A series of deeply worrying statistics emerged this week, highlighting the cost of living disaster facing many British households.

soar inflation data A 54% rise in energy price caps in April has not yet been reflected.This month’s 3.1% benefit increase bridged less than half of the growing gap, while wages fall back Actually.

In these desperate times, there is one statistic that should be especially shameful to the government.So many people are struggling, why estimate A means-tested benefit worth £15bn Unclaimed in the UK every year?

This number is a website analyst’s best guess have the right lament sad lack Government-issued data on welfare uptake, particularly on universal credit.

Each year, more than 4 million people use its online benefits checker to see what help they may be entitled to.It’s a similar story turn 2us, a charity that offers a benefits calculator that can be done in just 10 minutes but can make a huge financial difference for low-income families. Its latest figures show more than 232,000 people apply for new benefits every year after using its services, averaging £5,320 each.

If we rely on the goodwill of charities to raise awareness and ensure the benefits system is functioning as intended, I think this is a sign of a broken model that needs to be fixed badly

These free services are such a popular and straightforward way to navigate the confusing quagmire of the benefits system, Links to them now appear On the government’s official gov.uk website.

But if we rely on the goodwill of charities to raise awareness and ensure the welfare system is functioning as intended, I think this is a sign of a broken model that desperately needs to be fixed.

Charities tell me the biggest obstacle is that our welfare system is too complicated. A large group of people have no idea that help exists.

Often, an interaction with another charity is the catalyst.food banks and a growing fuel depot Provides top-ups for those who use a prepaid meter and regularly helps their users access the benefits checker to see what additional support is available.

Turn2us says one of the most chronically neglected benefits is pension credit, with an estimated £1.7bn unclaimed 850,000 households. Pensioners who qualify for this top-up can receive more than £3,300 a year and as the pension credit is a ‘gateway benefit’ even a small award can entitle claimants to help pay energy bills, council tax discounts and free tv license over -75 seconds.

DWP launched pension credit this month promotional activity (no, I didn’t notice that either) and the claims line – the number to dial is 0800 99 1234.

But this highlights the second-biggest problem with our welfare system — digital exclusionGetting the information and support you need to claim benefits is challenging if you are offline, but online is costly and the pandemic has accelerated the digital divide.

18%

Percentage of people over age 65 excluded from numbers

Communications regulator Ofcom estimates 6% of UK households not onlinebut rose to 11 percent for low-income households and 18 percent for households over 65.

Meanwhile, cuts to local authority funding have forced the closure of libraries and makeshift centres for local council offices.Providing in-person service is expensive – just look Bank branch closed — but they are the lifeblood of the poorest customers.

I’ve written here before about how digital literacy is an important part of financial literacy, but charity leaders fear the cost of living crisis will force more consumers into isolation.

“A significant number of people already do not have access to the internet, but as more and more people struggle to pay their energy bills, I fear we will see more and more people unable to afford a phone or internet connection – and then how will they claim Turn2us CEO Thomas Lawson said.

Charities are already handing out free SIM cards to people who have phones but can’t afford the data charges to apply for benefits online.

However, Ofcom estimates 4.2 million households Means-tested benefits could cut their broadband costs in half by switching to a ‘social tariff’ as low as £10 or £15 a month, but in February only 55,000 customers were using the benefits.

Ofcom Activity Suppliers’ awareness-raising efforts are bearing fruit, with Sky and ??Now launching new low-cost deals this week.

This could all help people submit benefits claims and reduce the estimated £15bn unclaimed, especially when you consider Universal Credit an ‘online first’ benefit. While claims can be made over the phone, charities say it is much more difficult and time-consuming, which is certainly a barrier to wider adoption.

Then there is the educational penalty. Ofcom said around one in five children did not have consistent access to suitable devices for online home learning, rising to 27 per cent of children from families classified as the most vulnerable.

Turn2ss has a searchable database Charities provide grants to cover the cost of computer equipment.If you have old phones, laptops or tablets that you no longer need, consider donating them to charities including restart the projectrefurbish equipment and make it available to those in need.

Online access is critical for low-income households to get help with rising energy bills.Last week, I was speaking on LBC radio with a caller who couldn’t afford a smartphone and was desperate to find out how to get the local council’s family support fund mentioned in the spring statement, let alone £144 million in funding For those ineligible for the £150 council tax rebate.

Each council will have a different approach to allocating this support, but being offline is a huge barrier for the poorest.

What other steps can be taken?

Charities praise Scottish government’s oversight of benefit absorption, set a goal to ensure that people claim what they are entitled to. It recently changed the design of the benefits system and conducted outreach efforts to identify and target groups that may have been missed.

Turn2us said the welfare system was particularly difficult to understand for those who spoke English as a second language.

One of the saddest facts I’ve found? While finding out you’re entitled to more help can have a huge impact on people’s financial lives, charities say it’s often with regret, as benefits claims are rarely retroactive.

That’s why raising awareness – especially in times like these – is crucial.as part of the Financial Times Financial Literacy and Inclusion Movementthis article is free to read.

I urge readers to share it with anyone who could benefit from the support I marked above, and to write to their local MPs to ask what they are personally doing to ensure that more of the unclaimed £15bn goes to the most It is badly needed by those affected by the disaster.

Claer Barrett is the Financial Times’ consumer editor: [email protected]; Twitter @Claerb; Instagram @Claerb