More needs to be done to increase uptake of unclaimed benefits, claims organisation
More needs to be done to increase uptake of unclaimed benefits, claims organisation
- Friday, 5 February 2010Families suffering due to mounting
debt problems need extra government support in receiving unclaimed benefits, according to one organisation.
The Family and Parenting Institute (FPI) has urged the government to increase its efforts in ensuring vulnerable families receive their unclaimed £16 billion worth of benefits.
Policy adviser Carena Rogers said the organisation was concerned about the impact that unclaimed benefits will have on the lives of families who are entitled to them.
"The FPI would like to see the government invest as much money in creating simple, straight-forward ways of encouraging people to claim for benefits as they do on preventing benefit fraud," she said.
Job centre staff could do more in the way of helping people fill out the necessary paperwork and following up on claims to ensure they are received, she added.
Many families were not claiming tax credits because of having to pay back large sums of money following mistaken overpayment in the past, Ms Rogers said.
"Some people do not understand which benefits they are entitled to and are wary of being means-tested."
The Citizens Advice Bureau has reported that 27 leading charities are calling on the government to set targets to improve take-up of welfare benefits and tax credits.
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