Source: City of Preston
Preston City Council is proud to announce the launch of a brand-new Benefits Calculator and Income Maximisation Tool.
Get the Support You Deserve. Start with a simple check. This easy-to-use, confidential tool helps residents check what financial support they maybe entitled to, from benefits to grants and other forms of assistance.
The tool has already proven highly effective in other areas such as the London Borough of Barnet, where out of 14,000 users, 95% identified additional support they were eligible for.
Since going live in Preston just over a month ago, the early results are already encouraging, 72 residents completed the short calculator, with an estimated 87.5% qualifying for an average of £953 per month in additional support. 47 users completed the full assessment journey, qualifying for an average of £677 per month in extra financial support.
With an estimated £23 billion in unclaimed benefits nationally, Preston City Council is encouraging anyone who thinks they might be missing out to use the tool and see what help is available to them.
Councillor Martyn Rawlinson, Cabinet Member for Resources, said:
At a time when the cost of living is putting pressure on households, we want to make sure Preston residents are receiving all the support they’re entitled to.
This simple tool is a valuable way for people to check what help is available, quickly, easily, and confidentially. I encourage everyone to give it a go or help a friend or neighbour access it if they can.”
In addition to the support for residents, the benefits calculator allows the Council to gather anonymous, detailed analytics to help evaluate the financial needs of local residents and identify areas where additional support services can be targeted.
The Benefits Calculator is free to use, takes just a few minutes to complete, and could make a real difference to household incomes across the city.