Millions of people are missing out on support often worth thousands of pounds a year, as the scale of unclaimed welfare benefits is revealed.
Several crucial benefits are available in the UK to meet various needs. The complex nature of the welfare system means those who are eligible for certain benefits can often miss out.
In 2023-2024, there was £23 billion of support unclaimed, according to research by Policy in Practice. The majority of this is universal credit, which is the most commonly claimed benefit in the UK for those on a low income.
Newly released statistics from anti-poverty charity Turn2Us show that £9.6 billion has gone unclaimed in universal credit alone over the past year.
Single mother-of-three Esther found out she was missing out on several benefits despite being entitled after using the charity’s entitlement calculator.
She said: “The calculator uncovered support I didn’t know I could get, things like Disability Living Allowance (DLA) for my children, council tax reduction [or support], and the health and carer elements within universal credit.
“Altogether it was worth thousands once backdated, but the real difference wasn’t the amount, it was stability. I didn’t have to work every waking hour just to keep up. I could heat the house, fix things when they broke, and actually be present for my children.”
The 37-year-old has two twin sons with complex needs. This qualifies her for extra entitlements that she did not previously know she was eligible for.
After finding this out, Esther was able to receive the carer’s element of universal credit backdated three years, as well as a complete reduction of her council tax.
Altogether, the three extra benefits she was able to claim would add up to an average of £400 a month, or £4,800 a year. And because Esther has two children with complex disabilities, both receive DLA separately, which would boost this amount to an average of £5,686.
“There’s no shame in needing support,” said Esther, who advises people “not to wait, because in my story I waited until it was at crisis point, and it doesn’t have to be that”.
The benefit next most missed out on after universal credit is council tax support, which is less well-known. This is a discount on council tax that is granted by local authorities to eligible households in their area who apply.
Around £3.4 million worth of council tax support went unclaimed in 2023-2024, with more than 2.2 million households missing out.
The discount can see the monthly charge reduced by up to 100 per cent, meaning it is well worth people applying. Eligibility will normally be based on factors like income, benefits received and savings.
Anna Stevenson, benefits expert at Turn2us, said: “A lot of people miss out on council tax support simply because they’re not aware it exists. It’s not always advertised clearly, and the information can be buried or seem complex.
“For families already stretched thin, it’s easy to assume there’s no extra help available. However, many are entitled to support that could make a real difference to their household budget.”
To find out if they are missing out on any support they are entitled to, people can use the benefits calculator from Turn2Us, which will ask a few questions in confidence.
A spokesperson for the Local Government Association, which represents councils across England, said: “Councils provide a range of support to people who are struggling to meet their council tax payments. It is vital that anyone who is unable to afford their bills, or who is at risk of financial hardship, contacts their council as soon as possible to access help.
“High numbers are claiming a discount on their council tax, which is adding further pressure on this already underfunded vital local safety net. The government needs to ensure councils have the full amount of funding required to provide council tax support to those who need it. Otherwise, it is almost inevitable that bills will continue to be forced up for those who can least afford to pay.”
A Ministry for Housing, Communities and Local Government spokesperson said: “Councils are required to put schemes in place to help those on low incomes with their council tax bills, and anyone currently experiencing difficulties paying their bill can benefit from a range of discounts and exemptions.
“We are determined to give working families more security, which is why, through our Plan for Change, we are consulting on ways to modernise the billing process to make it fairer and simpler, as well as protecting people against excessive hikes.”
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