Half a million Brits missing out on Universal Credit – how to claim and calculate payments

HALF a million Brits are missing out on Universal Credit because they’re unaware they’re entitled to the support, according to research.

Hundreds of thousands of people were also put off claiming the welfare payments due to the “hassle” of applying or the stigma around claiming benefits.

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The number of people claiming Universal Credit has soared to 6million since the start of the pandemic, up from 2million at the start of 2020.

But its estimated that between 430,000 and 560,000 people were eligible for the benefit during the start of the pandemic but didn’t claim it.

Half of them believed this was because they did not qualify for the help.

And a quarter of a million people struggling believed they could claim the support but chose not to because they felt they didn’t need them.

Meanwhile 59% said they believed the application process to be too complicated and 27% felt the stigma of claiming benefits was too much.

The research was carried out by the University of Salford and the Health Foundation who surveyed 2,763 “probable non-claimants” in July and August last year.

The report said the Government needs to do more to reduce the stigma of claiming benefits, such as treating claimants with dignity and speaking about welfare payments with respect.

Ben Baumberg Geiger, lead author of the report and a senior lecturer at the University of Kent, said: “Some of these people say they don’t need benefits – but others don’t claim because they don’t understand that they are eligible, hope that things will get better soon, or are put off by the perceived “hassle” or stigma of claiming.”

A Government spokesperson said: “We want to make sure that everyone receives the support to which they are entitled and we’d urge anyone who thinks they’re eligible for universal credit to apply.

“Universal credit is designed to be as accessible as possible and has provided a vital safety net for six million people during the coronavirus pandemic.”

How to claim Universal Credit

You’ll need to apply to the new welfare system via the gov.uk website, starting by setting up an online account.

This is what you’ll use to manage your account later on.

Many people are complaining that they are having to wait in queues of up to 30,000 people just to get on to the website.

But Department for Work and Pensions has revealed when its website is quietest to help those applying or checking for updates.

To make an account, you’ll need an email address and a phone number.

After that, you’ll need to answer a set of questions about your current circumstances, known as your “to do list”.

These include things like when you last received payment for a job, what your household income is and how many people depend on you financially.

If you’ve lost your job, Citizens Advice recommends that you don’t apply until you’ve received your final wages or any final holiday pay.

This is because any money you receive after you’ve applied for Universal Credit will count as income and mean that you’re entitled to less in your first payment.

You will then need to confirm your identity online.

In certain circumstances, you’ll be able to apply over the phone, such as those who don’t have regular access to the internet, are visually impaired, or have a physical condition that stops you from using a computer or smartphone.

To do this, you will need to contact the Universal Credit helpline to ask if you can apply by phone or arrange a home visit.

In this case, someone can call them on your behalf if you can’t do it yourself.

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More than half a million people who receive Universal Credit or other benefits have had their payments slashed in a tax raid.

The reduction in benefits is due to mistakenly overpaid tax credits that could have happened up to 17 years ago and which many people would have known nothing about.

This has left struggling families on low incomes relying on food banks, or losing chunks of much-needed cash each month because of back office blunders.

This post first appeared on thesun.co.uk