New report reveals £24.1 in unclaimed benefits

A blind young man sitting at a desk, reading from a braille book the the library

According to a recent report recently released by Policy in Practice £24.1 billion support and benefits remain unclaimed. Their research pinpoints three main reasons for people missing out on benefits and support due to limited awareness, complexity in the system and stigma around claiming. Although this is mainly referring to universal credit, carers allowance, child’s benefit and council tax support, the reasons which people do not apply for benefits are also very valid for DLA, PIP, and Attendance Allowance.

At this time where sickness and disability benefits are under the spotlight because of increasing pressure to reduce spending, it is surprising and concerning to find, the country to the government’s rhetoric of claimants being a burden on the state, there are actually many who are not claiming benefits that exist help them.

So what are the barriers to people coming forward and claiming these benefits? The first one is awareness. According to Policy in Practice awareness remains one of the biggest gap because, ”Many people simply don’t know that they’re eligible for these benefits, especially if they are working, have some savings, or their circumstances have recently changed.” Eligibility rules can be difficult to navigate and without an in-depth understanding a lot of people dismiss the idea of applying in the first place because they don’t think that they will qualify. So many people think that there must be others worse often than them, and together with the daunting application process is enough to put them off.

Complexity is the second major barrier. I’ve mentioned this before but navigating the benefit system can be overwhelming particularly for people with low skills in technology, who have limited time, who have health issues or language barriers. Considering that DLA, PIP, and Attendance Allowance are a benefits designed for those who have sicknesses and disabilities, it’s shocking to see the lack of accessibility features in each of the forms. The forms are long and complex and have an eligibility criteria which are often not obvious unless the applicant has done research into this, something that a significant amount of sick or disabled people just do not have the ability or energy to do.

And finally, stigma. We have gone from a society that has celebrated all human beings regardless of sickness and disability and historically has made a way for there to be extra support to meet their needs. Disabled people want to work, they want to make a contribution to society and it’s been worrying to see how the UK government’s blanket response is to get more people into work. Yes, that is important but what about those who are unable to work because of their sickness and disability or reduced cognitive function? It is a not a one size fits all solution but talk like this coming from the leader of our nation can make ill and disabled people feel that if they can’t work, they not only may lose their benefits but they may also lose much of their self-esteem. Many lack trust in the system and worry about being judged singled out all subject to intrusive checks.

Unfortunately, according to Policy in Practice, those who are already facing disadvantage including carers, disabled adults, older people on low incomes, single parents and people without strong social networks are exactly those who fall through the cracks. Let’s be part of the solution by opening up the conversation around applying and supporting them through the application process. I have created a free resource which you can download and use to help support others through their application journey. Please visit benefitiaforms.co.uk for more information.