Britain is in the midst of a cost of living crisis - and it's about to get worse.
The Bank of England has raised its base rate, making debt more expensive for many.
Ofgem, the energy regulator, has raised its energy price cap, which will make gas and electricity more expensive for some 22 million households when the rise kicks in in April.
READ MORE: Five tips to keep your energy bills down as prices soar
And the same month will also see a freeze to the income tax thresholds and the threshold at which graduates have to start paying back their student loans - both of which are effectively a real-terms tax rise - as well as a hike on national insurance contributions (NICs) for both employers and employees.
Overall, post-tax labour income - which is considered a good measure of living standards - is set to fall by 2 per cent in 2022. This is the biggest annual fall since records began in 1990.
As such, people are worrying about money - about paying their bills, about the weekly shop, and about keeping their job. But there is some help available.
The Department for Work and Pensions has a number of different benefits and schemes that could help you out in a pinch.
DWP benefits
The DWP has a raft of different benefits you can apply for. Some, such as old-style jobseeker's allowance or working tax credit, are deemed legacy benefits - which means some people are still in receipt of it, but you can no longer apply for it.
Many of the benefits available to people were replaced from 2013 by universal credit, so we'll start with that one.
Universal credit
UC is intended to be the all-in-one replacement for six old benefits: income-based employment and support allowance, income-based jobseeker's allowance, income support, child tax credit, working tax credit, and housing benefit.
In short, universal credit is the benefit to apply for if you're on a low income.
To claim, you must be aged 18 or over and under the state pension age; live in the UK; and have £16,000 or less in savings.
The amount you'll get depends on your circumstances, such as if you have children, but the standard allowance for someone single and aged 25 or above is £324.84 per month.
New-style jobseeker's allowance (JSA)
Jobseeker's allowance is for anyone currently out of work - or working less than 16 hours per week - and looking for a job. You must be available for work - so those in full-time education or too ill to work cannot claim it. New-style JSA is not means-tested; the old income-based JSA was replaced by universal credit.
For someone aged 25 or over, new-style JSA is worth £74.70 per week.
Personal independence payment (Pip)
Pip is the benefit for people living with long-term medical conditions or disabilities. It replaced the disability living allowance for most people. It is different from employment and support allowance, which we'll explain shortly.
Pip has two components: a daily living component, for if you need help with everyday tasks, and a mobility component, for if you need help getting around. Each component has two payment levels, depending on how much of an effect your condition has on you.
The eligibility criteria are quite strict, and you'll need to be assessed - over the phone or video call or in person - to see if you definitely need it.
Depending on what level of support you need, you could get between £23.70 and £152.15 per week.
State pension
State pensions have also changed a lot over the past few years. The full amount is now £179.60 per week, though the actual amount you'll get depends your national insurance record.
It's paid every four weeks, and your first payment should come within five weeks of reaching the state pension age. This won't happen automatically - you need to put in a claim first - though you should get a letter explaining what to do within two months of reaching the state pension age.
Remember your state pension age changes depending on when you were born.
Employment and support allowance (ESA)
ESA is the benefit to claim if your illness or disability affects how much you can work. You can apply whether you're employed, self-employed, or unemployed.
It's designed to help you pay for living costs if you're unable to work, and get you back in to work if you're able to.
Like Pip, ESA requires an assessment. During the assessment period, which could last 13 weeks or more, you'll be paid up to £59.20 per week if you're under 25, or £74.70 per week if you're aged 25 or over.
Once the assessment period is over, you'll be placed into one of two groups. If you're deemed able to work in the future, you'll be placed in the work-related activity group; otherwise, you'll be placed in the support group.
The work-related activity group can get up to £74.70 per week; the support group can get up to £114.10 per week.
Which benefits can I claim?
The benefits you can claim depend on your personal circumstances - your health, income, savings, outgoings, family situation, and more. Use a benefit calculator to help.
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