A man has managed to claim an additional £500 a month after making a quick check to assess his benefit entitlement.
Having fallen into thousands of pounds worth of debt following the death of his son, Phil Regan, 59, Derbyshire, made the 10-minute check to see if he could be entitled to any Government support.
Using the free Turn2Us benefits calculator on the Christians Against Poverty (CAP) website, Mr Regan soon discovered he could claim help through Personal Independence Payment (PIP).
PIP is a benefit distributed by the Department of Work and Pensions (DWP) to people who need extra help with daily tasks or getting around due to long-term illness, disabilities, or physical or mental health conditions.
There are two components to PIP. A daily living part for those who need help with everyday tasks, and a mobility part for those who need help moving around. Each comes with two rates: a standard rate and an enhanced rate.
Whether people get one or both parts and how much they get depends on how difficult they find individual tasks, but it’s currently worth up to £748.59 a month at its highest rate.
Mr Regan, formerly a full-time carer for his son who was suffering from muscular dystrophy, told The Mirror the money has made “a huge difference” to his life.
He said: “It’s made life more bearable. Now we can put another £30 on the gas or electric if we are cold, whereas before we couldn’t do that and just had to put another jumper on.
“Life is much better now, whereas before, it was just a struggle, and it felt like there was no end to it.”
Before using the calculator, Mr Regan was told he could only claim £44 per week. This left him resorting to payday loans to get by, accumulating £14,000 in debt.
He was later informed by the DWP that he should have been receiving £88 a week. He received a cheque for £2,000 in back payments, which helped him “pay off a few debts.”
Mr Regan then approached CAP for support, who helped him write off most of his debts and it also steered him to the benefits calculator.
Additionally, his partner who also used the calculator, discovered she may be eligible to claim Carer’s Allowance, which could see her gain an extra £307 a month.
A DWP spokesperson said: “Every year our work coaches support millions of people across the country with benefits applications and tailored support to move into work. We encourage anyone who thinks they may be entitled to benefits to use the independent online calculators or visit their local Jobcentre to check their eligibility.”
Nationally, an estimated £19billion worth of annual benefits income remains unclaimed.
New figures from Christians Against Poverty (CAP) found 15,000 people could be around £7,000 a year better off, after checking their entitlements on a free online benefits calculator.
In total, a staggering £109 million has been found during 2023 by people using the Turn2Us benefits calculator.
Commenting on the stats, Gareth McNab, CAP’s director of external affairs, said: “The benefits calculator on Christians Against Poverty’s website is an incredible, free tool that is helping thousands of people find millions of pounds of vital extra money at a time when prices are through the roof, and many are struggling to cope with the ever-increasing cost of living.
“I’m urging everyone, please encourage your friends and family and check yourself to see if you’re entitled to some form of benefits by using the Turn2us benefits calculator at capuk.org/benefitscalculator.”
