claimants now use Universal Credit instead. Income-based Jobseeker's Allowance and Income Support continue to exist for the small number of people still on legacy claims, but most users in those circumstances are now better served by checking Universal Credit eligibility directly.
It is not connected to any application process. We do not receive your tags, answers, or results. Every entitlement that applies to you links to the official source where you can apply directly.
PrivacyHow your privacy is protected
This tool was built with a deliberate privacy stance. The questionnaire runs entirely in your browser and clears when you close the page. No name, date of birth, postcode, financial details, or contact information are collected at any stage.
We do not use cookies for this tool. There is no account to create. We do not transmit your tags or answers anywhere, including to Squared Money. We do not log who used the tool, when, or what they selected. The official sources we link to (GOV.UK, NHS, your local council, your energy supplier) have their own privacy policies which apply when you visit those sites and submit any application.
Free adviceWhere to get free, regulated advice
The Support Finder is a starting point, not a substitute for personal advice. If you would like to speak to someone who can review your circumstances in detail, several free and impartial services are available across the UK.
Citizens Advice is a national network of trained advisers who can help with benefits applications, debt, housing, employment, and consumer issues. Reach them online or call 0800 144 8848 (the Adviceline for England).
Turn2us provides benefits and grants advice, including a comprehensive online benefits calculator and a grants search. Their helpline is 0808 802 2000.
Age UK runs a free advice line for people over State Pension age and their families on 0800 678 1602, covering benefits, social care, and money matters specifically relevant to later life.
MoneyHelper, run by the Money and Pensions Service, provides free guidance on money, pensions, debt, and benefits. Reach them online or call 0800 138 7777.
If you are facing arrears, falling behind on bills, or under enforcement action, free debt advice is available from StepChange on 0800 138 1111 and from National Debtline on 0808 808 4000.
For condition-specific support, the relevant national charity is often a strong first call. Macmillan Cancer Support, Marie Curie, Mind, Scope, Carers UK, the MS Society, RNIB, the Alzheimer's Society and many others run dedicated benefits helplines for the people they support.
SourcesHow this tool is kept current
All figures, eligibility rules, and policy changes have been verified against GOV.UK Benefit and Pension Rates 2026 to 2027, current NHS Business Services Authority publications, and the latest guidance from Citizens Advice, Turn2us, Age UK, and the Carers UK helpline. The tool is updated as rates and rules change.
Significant recent policy changes already reflected in the tool include the abolition of the two-child limit on Universal Credit (April 2026), the Statutory Sick Pay reforms making it day-one pay with no Lower Earnings Limit (6 April 2026), the Carer's Allowance earnings limit increase to £204 per week (April 2026), the rebrand of the Household Support Fund into the Crisis and Resilience Fund (April 2026), the universal Winter Fuel Payment with HMRC clawback above £35,000 individual income, and the expanded eligibility criteria for the Disabled Persons Railcard (March and September 2026).
Common questionsFrequently asked questions
Is this a benefits calculator?
Not exactly. A benefits calculator typically asks for detailed information about your income, savings, housing costs, and household composition, then estimates an exact entitlement amount in pounds and pence. The Squared Money Financial Support Finder is a benefits and support finder, not a calculator. It surfaces which forms of support may apply to your situation across 44 different categories, but does not produce a precise figure.
For a detailed income estimate, the Turn2us Benefits Calculator at turn2us.org.uk and the Policy in Practice calculators are stronger. We direct you to those tools from the relevant results within the Support Finder, particularly for Pension Credit and Universal Credit, where the official assessment is income-driven.
Do I have to give my name, address, or any personal details?
No. The tool does not ask for your name, your date of birth, your address, your postcode, your bank details, your National Insurance number, or any contact information. The questionnaire only asks about your situation in general terms, such as whether you are working, retired, a parent, a carer, on a low income, and a small number of optional follow-up questions to refine the results.
The questionnaire runs in your browser and clears when you close the page. We do not store, transmit, or log your selections. There is no account to create and no email address required.
Does this work for Scotland, Wales, or Northern Ireland?
The current version of the tool is England-only. The four UK nations have diverged significantly on benefits and tax administration. Scotland operates Adult Disability Payment, Carer Support Payment, Scottish Child Payment, Best Start Grant, and Funeral Support Payment under Social Security Scotland. Wales runs its own Discretionary Assistance Fund and Council Tax scheme. Northern Ireland administers most benefits separately through the Department for Communities. Surfacing English rules to people elsewhere in the UK would produce inaccurate results.
We are working on a Phase 2 expansion that will add the equivalent schemes for the other three UK nations. Until then, results are accurate for England only and we recommend the Turn2us Benefits Calculator for users elsewhere in the UK, since it correctly handles the four-nation divergence.
What if I think I should be eligible for something the tool did not surface?
The tool surfaces support based on the situation tags you select and your answers to the gating questions. If something you expected does not appear, the most common reasons are: you did not tick a tag that applies to you, you answered a follow-up question in a way that ruled it out, or the entitlement is not part of the tool's current 44 categories.
