Are you claiming all the benefits you’re entitled to?

With the cost of living crisis really starting to bite, struggling households across Birmingham are being urged to check if they are missing out on the benefits they are entitled to.

As prices continue to rise, with UK inflation at a 40-year high, organisations across the city are joining forces to offer support and highlight the help available to residents.

Now Birmingham City Council has secured funding from the Barrow Cadbury Trust to increase take up of welfare benefits by improving access for citizens.

Data released by the Department for Work and Pensions earlier this year*, showed that millions of UK households are missing out on benefits including Working Tax Credit, Child Benefit and Pension Credit. Those figures will include many thousands of Birmingham households not claiming the support they are entitled to at a time when bills are spiralling.

Council leader Cllr Ian Ward said: "Around £15 billion of benefits remain unclaimed in the UK each year, so clearly a large number of people across Birmingham will be missing out on the support they're entitled to. If we can improve access to benefits, we will hopefully help families, pensioners, carers, and others heat their homes or put food on the table.

"At a time when fuel, food and other bills are rising, it's more important than ever that people claim everything they're entitled to, so this funding from the Barrow Cadbury Trust could make a real difference in households across the city."

Barrow Cadbury Trust Director of Programmes Debbie Pippard added: "The very high cost of living is making it difficult for many of us to make ends meet.  Barrow Cadbury Trust is pleased to be working with the Council to make it easier for everyone to get the support they are entitled to."

Thanks to the Barrow Cadbury funding, the council will work with community and third sector partners to increase awareness and help people claim all the support they qualify for.

In the meantime, there are a number of free online benefits calculators that can point people in the right direction.

Benefits Calculators

Use an independent benefits calculator to find out:

• what benefits you could get
• how to claim
• how your benefits will be affected if you start work

The calculators listed below are free to use and anonymous.

entitledto - for information on income-related benefits, tax credits, contribution-based benefits, Council Tax Reduction, Carer’s Allowance, Universal Credit and how your benefits will be affected if you start work https://www.entitledto.co.uk/benefits-calculator/startcalc.aspx?utm_source=BAdviser&utm_medium=referral&utm_campaign=GovUK

Turn2us - for information on income-related benefits, tax credits, Council Tax Reduction, Carer’s Allowance, Universal Credit and how your benefits will be affected if you start work or change your working hours https://benefits-calculator.turn2us.org.uk/

Policy in Practice - for information on income-related benefits, tax credits, contribution-based benefits, Council Tax Reduction, Carer’s Allowance, Universal Credit, how these are calculated and how your benefits will be affected if you start work or change your working hours https://www.betteroffcalculator.co.uk/#/free

* Income-related benefits: estimates of take-up: financial year 2019 to 2020 https://www.gov.uk/government/statistics/income-related-benefits-estimates-of-take-up-financial-year-2019-to-2020