More than £1million in additional Universal Credit entitlement has been identified for households checking whether they could be missing out on financial support. The potential extra payments were found through online tools provided by British Gas Energy Trust in partnership with national charity Turn2us.
Since the service launched in June, households have carried out more than 4,600 benefit calculations and searches for grants. The Benefits Calculator has identified an estimated £1.91million in potential annual benefit entitlement overall, including more than £1million in Universal Credit that users were not currently receiving but may be eligible to claim.
What the figures mean
The figures do not mean that £1million has already been paid to claimants. They represent additional potential entitlement identified when people entered their circumstances into the calculator.
The findings could serve as a reminder for households to check their benefit entitlement, particularly where their circumstances have changed or they have never previously checked what support may be available.
Charity reaction
Thomas Lawson, chief executive of Turn2us, said: “Too many people miss out on money they are entitled to, not because the support does not exist, but because it can be hard to find.”
He added: “In three months, that has meant an estimated £1.91million in potential annual entitlement, including over £1 million in Universal Credit uplift.”
How the calculator works
Universal Credit is a means-tested benefit providing financial support to people on a low income or who are out of work. However, the amount someone may be entitled to will depend on their individual circumstances.
The figures from British Gas Energy Trust and Turn2us relate to people who used the Benefits Calculator after it was incorporated into the Trust's website. The calculator is designed to help people identify welfare benefits and tax credits they may be entitled to claim. An entitlement check does not automatically result in someone receiving additional money, and people would still need to make the appropriate claim for any support identified.
The £1million figure specifically relates to what the organisations describe as Universal Credit “uplift” - additional benefit entitlement which users are not currently receiving but may be eligible to claim.
Grants Search and partnership aims
The partnership also provides access to the Turn2us Grants Search. This allows people to look for charitable funds for which they may meet the eligibility criteria.
Together, the two tools have been used for more than 4,600 searches and calculations since June, although the organisations have not provided a breakdown showing how many of these were Universal Credit calculations or how many individual households account for the £1million in potential additional entitlement.
Maff Potts, chief executive of British Gas Energy Trust, said the partnership was designed to make it easier for people to find financial assistance and understand what they may be entitled to receive. He said: “At a time when many households are under increasing financial pressure, this collaboration allows us to reach more people with the right help at the right time.”
The Trust said the initiative forms part of its work to tackle fuel poverty and improve financial security by helping households identify support they might otherwise have missed. You can view all the support and use the benefits checker on the British Gas Energy Trust website.
