The majority of benefits have just increased by 6.7% – so it is worth checking your eligibility now using a free online calculator to see if you’re missing out on a claim
Martin Lewis’ MoneySavingExpert.com website has urged households to do a “ten minute” check to see if they could be due a share of up to £19billion in unclaimed benefits.
An estimated 21 million families are not claiming the benefits that they’re entitled to, according to figures published last year by Policy in Practice. However, this number is likely to have gone up further since most benefits were increased last week.
The majority of benefits have just gone up by 6.7% – so it is worth checking your eligibility now to see if you’re missing out on a claim. The best way to check your benefit entitlement is to use a free online calculator. In the latest MSE newsletter, the team wrote: “Benefits were increased by 6.7% last week (some relating to pensions by 8.5%), impacting the incomes of millions of people, including many who are in work.
“The increase also means some, at the edges of thresholds, will be eligible who weren’t before (as you can now earn a higher amount before you lose benefits). As it’s estimated millions are missing out on what they’re entitled to, it’s worth checking.”
It is a common misconception that you need to be out of work to claim benefits. There is help available for those who are on low incomes, those with children, those who care for a relative, and those with health issues. You should first use one of these following free benefit calculators to check what you could be entitled to:
The calculators should give you a rough idea of how much you’re able to claim – however, you will then need to put in a claim for the relevant benefit yourself. You can get help with a benefit claim by contacting Citizens Advice online, visiting your nearest Citizens Advice in person, or by calling its “Help to Claim” service on 0800 144 8 444.
