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

[spodulike at freeuk.com]

There has been a large campaign by cancer charities to help those who 
are terminally ill claim as often they do not. And a widely supported 
motion to extend mobility benefits to over 65's who are presently 
denied them. Just a matter of getting the message out against 
government spin. Talking of which, thought this was a nice action:
http://www.greenpeace.org.uk/climate/climate.cfm?UCIDParam=
20050216144617

http://www.itv.com/news/britain_1230966.html


> 
> > 11 February, 2005
> >=20
> > Up to =A36 billion in means tested benefits goes unclaimed
> >=20
> > New government figures
> >=20
> > Means tested benefits worth up to =A36.26 billion went unclaimed in

> > 2002/03, according to new government figures.
> >=20
> > 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.
> >=20
> > Key results included -
> >=20
> > * between =A3270 million and =A3970 million of income support was
> > unclaimed; * between =A3590 million and =A31.17 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 =A3800 million and =A31.52 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

> > =A3760 million and =A31.4 billion of housing benefit was unclaimed, 
wit=
> h
> > take-up among local authority tenants higher than renters of 
private
> > accommodation; and * between =A3880 million to =A31.2 billion of 
counci=
> l
> > tax benefit was unclaimed, with take-up highest among local 
authority
> > tenants (88-94% by caseload) compared to among owner-occupiers
> > (37-42%).
> >=20
> > Taking all five benefits together, there was between =A33.3 billion 
and
> > =A36.26 billion left unclaimed.
> >=20
> > For more information, see the DWP press release Income related
> > benefits estimates of take-up in 2002/2003.
> >=20
> > See also the related rightsnet news stories -
> >=20
> > * 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: =A313 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)
> >=20
> >=20
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> > http://www.rightsnet.org.uk/cgi-bin/forwardsql2/search.cgi?
template1=3D=
> user_details2.htm&news.ID_option=3D1&news.ID=3D211152710825
> 
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