Welsh government launches country wide benefit take up campaign to improve living standards

Jane Hutt MS, the Welsh Government’s Cabinet Secretary for Social Justice, has announced an exciting new partnership between Policy in Practice and the Welsh Government in the Senedd today.

In the first initiative of its kind, half of all Welsh local authorities will use Policy in Practice’s LIFT platform to proactively identify people in Wales who are missing out on £2 billion in unclaimed benefits. Covering thousands of households, the project aims to deliver millions in increased income for people living on a low income in Wales.

Jane Hutt MS highlighted the importance of this campaign:

Ensuring people claim what they are entitled to makes a positive difference to families across Wales. We’re committed to putting money back into people’s pockets. Whether you’re struggling with daily expenses, managing debt, or unsure about what help is available, there is support for you in claiming the financial help you’re entitled to.

This work continues Policy in Practice’s long standing partnership with the Welsh government, building on previous collaborations on policy and research projects including recommendations to streamline Council Tax Support and Welsh Benefits.

Deven Ghelani, Founder and CEO of Policy in Practice said:

We are delighted to partner with the Welsh government and local authorities to proactively put £2 billion of unclaimed benefits and support into the pockets of people in Wales. As our work with Neath Port Talbot Council has already shown, the extra money can boost family’s incomes, providing much needed relief this winter and beyond.

The data analysis in this project will give participating local authorities access to deeper insights into the challenges faced by households with the lowest income in their counties. Councils will be supported to deliver targeted, accurate, effective support in line with their localities based approach to poverty reduction.

In Wales, approximately 21% of people are living in poverty, the highest rate in the UK. For children, one in three are growing up in poverty, rising to nearly 40% in some communities, ranking them among the most deprived in Europe. This makes the challenges in Wales particularly stark, whether that is with older people, working people, or young people.

In 2020 the Welsh government launched the Single Advice Fund and has already helped to secure £160 million in additional income for households, reducing debt by £43.6 million. But now the plan is to go further by unlocking local authority held data on households which are eligible but missing out on benefits, grants and other payments such as Free School Meals, School Essentials Grants / EMA and Council Tax Reduction.

This project builds on the work we have already done with partners across the UK, including in Neath Port Talbot in Wales.

Policy in Practice is not new to successful data led benefit take up campaigns, having secured over £2.5 million in Wales in the last three months of 2024 and more across other regions.

Through this expanded use of data, local authorities in Wales will be able to translate evidence into impactful, practical actions that will support households to claim benefits they are eligible for. By proactively targeting households the project will put much needed financial support into resident’s pockets on an ongoing basis.

The pilot expects to address key areas such as:

• Maximising Healthy Start take up for eligible families with young children
• Raising awareness of School Pupil Premium, School Essentials Grand and EMA
• Increase take up of in-work benefits
• Helping pensioners to claim Pension Credit and other passported support

With £23 billion in unclaimed benefits across the UK, £2 billion of which is unclaimed in Wales, more needs to be done to raise awareness and reduce the stigma around claiming. Research shows that stigma, complexity of the system and barriers to application are the biggest barriers to takeup.

Policy in Practice has successfully targeted take up campaigns using LIFT for nearly a decade. By working with one in three local authorities, we identify households missing out on support.

Regional campaigns work.

Greater London Authority and the Mayor of London have so far secured more than £19 million a year in unclaimed Pension Credit for older people across London. With 26 boroughs taking part, London’s regional approach demonstrates the success of scaling up borough wide campaigns.

Regional approaches extend beyond the financial impact, with residents benefitting from greater trust in local organisations, deeper community connections, and the ability to tailor messaging to specific audiences.

Whilst campaigns from DWP have had some success in increasing uptake of benefits, take up is around half of what we see from local campaigns, and lower still than region led campaigns.

In Wales, the 2021 census revealed that over half the population identified as ‘Welsh only’, with just 8.1% identifying as British and Welsh. This sense of local identity highlights how regional campaigns can have more impact in their community as they are delivered by trusted local and community partners like Citizens Advice, Age UK or other local charities. Residents are also more likely to have a connection or familiarity with their local authority.

Local awareness is key when speaking to vulnerable residents, who are more likely to trust and want the support of friends, family and neighbours. We also know that localised campaigns are much more efficient in removing stigma from the claim.

A pan-Wales approach, supported by the Welsh government and delivered by its local authorities and partners, will allow a best of all approaches – delivering the benefits of a regional approach across Wales.

The Welsh government has invested £36 million in advice, support and guidance through the Single Advice Fund, which includes the Claim What’s Yours benefit take up campaign. These efforts have already delivered an additional £160 million to households in Wales and reduced debts by over £43 million.

By incorporating LIFT into these efforts, support will be more effectively targeted to households most in need, ensuring the greatest possible return on investment. The data will equip participating local authorities with deeper insights into the challenges faced by low income households within their counties, enabling more targeted and effective support while fostering a local based approach to poverty reduction and relief.

We are proud to support the Welsh government’s commitment to improving financial resilience for its residents, and we look forward to continuing to drive positive change for families across Wales.