Thousands of UK households to get £579 extra added to bank account

A Christians Against Poverty (CAP) study discovered an estimated £19 billion in annual income remains unclaimed, highlighting a significant gap in benefit uptake across the UK.

Brits are missing out on £19 billion in unclaimed income due to a lack of easy access. A Christians Against Poverty (CAP) study discovered an estimated £19 billion in annual income remains unclaimed, highlighting a significant gap in benefit uptake across the UK.

Over 5,000 individuals could potentially increase their annual income by as much as £7,000 after utilizing the free online benefits calculator. The online calculator saw over 170,000 completions, with 15,000 individuals discovering extra income.

On average, these individuals found an additional £579 per month. Lisa said: “I am working; most of the time, when you’re working, you don’t get anything. That is what I thought. But then I thought it’s only going to take a couple of minutes, and it didn’t cost anything to try it, so just out of curiosity, I did it.

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“Then I heard back and was told I would be entitled to around £250 extra a month! I went onto the government website and filled in all the forms online, and they told me I would be entitled to Universal Credit. With the cost of living going up, it has made a huge difference. I can pay my bills. It has kept me out of debt. It has taken a lot of pressure off.”

A second, Jane, said: “One of the biggest ebenfits not being claimed are pension credits. Not every pensioner knows how to navigate the Internet. The government currently isn’t digitally inclusive. Broadly, about one in three people struggle with managing their money, and there are no structures to help people, so all this money is going to waste.”

Gareth McNab, CAP’s Director of External Affairs, said: “It’s horrific to think that there is 19 billion pounds each year sitting in Whitehall that should be in people’s pockets – there are no good reasons to withhold that vital support, and every effort should be made to connect everyone with their entitlements.”