Bonus
50p for every £1 saved
Help to Save is run by HMRC and works the same in England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland. Your money is safe because the scheme is backed by the government.
Quick facts
- Bonus
- 50p for every £1 saved
- Save
- £1 to £50 a month
- Most bonus
- £1,200 over 4 years
- Who
- Universal Credit with take-home pay of £1 or more
- Apply
- Online on GOV.UK
Who can get it — the full rules
You must be getting Universal Credit. You, with your partner if it is a joint claim, must have had take-home pay of £1 or more in your last monthly assessment period. Take-home pay is your pay after tax and National Insurance.
You also need to be living in the UK. If you claim as a couple, each of you can open your own account, but you apply separately. If you later stop claiming benefits, you can keep using the account.
How much it pays
You can save between £1 and £50 each calendar month. You do not have to pay in every month. The bonus is paid twice, at the end of year 2 and year 4.
The first bonus is 50% of the highest balance you reach in the first 2 years. The final bonus is 50% of how much your highest balance grows in years 3 and 4. If your highest balance does not grow, you get no final bonus.
GOV.UK gives this example. You pay in £25 every calendar month for 2 years and take nothing out. Your highest balance is £600, so your first bonus is £300. The most you can earn in bonus money over 4 years is £1,200.
How to apply
Check you had take-home pay last period
You need Universal Credit and take-home pay of £1 or more in your last monthly assessment period.
Have your ID details ready
You need your National Insurance number or postcode, plus 2 things such as a UK passport or photocard driving licence.
Sign in on GOV.UK to open the account
If you do not have sign in details yet, you can create them when you sign in for the first time.
Give your UK bank details
You will be asked for them when you apply, and your bonuses are paid into that bank account.
Pay in by card, standing order or transfer
You can pay in by debit card, standing order or bank transfer, as often as you like up to £50 a month.
Things to watch
The account closes 4 years after you open it, and you cannot open another one. If you close it early, you miss your next bonus and cannot open a new account.
Taking money out makes it harder to grow your highest balance, so it can cut your final bonus. You still keep any bonus already earned. You can only withdraw to your own bank account.
Savings of £6,000 or less, including this account, do not change your Universal Credit. The bonuses do not affect your Universal Credit either.
The scheme is changing. The government aims to bring in a new version once the existing scheme closes in April 2027. From April 2028, it plans to widen it to all Universal Credit households with children or caring responsibilities.
Phone, forms and how long it takes
- HMRC Help to Save helpline (problems using the service)
- 0300 322 7093
- Open an account online
- GOV.UK: Apply for Help to Save
From the official pages (gov.uk), re-checked every night. Numbers and times can change, so check the official page before you send anything.
Common questions
Can I get Help to Save on Universal Credit?
Yes, if you get Universal Credit and had take-home pay of £1 or more in your last monthly assessment period.
How much is the Help to Save bonus?
50p for every £1 you save, paid after 2 years and after 4 years. The most you can get is £1,200.
Does Help to Save affect my Universal Credit?
Savings of £6,000 or less do not affect it, and the bonuses do not affect your payments.
Can I take money out of Help to Save?
Yes, to your own bank account. But it can lower your final bonus.
Does Help to Save work in Northern Ireland?
Yes. You need to be living in the UK, and it is run by HMRC for the whole UK.