MILLIONS of households could be forfeiting up to £5,772 a year in cash to help with bills.
Struggling families are collectively missing out on a staggering £27billion in means-tested benefits and social tariffs.
Some households could be up to £5,772 better off if they were to apply for Universal Credit, according to Policy in Practice.
A further 760,000 individuals eligible for pension credit but not applying stand to miss out on this year’s winter fuel payment, which is worth up to £300.
Of the £27billion in unclaimed benefits, over £8.3billion is attributed to Universal Credit, £5.2billion to attendance allowance, nearly £2.3billion to carer’s allowance, more than £1.5billion to pension credit, and £1.7billion to child benefit.
How much could you be missing out on?
We’ve explained your chances and how to apply for extra support below.
Policy in Practice estimates that a staggering £8.3billion of Universal Credit goes unclaimed by more than 1.4million people, who could claim an average of £5,772 a year.
Universal Credit is a monthly payment to help with your living costs.
How much money you’ll get depends on your circumstances, but the monthly standard allowance is £393.45 for a single person over 25 and £617.60 for a couple who are both over that age.
If you have a disability or health condition, or if your child does, there are extra top-ups you can get in your Universal Credit award.
If you rent, you can also get help towards those costs and any service fees you might pay.
Universal Credit can also open the door to other support including free school meals or social tariffs.
Around 1.1million people in the UK living with a disability are missing out on £5.2billion worth of attendance allowance payments.
Those living with less severe disabilities can get up to £72.65 a week, which works out at £290 a month.
You may be eligible for this if you require help or constant supervision during the day or at night.
The higher rate of £108.55 a week is given to those who require supervision throughout both day and night, or if a medical professional has said you’re nearing the end of life.
This works out as £434.20 a month or £5,644 a year.
To apply, visit gov.uk/attendance-allowance/how-to-claim.
Nearly £2.3billion worth of carer’s allowance is going unclaimed each financial year, with around 530,000 full-time, low paid carers missing out.
Carer’s allowance is a UK benefit designed to help people who have caring responsibilities for more than 35 hours each week.
Those eligible get £81.90 a week paid directly into bank accounts.
To qualify, the person you care for must already get one of these benefits:
Your earnings must also be £151 or less a week after tax, National Insurance and expenses.
Carer’s allowance payments will stop if your income breaches this level, but this may not happen automatically.
In recent months, thousands of carer’s allowance claimants have been unknowingly hit by the hard stop figure and been chased to pay their benefits back.
To avoid falling into this trap, you need to report a change in circumstances to the DWP as soon as your weekly income hits this threshold.
You can apply for the carer’s allowance online by visiting www.gov.uk/carers-allowance/how-to-claim.
Your earnings must also be £151 or less a week after tax, National Insurance and expenses.
Carer’s allowance payments will stop if your income breaches this level, but this may not happen automatically.
In recent months, thousands of carer’s allowance claimants have been unknowingly hit by the hard stop figure and been chased to pay their benefits back.
To avoid falling into this trap, you need to report a change in circumstances to the DWP as soon as your weekly income hits this threshold.
You can apply for the carer’s allowance online by visiting www.gov.uk/carers-allowance/how-to-claim.
Almost 270,000 pensioners are missing out on £1.1billion in pension age housing benefit, according to the new figures, going without £3,700 a year on average.
The benefit is for pensioners who pay rent, are on a low income and have savings under £16,000.
New claims for housing benefit are strictly reserved for those over the state pension age.
Universal Credit‘s housing element has replaced housing benefit for those under 66 years old.
You can apply for housing benefit directly with your local council.
Find yours by visiting gov.uk/apply-housing-benefit-from-council.
You can also apply for housing benefit as part of a pension credit claim.
YOU can use a benefits calculator to help check that you are not missing out on money you are entitled to
Charity Turn2Us’ benefits calculator works out what you could get.
Entitledto’s free calculator determines whether you qualify for various benefits, tax credit and Universal Credit.
MoneySavingExpert.com and charity StepChange both have benefits tools powered by Entitledto’s data.
You can use Policy in Practice’s calculator to determine which benefits you could receive and how much cash you’ll have left over each month after paying for housing costs.
Your exact entitlement will only be clear when you make a claim, but calculators can indicate what you might be eligible for.
One in ten of those entitled to child benefit do not claim, meaning the parents of 838,000 kids may be missing out.