The right next step in either case is the official source. The GOV.UK benefits and financial support page at gov.uk/browse/benefits has the full list of entitlements administered by the UK government. Citizens Advice and Turn2us maintain comprehensive guides covering every entitlement we surface, plus those we do not. If you believe you would qualify for something specific, applying directly is always an option and many entitlements have generous backdating windows.
Will using this tool affect my credit score?
No. The Support Finder does not perform any credit check, soft search, or hard search. It does not connect to your credit file, your bank, or any lender. Your credit score is not affected in any way by using this tool.
The Support Finder is not a financial product and does not involve borrowing. Squared Money operates separately as a finance introducer for products like secured loans and bridging finance, and those services do involve credit activity. The Support Finder is a free, separate utility with no connection to that side of the business.
How accurate is this tool?
The tool surfaces support based on stated eligibility rules from GOV.UK, the NHS Business Services Authority, and authoritative sources including Citizens Advice, Turn2us, and Age UK. Every entitlement was verified against current guidance on 9 May 2026, and amounts are framed as illustrative or approximate rather than guaranteed.
The actual award you may receive can differ from what the tool surfaces. Eligibility for many means-tested entitlements depends on factors we deliberately do not ask about, including specific savings, exact housing costs, your full income picture, and the formal assessment carried out by the administering authority. The tool is a strong starting point, but the official application process and an experienced benefits adviser are required for a definitive answer.
Why are some forms of support shown as 'worth checking' rather than 'likely eligible'?
The four result categories reflect different levels of confidence based on what you told us. 'Likely eligible' means all the criteria checked match your answers. 'Worth checking' means the situation tags you selected indicate you may qualify, but some criteria are uncertain or you did not answer a relevant follow-up question. 'Could become relevant' covers entitlements that may apply later in life, such as Pension Credit if you are approaching State Pension age. 'Not surfaced based on your answers' means the criteria you told us about do not currently match.
We deliberately err on the side of inclusion. If a follow-up question is unanswered, we surface the entitlement as 'worth checking' rather than rule it out. This is because the cost of missing out on something you would have qualified for is much higher than the cost of clicking through to an official source to confirm something you may not.
Is Squared Money funded by the government or by a charity?
Squared Money is a private company that operates as a finance introducer in the United Kingdom. It is not a charity and not a government body. The Financial Support Finder is provided as a free public utility because helping people find what they are entitled to fits with the broader Squared Money mission of plain-English financial information.
The tool is not commercially monetised. It does not show advertising, does not earn commission on benefits applications, and does not push users towards Squared Money's separate finance products. Every result links directly to the official source: GOV.UK, the NHS, your local council, your energy supplier, or a registered charity. If you would prefer a benefits checker provided by a charity directly, the Turn2us Benefits Calculator and the Citizens Advice benefits checker are excellent free alternatives.
Where can I get help making a claim?
Once the tool has surfaced what may apply to your situation, the next step is the official application. Each result card links directly to the relevant page on GOV.UK, the NHS, your local council, the TV Licensing site, the Disabled Persons Railcard site, or the relevant scheme administrator.
If you would like help preparing or submitting an application, particularly for Personal Independence Payment, Attendance Allowance, or Universal Credit, where the form complexity is highest, Citizens Advice and Age UK both offer free help with applications and with appeals if a decision is challenged. Many disability and condition-specific charities (Macmillan, Mind, Scope, Carers UK, RNIB, the MS Society, the Alzheimer's Society and others) offer specialist benefits support relevant to their service users.
Squaring Up
The Squared Money Financial Support Finder is a free, plain-English starting point for households who want to see what UK government support may apply to their situation. The tool covers 44 forms of support across nine areas of life, runs entirely in your browser, and stores no data about you. The right next step from any result is always the official source, where you can apply directly. For detailed income calculations, free debt advice, or help making a specific benefits claim, the organisations linked from this page are the right place to go next.
This page and the Financial Support Finder are for informational purposes only and do not constitute financial, legal, or benefits advice. Eligibility for any government support depends on your individual circumstances and the assessment carried out by the administering authority. Squared Money operates as a finance introducer and is not a benefits agency. Where a result is surfaced as illustrative, the actual entitlement amount may differ. For personalised benefits advice, contact Citizens Advice (0800 144 8848), Turn2us (0808 802 2000), or Age UK (0800 678 1602). If you are struggling with debt, free impartial help is available from StepChange (0800 138 1111) and National Debtline (0808 808 4000).
Full directory of UK support covered
A complete list of the 44 forms of UK government support and statutory entitlements covered by the questionnaire above. Each entry shows what each form of support is, its illustrative value, why it is widely overlooked where applicable, how to apply, and a direct link to the official source. Use the filter to narrow by situation, or scroll through everything.
Pension-age support
For people over State Pension age.
Pension Credit (Guarantee Credit)
A weekly top-up for people over State Pension age on a lower income.
Pension Credit Savings Credit
Extra payment for those who reached State Pension age before 6 April 2016 and have modest savings.
Attendance Allowance
A weekly tax-free payment for people over State Pension age who need help with personal care or supervision.
