Millions miss out on unclaimed benefits worth up to £24billion a year – easy tools to check if you’re due £6,669

MILLIONS of households are missing out on a massive £24billion in unclaimed benefits, new figures reveal.

Fresh analysis by Policy in Practice shows that over seven million families, pensioners, and working-age households are missing out on vital cash they’re eligible for.

The latest figures show that unclaimed benefits have now hit a record high, up from £19billion in 2023 and £23billion in 2024. 

The average household could be £3,203 a year better off by claiming all the benefits they’re entitled to – and some could be owed even more, potentially thousands extra.

Universal Credit tops the list, with over £11billion unclaimed, leaving 1.67million households missing an average of £6,669 each year.

Pension credit, which has seen efforts to boost take-up, still sees over £1.6billion unclaimed, affecting 761,000 pensioners who could be owed £2,121 a year.

Carer’s allowance is another significant gap, with 553,000 eligible households losing out on £4,252 each year, adding up to £2.3billion.

Families are also missing out on £1.4 billion in child benefit, with 742,000 households eligible for an average of £1,998 annually.

Council tax support, which could ease financial burdens for 2.57million households, sees an average of £1,286 unclaimed, totalling £3.3billion.

Housing benefit for pensioners has a shortfall of £1billion, with 226,000 eligible pensioners missing an average of £4,788 each year.

Even smaller benefits like free school meals (£69million unclaimed), healthy start vouchers (£55million), and warm home discounts (£722million) could make a big difference to struggling families.

Utility-related benefits like water and broadband tariffs also see massive gaps, with millions missing out on affordable social tariffs.

Meanwhile, free TV licences for older people, worth £52million, remain unclaimed by 298,000 households. 

Deven Ghelani, director and founder of Policy in Practice, said: “The scale of unclaimed support in Britain is still staggering.

“But this isn’t a failure of the public.

“It’s a failure of a social security system that is still too complex, too fragmented and too passive.

“The good news is that we now have the tools to fix this. In the past year alone, our work with local authorities, housing providers, and utility companies has helped put millions of pounds into people’s pockets.

“Every £1 claimed is a step toward better health, improved education, stronger families and reduced pressure on public services.”

How do I check if I’m missing out on benefits?

Whether you’re on a low income, living with a disability, caring for someone, or retired, there will always be some form of support available.

Help is available if you’re not sure where to start – and the best place is a benefits calculator.

These free online tools tell you what you could get and how much, based on your income, savings and personal circumstances.

The three most trusted ones are Policy in Practice’s Better Off Calculator, entitledto and Turn2us.

Benefits calculators can give you an estimate of what type of benefits you could get, how much you’ll get paid and how payments are affected if you start work or increase your working hours.

They can also give you an idea of how much benefit payments are impacted by your circumstances changing – for example if you have a child or move in with your partner.

Before using a calculator, make sure you’ve got information on your savings, income, existing benefits or pensions, outgoings such as rent or mortgages and your council tax bill to hand.

You may have to enter these to get a fair reflection of what you might be entitled to.

One alternative to using benefits calculators is by speaking to a local independent advice organisation like Citizens Advice or Age UK.

They will be able to signpost you to any benefits you might be eligible for and answer any questions you have, for free.

You can find your nearest centre by typing your postcode into here – https://advicelocal.uk/find-an-adviser.