One in three Swansea residents could still be missing out on help towards their Council Tax or rent.
Swansea Council’s Benefit’s Take Up Team is celebrating a record breaking 2009/2010 by helping Swansea residents gain almost £2 million in benefits.
But research suggests there are people still missing out on their benefit entitlements and the Take Up Team is already preparing to hit the streets to encourage more people to claim.
Between April 2009 and the end of March 2010, the number of Council Tax benefit claims increased by 1,319 and Housing Benefit claims by 398 through the work of the Council’s Take Up team.
This is worth as much as £1,856,110 a year in actual benefits and many of the people who benefitted in 2009/2010 will continue to receive benefit for years to come.
The money for these benefits comes from Central Government so claiming does not affect the funding for other local Council services.
Swansea Council’s Benefit Take Up Team provides a calculation based on information provided by a resident and will not only help them work out if they could claim but will also help them get that claim underway.
Now everyone from young families to pensioners is being urged to find out if they too could claim Council Tax or Housing Benefit.
Paula Lewis, Swansea Council Benefit Take Up Manager, said: “You don’t have to be unemployed, retired or disabled to claim this help. There are many people who are working that could qualify but it does depend on the circumstances and the total income that a person has.
“Some local families who have called Swansea Council’s Benefit Take Up Team found in the past they did not qualify at all but, as a result of recent changes to benefit calculation rules, they now qualify.
“People do not realise for example that the rules are now more generous for pensioners and Swansea Council has a scheme where War Pensions are not counted as income when calculating benefit.
“Although there have been many successes so far we know there are still people who are missing out and the Take Up Team will strive to reach these people through 2010/2011.”
Anyone wanting information or help to see if they can claim the benefit should contact the Take Up Team on 01792 635885.
