Daily Mirror (Northern Ireland)
£37MILLION IN EXTRA BENEFITS PAID OUT IN N.I.
Many eligible for even more help
PEOPLE took home an additional £37.1million in benefits they didn’t know they were entitled to last year by making a phone call.
The result has been put down to DLA to PIP reassessments, targeted ad campaigns and better working relationships with other departments such as health.
David Malcolm from the Department for Communities said he is thrilled with the result but said they are keen to reach even more people.
He told the Mirror: “There are many people out there who don’t seem to know what they are entitled to and are missing out on benefits.
“People think that because they are already on benefits, they don’t need to ‘make the call’.”
Free school meals, help with healthcare costs, public transport passes and the blue badge scheme are some of the extras available. Mr Malcolm said: “These are really important things that people don’t understand they are entitled to – and have real improvements on people’s outcomes.
“That’s why we are thrilled with the results because it shows how well we are doing to reach out to people.
“But, on the other hand, it highlights just how many people are potentially missing out.
“This year we have an extra 7,765 people benefitting and we have generated an extra benefits spend of £37.1million.
“That’s an incredible 74% increase on the previous year.
“In 2016-17 the work of this team generated £21.3million.”
Mr Malcolm said the increase is “down to a number of things”, including working much smarter with colleagues in othe departments to see who is eligible to receive further assistance.
But he also said the move from DLA to PIP had a big impact on the number given additional help. Mr Malcolm added: “We recognised there were some particularly vulnerable clients that might need further assistance during that, so we actually built in a further step to protect them.”
To see if you are missing out on benefits call 0800 232 1271, or check at www.nidirect.gov.uk/makethecall