Simple and free tool that shows if you are missing out on £7,000 a year in payments
A SIMPLE and free tool can help you find out if you're missing out on $7,000 a year in cash payments – and it only takes 10 minutes.
With the cost of living still high, it's a good time to make sure you're getting all the benefits you're entitled to.
But it's easy to miss out on payments you didn't know existed or never thought you would qualify for.
According to Christians Against Poverty (CAP), around 15,000 people could be up to £7,000 a year better off after checking their rights.
The charity has a free online benefits calculator which it runs in partnership with another anti-poverty charity, Turn2Us.
One savvy saver, Lisa, discovered she was entitled to an extra benefit of £250 a month, despite working.
She said: 'I thought if you work you don't get anything.
“But then I thought it would only take a few minutes, and that it wouldn't cost anything to try, so just out of curiosity I did it.
“Then I heard back and was told I would be entitled to around £250 extra per month.
“I went to the government website and filled in all the forms online and they told me I would be entitled to Universal Credit.
“As the cost of living has risen, this has made a huge difference. I can pay my bills. It has kept me out of debt. It has taken a lot of pressure off.”
The average monthly amount that people using the calculator were entitled to was £579.
CAP said it only takes ten minutes for the calculator to calculate the benefits you are entitled to.
Before using the tools, make sure you have important financial information to hand, such as bank and savings statements and information about pensions and existing benefits.
If you live with a partner or family, collect their basic financial details as well, as this may affect your claim.
Gareth McNab, CAP's director of external affairs, said: “I urge everyone to: encourage your friends and family and check yourself to see if you are entitled to any form of benefits by using the Turn2us benefits calculator .”
You can find the calculator at capuk.org/benefitscalculator.
Policy in Practice and Entitledto also have free and useful benefit calculators on their websites.
What might you be missing?
Some of the benefits that people regularly fail to claim include Universal Credit, Pension Credit and Child Credit.
The benefit is a benefit intended to help people with a lower income or without work to make a living.
You may be able to get Universal Credit if:
- You have a low income or are unemployed
- You are 18 years or older (there are some exceptions if you are 16 to 17 years old)
- You are younger than the state pension age (or your partner is)
- You and your partner together have €16,000 or less in savings
- You live in Great Britain
How much you can get depends very much on your living circumstances.
In addition, almost a million retirees miss out on pension credits.
It is normally worth almost £4,000 a year on average, and you can get extra help if you are a carer, disabled or responsible for a child.
Pension Credit is available to people who have reached state pension age (currently 66) and live in England. Scotland or Wales.
To qualify, you must have a weekly income of less than €201.05 if you are single and €306.85 if you live with a partner.
Meanwhile, child benefit is available, which helps families with the costs of raising children, if you are responsible for raising a child who is under 16 or under 20 and still in approved education or training.
It is paid every four weeks and there is no limit to the number of children you can claim for.
If you or your partner/husband individually earn more than €50,000, your right to child benefit expires and you must repay part of it through your tax return.
If either person earns more than £60,000, you will not be eligible for any of the benefits.
Do you have a money problem that needs to be solved? Get in touch by emailing money@the-sun.co.uk.
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