Help with unclaimed benefits

The Department for Social Development has published results of the Social Security Agency’s 2007/08 Benefit Uptake Programme showing that over 2,600 people are better off by more than £50 a week.

The Benefit Uptake Programme provides vulnerable people in Northern Ireland with additional support to claim benefits they may be entitled to.  In the 2007/08 Programme, 22,000 customers were offered a full benefit assessment to identify additional benefits they should be claiming.  Another group of customers were informed about how to claim Carer’s Allowance or State Pension Credit.

Margaret Ritchie the Minister for Social Development said “Over 2,600 people are better off by over £50 a week – a substantial amount that can make a difference to their lives.  The Programme resulted in an additional £8 million in benefits and arrears being generated; a welcome amount given the recent prices rises and calls for a greater focus on benefit uptake.  Research indicates that there are still a number of people who have not claimed the support to which they are entitled and in continuing to tackle this, I launched the 2008/09 Benefit Uptake Programme back in May.  Given today’s climate of higher costs of living, I would like to encourage people to make sure they are not missing out on the support that is rightfully theirs.”  

“The SSA has worked closely with advice organisations to make contact with these vulnerable people to ensure they are receiving all the benefits to which they are entitled.  We are heading in the right direction but I realise there is more we can do and I have commissioned an independent review of Benefit Uptake activity to assess the impact of the methods used to date. This review will inform future Benefit Uptake approaches.”

The campaign continues the Social Security Agency’s ongoing programme to ensure people are in receipt of all the benefits they are entitled to.  Since 2005, an additional £15 million of benefits and arrears has been paid to Social Security Agency clients.

Notes to Editors:

1. The 2008/09 Programme builds on the success of previous uptake activity which resulted in an additional £8million of benefit being paid to Social Security Agency clients.
2. The Report entitled “Income Related Benefit – Estimates of Take-up in Northern Ireland 2004/2006” provides further evidence of increasing levels of benefit uptake and demonstrates that initiatives being taken forward by the Agency are having a positive impact.
3. Further media enquiries to DSD Press Office tel. 028 9082 9000 or out-of-office-hours contact the EIS Duty Press Officer on 07699 715440 and your call will be returned.