Winter Fuel Payment
Annual payment to help pensioners with winter heating costs.
Free TV Licence (75+)
Free TV licence for over-75s on Pension Credit.
Older Person's Bus Pass
Free off-peak bus travel anywhere in England from State Pension age. London 60+ qualifies earlier.
Disability, long-term conditions, and unpaid carers
For people with long-term health conditions and disabilities, and the unpaid carers who support them.
Personal Independence Payment (PIP)
A weekly tax-free payment for working-age people with long-term care or mobility needs.
Carer's Allowance
A weekly payment for unpaid carers caring for someone for at least 35 hours a week.
Carer's Credit
National Insurance credits for carers who do not qualify for Carer’s Allowance.
Disabled Facilities Grant
A grant of up to £30,000 to fund essential home adaptations for a disabled person.
Disabled Students' Allowance
Funding for support, equipment, and travel for disabled students in higher education.
Disabled Persons Railcard
A railcard giving one third off rail fares for the cardholder and one travelling companion.
Blue Badge
A parking concession for disabled drivers, passengers, or pedestrians.
Council Tax discounts and reductions
Discounts and reductions on your Council Tax bill.
Single Person Council Tax Discount
A 25% discount on your Council Tax bill if you live alone or with only disregarded adults.
Council Tax Disabled Band Reduction
Your bill is charged at the next lower Council Tax band if your home has features for a disabled person.
Severely Mentally Impaired Council Tax disregard
A person with severe mental impairment is disregarded for Council Tax, often unlocking a 25 or 50 per cent discount.
Council Tax Reduction (working-age scheme)
A means-tested reduction in your Council Tax bill if you are on a low income.
Families, parents, and parental pay
For households with children, expectant parents, and statutory family pay.
Child Benefit
A weekly payment for parents of children under 16, or under 20 in education.
Tax-Free Childcare
A 25% government top-up of up to £2,000/yr per child towards approved childcare.
30 hours free childcare
Up to 30 hours of free childcare per week for working parents of children aged 9 months to school age.
Healthy Start
Prepaid card for fruit, veg, milk, and infant formula for low-income pregnant women and families with under-4s.
Free School Meals
Free hot meals at school for eligible children. Universal in Reception/Year 1/Year 2.
Sure Start Maternity Grant
A one-off £500 payment for a first child if you are on a qualifying low-income benefit.
Statutory Maternity, Paternity and Family Pay
Weekly pay from your employer for time off after birth, adoption, neonatal care, or bereavement of a child.
Maternity Allowance
Weekly pay from the DWP if you do not qualify for Statutory Maternity Pay.
Holiday Activities and Food (HAF) programme
Free holiday clubs and meals during school holidays for FSM-eligible children.
Working-age income, tax savings, and sick pay
For working-age people on a lower income, married couples, savers, and employees too ill to work.
Universal Credit
Main income-replacement benefit for working-age people on a low income.
Marriage Allowance
Tax saving up to £252/yr for couples where one partner earns under the personal allowance.
Help to Save
A 50% government bonus on savings of up to £50/month for working UC claimants.
Statutory Sick Pay
Weekly pay from your employer if too ill to work. Major April 2026 reform: day-one pay, no LEL.
Energy bills and home efficiency
Help with electricity and gas bills, and grants for insulation and heating upgrades.
Warm Home Discount
A £150 rebate on your electricity bill if you are on a qualifying low-income benefit.
Cold Weather Payment
£25 for each 7-day period of very cold weather, automatic if on qualifying benefits.
ECO4 / Warm Homes Local Grant
Free or heavily subsidised insulation, boiler replacement, or heat pump for eligible low-income households.
Priority Services Register
Free extra support from energy and water companies during outages and for accessible communication.
Health, NHS exemptions, and water bills
Free NHS treatment, prescription help, travel costs, and water bill caps.
NHS Low Income Scheme (HC2/HC3)
Help with NHS prescription, dental, sight test, and travel costs if on a low income.
NHS Maternity Exemption Certificate
Free NHS prescriptions and dental care during pregnancy and 12 months after birth.
Free NHS prescriptions and eye tests at 60+
Automatic free NHS prescriptions and free NHS sight tests from age 60.
WaterSure scheme
A cap on your water bill if you are on a low-income benefit and have high water needs.
Healthcare Travel Costs Scheme
Refund of necessary travel costs for NHS hospital appointments, for those on a low income.
NHS Medical Exemption Certificate
Free NHS prescriptions if you have one of a specific list of long-term conditions.
Crisis and emergency support
One-off support for households facing immediate hardship.
Crisis and Resilience Fund
Local council-administered crisis support for households facing immediate hardship.
Budgeting Advance (Universal Credit)
Interest-free advance from UC for an unexpected one-off cost.
Bereavement support
Help after the death of a partner or close family member.
Bereavement Support Payment
A lump sum and 18 months of payments after the death of a spouse, civil partner, or cohabiting parent of your children.
Funeral Expenses Payment
Help with funeral costs if you are on a qualifying low-income benefit.