Nationwide has become the first financial services provider to launch a free telephone benefits calculator service1 – helping people understand and claim the support they are entitled to.
The ‘Better Off’ calculator, which will be able to be used by anyone – not just Nationwide customers – has been launched in partnership with social policy data experts, Policy in Practice. An estimated £23 billion in benefits go unclaimed each year and recent data from Action for Children confirms 4.5 million children in the UK are now living in poverty.
The service offers both a ‘self-service’ online calculator and a telephone service where an expert is available to guide users through the process. By enabling people to access the service via the society’s website, app, and a dedicated phone line, Nationwide is ensuring that those who can’t or who would prefer not to use digital services, can access the same potentially life-changing support as those who are digitally connected.
In the four weeks since launch 2,229 households discovered they were eligible for an average of £554 extra per month – totalling over £1.2 million. This is roughly equivalent to a typical UK household’s monthly bills for energy, council tax, water, insurance, and basic digital services. *
Nationwide is now calling for the government to make access to unclaimed benefits simpler. Together with Policy in Practice, the UK’s largest building society is highlighting that there are three main barriers preventing access to benefits. These are :
- Awareness: many people are unaware they are eligible.
- Complexity: navigating forms, criteria, multiple applications can be daunting and time consuming.
- Stigma: negative perceptions persist, even though 40 per cent of benefit payments go to people in work**.
Kathryn Townsend, Nationwide Head of Customer Vulnerability & Accessibility, said: “Millions of people across the UK are missing out on vital financial support they are entitled to simply because the system is too complex to understand and access. Our partnership with Policy in Practice means more people, including those who perhaps can’t or prefer not to use digital services, can get the help they need to increase their income. By offering the choice of an online process and a telephone call, we are hopefully making what can be a daunting and confusing experience that little bit simpler.”
Deven Ghelani, Policy in Practice said: “Every year £23 billion in benefits and support goes unclaimed because people don't know what they're eligible for, or they struggle to access online services. Digital exclusion often goes hand in hand with wider social and economic disadvantage. By partnering with Policy in Practice to offer an inclusive service, Nationwide is not only helping those most in need, it’s also meeting the growing expectation of customers and setting a benchmark for responsible banking.”