Child benefit is worth up to £1,331 a year for your first or only child and up to £881 a year for additional children.
This works out at £102.40 every four weeks or £25.60 a week for your first child and £67.80 every four weeks or £16.95 a week for their siblings.
There is no limit on the number of children that can be claimed for.
Applying is straightforward and can be done in minutes at gov.uk or through the HMRC app.
The latest Department for Work and Pension (DWP) statistics reveal that up to 760,000 families entitled to pension credit did not claim it during the financial year ending in 2023.
Pension credit, a means-tested benefit designed to top up the income of the poorest pensioners, is becoming increasingly important as it is now linked to other crucial support.
In particular, those claiming pension credit are eligible for the winter fuel payment, which has become more restrictive following recent government changes.
The benefit goes to those who’ve reached state pension age, which is currently 66, whose weekly income is less than £201.05 if you’re single, or £306.85 for couples.
Those who have a higher income may still be eligible if they have a higher income but have others costs like housing, a disability, or even savings.
Claiming pension credit can also unlock extra help, including, a free TV licence if you’re over 75, help with council tax and support with household costs such as ground rent.
TO qualify for pension credit, you need to be over state pension age and live in England, Scotland or Wales.
If you have a partner, you need to include them on your claim.
Pension Credit tops up:
However, even if your income is higher, you might still qualify if you have a disability or caring responsibilities.
There is also another element to Pension Credit called savings credit. To get this, you need to have saved some money towards your retirement.
You can get an extra £17.01 a week for a single person or £19.04 a week for a married couple.
If you have more than £10,000 in savings, the government uses a calculation to work out how much it adds to your income.
Every £500 over £10,000 counts as £1 income a week. For example, if you have £11,000 in savings, this counts as £2 income a week.
Almost 2.3million people miss out on £3.4billion of Council Tax Support.
The unclaimed amount includes almost a £1million in pension age council tax support. The rest is for those of working age.
The average claim for working age council tax support is £1,464, while the support for pensioners is worth an average of £1,670.
Given out by local councils, claiming can be a postcode lottery, depending where you live, your income, dependents and other benefits.
Scotland and Wales have their own national schemes, but in England the amount differs by local authority.
To find out what’s on offer in your area, visit gov.uk/find-local-council.
New parents can claim an average of £726 of Healthy Start support during pregnancy and early years, with £132million going unclaimed.
Overall, 180,000 people are missing out.
Healthy Start food vouchers are for parents who are pregnant or have a child under four years old.
The vouchers are worth £4.25 a week, or £221 a year.
But those with a child under the age of one get two vouchers, worth £8.50 a week, which adds up to £442 a year.
Half of people entitled to the Warm Home Discount are not claiming, meaning up to 2.5million are missing out on £150 a year.
This is largely due to eligible people not claiming pension credit as the “gateway” benefit.
The support is a one-off deduction off your electricity bill made between October and March each year.
The money isn’t paid to you, but is applied as credit on your bill.
It’s automatic in the vast majority of cases, but due to the way the scheme operates, certain households have to apply for the rebate.
More than 471,000 families may be going without £490 worth of free school meals, with £231million going unclaimed.
This could be due to not claiming Universal Credit.
Eligibility criteria for free school meals varies depending on where you live.
Currently, all children from reception to year two qualify for free school meals in England.
In Scotland, all students between reception and year five can get help regardless of their parent’s income.
In Wales, pupils in reception get free school meals.
Whether you are eligible for free school meals after that depends on whether you get certain benefits and your income.
Contact your child’s school or local council for more information.
Social tariffs help lower-income households pay for essential water or broadband costs.
But more than nine in ten families entitled to help with their broadband costs aren’t claiming it.
Almost £1.7billion of the broadband support available isn’t claimed, with 95% of households – more than 8.4million – who may be eligible missing out on an average of £200 a year.
For water bills, only one in five households take advantage of the support available, with families missing out on an average claim of £160 a year.
People on means-tested benefits, or anyone struggling to pay their bills, should check with their water company or telecoms firm.
Funds may also be available through energy companies to help with bills.
Of those eligible to claim a free TV licence – mainly people over 75 claiming pension credit – only one in four do so.
The remaining six in ten – up to 1.5million – miss out on a saving of £170 a year.
You can apply for your free licence online or by calling 0300 790 6117.
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