Summary
New research says seven million households in the UK are not claiming a total of £24 billion in benefits and support they are eligible for. Barriers to claiming these benefits include lack of awareness, the complexity of the claiming process, and the stigma around receiving benefits. The government is trying to increase awareness through public campaigns.
Key Facts
- Seven million UK households are missing out on benefits and support worth £24 billion.
- The barriers to claiming include lack of awareness, complicated processes, and stigma.
- Benefits include universal credit, pension credit, free school meals, and more.
- The report predicts unclaimed benefits will rise to £24.1 billion by 2025-26.
- Public campaigns and services like Help to Claim aim to increase benefit uptake.
- More older people are starting to claim pension credit.
- Some local authorities have improved free school meal claims to 95% coverage.
