Rutland Council Launches Initiative to Help Residents Claim Unclaimed Benefits
Cllr Lucy Stephenson raised a question at this weeks council meeting, this enabled the following.
Rutland County Council has announced a new initiative aimed at helping low-income households claim benefits they may be eligible for. The Low-Income Family Tracker (LIFT) is an online tool that will proactively identify and contact residents who are not claiming benefits they are entitled to.
The initiative was approved by the cabinet on September 10th and is part of the council's commitment to supporting the most vulnerable residents in the community. It is estimated that residents in Rutland are missing out on approximately £5 million in unclaimed benefits.
The LIFT tool will be used in conjunction with an enhanced online benefits calculator to identify households that may be eligible for benefits such as pension credit. The council will then reach out to these households and offer them support in completing the application process.
Councillor A Johnson, Deputy Leader and Portfolio Holder for Governance and Resources, emphasised the importance of this initiative, particularly in light of the recent announcement that approximately 20,800 people in the Rutland and Stamford constituency will be losing their winter fuel payments.
"This is a timely initiative that will help ensure that our most vulnerable residents are able to access the support they need," said Councillor Johnson. "We are committed to providing the necessary resources to help people claim the benefits they are entitled to."
The council has arranged a kick-off meeting for the LIFT project next week and will begin sending letters to households that are eligible for pension credit but not claiming it in November. The deadline for applying for the winter fuel payment is December 21st.
Cllr Stephenson's Question:
Tracker (LIFT), an online benefits calculator and an additional resource to target support to
low – income households. With approximately 20,800 people across the Rutland and
Stamford constituency losing their winter fuel payments, can the Portfolio Holder for
Governance and Resources assure Council our impacted pensioners will be supported to
access this online tool?
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