Money Matters: How to check your benefits eligibility as millions goes unclaimed
In this week’s Money Matters column, Wrekin’s debt and energy manager Dan Bebbington explains why you should check your benefits eligibility – with millions going unclaimed every year.
Many people assume they aren’t eligible for benefits, especially if they’re working. But you might be surprised—millions of people miss out on financial support simply because they don’t check.
Whether you’re on a low income, have a disability, care for someone, or even just need help with specific costs, there could be financial support available to you. Understanding the different types of benefits can help you see what you might be entitled to.
Means-tested benefits like Universal Credit, Pension Credit and ‘legacy benefits’ like Tax Credits, Housing Benefit and Income Support are based on your income, savings, and household circumstances. They are designed to support people who aren’t working, or working people who need to top up their income. In fact the latest Government statistics show that around 38% percent of Universal Credit claimants are in work.
If you’re under pension age and not already on a legacy benefit, any new claim would be for Universal Credit. You can check your eligibility online in a matter of minutes, so it is well worth a look if you haven’t done so recently. I really encourage everyone to take this step – even if they believe they earn too much.
Paying rent (as opposed to a mortgage), and having children, childcare bills or caring responsibilities can make a huge difference to your eligibility, as well as if anyone in the household has a disability. If you’re not entitled to anything at the moment, be sure to check back if any of these things change. Even a household with two adults, both working full-time and earning above minimum wage, can be entitled to hundreds of pounds a month of support, if any of the factors listed above are relevant to your circumstances.
Paying a mortgage rather than rent? Still check – you just won’t get help towards housing costs.
There are also non-means-tested benefits, which are based on specific circumstances rather than income. These include Personal Independence Payment (PIP) for those with a long-term illness or disability, and the children’s equivalent, Disability Living Allowance (DLA). You can claim PIP, or DLA for your child, regardless of whether or not you are able to work.
There’s also Attendance Allowance, for older people needing care, and Carer’s Allowance, for those who care for someone at least 35 hours a week. It can seem complicated to try and work out what you might be able to claim, but there are online calculators that can make the process a bit simpler. You can go to wrekin.com and search ‘benefit calculator’ to find ours, but others are available at entitledto.co.uk and turn2us.org.uk.
Need help understanding or applying for benefits? Organisations like Citizens Advice are there to help, as well as our in-house Money Matters team for Wrekin customers.
