[ssf] lots of benefit money goes unclaimed apparently...

[Amparo]

> 11 February, 2005
> 
> Up to £6 billion in means tested benefits goes unclaimed
> 
> New government figures
> 
> Means tested benefits worth up to £6.26 billion went unclaimed in
> 2002/03, according to new government figures.
> 
> The figures, published this week by the DWP, highlight the latest
> estimates of the take-up of the main income related benefits in that
> year - income support, minimum income guarantee, income-based JSA,
> housing benefit and council tax benefit.
> 
> Key results included -
> 
> * between £270 million and £970 million of income support was
> unclaimed; * between £590 million and £1.17 billion of income-based
> JSA was unclaimed, with single people under the age of 25
> representing just over half of those entitled but not claiming; *
> between £800 million and £1.52 billion of minimum income guarantee
> was unclaimed, with those aged 75 or over representing half of those
> entitled but not claiming, and attendance allowance or disability
> living allowance claimants representing around one-third; * between
> £760 million and £1.4 billion of housing benefit was unclaimed, with
> take-up among local authority tenants higher than renters of private
> accommodation; and * between £880 million to £1.2 billion of council
> tax benefit was unclaimed, with take-up highest among local authority
> tenants (88-94% by caseload) compared to among owner-occupiers
> (37-42%).
> 
> Taking all five benefits together, there was between £3.3 billion and
> £6.26 billion left unclaimed.
> 
> For more information, see the DWP press release Income related
> benefits estimates of take-up in 2002/2003.
> 
> See also the related rightsnet news stories -
> 
> * Data-matching identifies hundreds of thousands of pension credit
> claimants who could be entitled to CTB: New DWP guidance (10
> February, 2005) * A third of households eligible to receive pension
> credit still not claiming: New government figures (04 February, 2005)
>  * Pension Service Partnership Fund launched today: £13 million to
> improve take-up of older people's benefits (25 January, 2005) *
> Council Tax Benefit (Entitlement Information) Bill: Encouraging
> take-up by those of pensionable age (17 January, 2005)
> 
> 














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