A specialist council team is on course to help residents access a total of £3.2 million this year in benefits they’re entitled to but would otherwise have missed out on.

The council’s Welfare Rights Service ‘Missing Benefits’ project was set up two years ago when the cost of living crisis was really starting to take hold.

The aim was to help as many people as possible in Wolverhampton, who were missing out on valuable benefits, which could help them with the costs of day-to-day living.

This year alone the team has helped hundreds of residents, with more than a hundred people contacting them each month for help. Both working-age people and pensioners are asking for help with slightly more of those of pension age, who make up 55 per cent of referrals.

The majority of referrals come from individuals, who contact the Benefits Helpline, but local groups and organisations working with vulnerable residents also refer people to the team.

The main benefits people are missing out on are Pension Credit, Attendance Allowance and the Personal Independence Payment. 

Students from the University of Wolverhampton are also helping on the project, with ten currently supporting people to complete the necessary claim forms and with one student using the experience they obtained as a volunteer to secure a full-time job with the NHS.

Last year the project achieved a total of just over £2.7 Million in overall annualised benefit gains and is on course to beat that this year by generating £3.2 million.

This is in addition to the benefits gains achieved by other parts of the Welfare Rights Service totalling over £15 Million in £2024/25.

Leader of the council, Councillor Stephen Simkins said:

‘Our aim is to be there for our residents when they need us most and this project is a great example of exactly how we’re delivering on that.

‘Everyone has felt the impact of the increased cost of living over the last few years to some extent and this is one way we’ve been able to help our residents by accessing money to which they’re entitled.

‘A lot of the time people have no idea that they’re entitled to support or they fall down at the first hurdle when it comes to filling out forms, which can be confusing and complicated.

‘This project has helped people realise they can access money they’re entitled to with a helping hand from the council and it can ease their money worries, making their day to day lives easier.

‘I would encourage everyone to ask for assistance, so we can maximise the resource to all who are entitled.’   

The team is funded by money from the Government’s Household Support Fund and is part of the council’s Financial Wellbeing Strategy.

If you think you or a family member or friend could be missing out on benefits then contact the team, call 07966 292321 email wrs.missingbenefits@wolverhampton.gov.uk.

There is also a ‘missing benefits’ portal on the council’s website (all you need do is type in ‘missing benefits’) through which people can ask for a missing benefits assessment.