Households miss out on £24bn of government support

More than 7 million households are missing out on £24 billion of support, a new Policy in Practice report has found. This includes a range of benefits as well as other schemes.

For many households, the cost-of-living crisis means any additional support would be welcome. Despite this, millions are struggling to afford the basics and are often simply unaware they’re entitled to support.

Deven Ghalani, director and founder of Policy in Practice, said: “The scale of unclaimed support in Britain is still staggering. Over £24 billion is left on the table at a time when many are struggling to stay afloat.

“But this isn’t a failure of the public. It’s a failure of a social security system that is still too complex, too fragmented and too passive."

What support is going unclaimed?

Unclaimed support includes £11.1bn in universal credit as well as other benefits like:

• £1.1 billion in housing benefit
• £1.5 billion in child benefit
• £1.6 billion in pension credit
• £2.4 billion in carer’s allowance

Beyond this, people also aren’t claiming other support they’re entitled to, such as:

• £722 million in Warm Home Discount payments
• £745 million in water support
• £1.5 billion in broadband support
• £3.3 billion in council tax support

Universal Credit is by far the most missed out on benefit. In fact, the number of missed UC claims rose by 16.4% year on year.

Why is support still going unclaimed?

Support is going unclaimed for three main reasons:

• lack of awareness – many people simply don’t know they’re eligible
• complexity – guidance can be unclear, the application process can be complex, and many people struggle with barriers such as language skills or low digital skills
• stigma – society often stigmatises people on benefits, and many worry about being judged

Are you missing out on benefits?

You could be one of the millions of people in the UK currently missing out on benefits. However, there are lots of benefits calculators you can use to work out if you’re entitled to specific support.

You’ll need to fill out a few details about your personal situation, but once you do, you’ll get a list of support you could be eligible for, making the application process a little easier.