Cambridgeshire County Council is working with district and city councils to contact families identified as eligible to receive currently unclaimed Pension Credit, aiming to put up to £2M per year back into residents’ pockets.
Starting this week, over 700 households across Cambridgeshire will be contacted by letter, email and phone call. Each household will be advised of their eligibility and provided with support to help them apply for their unclaimed benefit.
This is the county’s first targeted campaign to increase residents’ income since approval of the procurement of the Low-Income Family Tracker (LIFT) software platform was approved at a meeting of the County Council’s Communities, Social Mobility and Inclusion Committee in February.
LIFT has been purchased for district and city councils in Cambridgeshire by the County Council, using funding from the UK Government’s Crisis and Resilience Fund via the DWP, as part of a campaign of income maximisation, intended to help build financial security for low-income families.
Identified residents will be contacted directly by their district / city council (Cambridge City Council, East Cambridgeshire District Council, South Cambridgeshire District Council, Huntingdonshire District Council or Fenland District Council).
This campaign targets households eligible for the two elements of Pension Credit - Guarantee Credit and Savings Credit. Households may be eligible for both elements, or just one.
Based on an average Pension Credit claim of £4,300 a year, the 500 households identified as eligible for Pension Credit Guarantee would have a total income gain of over £2M per year, ongoing, should all apply.
Councillor Alison Whelan, chair of the Communities, Social Mobility and Inclusion Committee at Cambridgeshire County Council, said: “This new targeted campaign will boost financial security and quality of life for hundreds of families across our county.
“I’m delighted to know that in Cambridgeshire we’re putting money, up to £2M, back in the pockets of the families that are most vulnerable to the cost-of-living pressures facing us nationally.
“Please help us to spread the word about this excellent campaign so that families contacted by their district or city council will know they can trust the information they’ve being given – it’s good news!”
Although there have been no reported incidents of scams purporting to be part of this programme, the Council is reminding residents that if they are ever in any doubt about the authenticity of a letter or a phone call – they can call their District or City Council directly to ask. For more information on how to spot a scam, support and advice is available.
