Credit Crunch Campaign 1
Claim 33944
West Somerset Council benefits service is keen to ensure that as many people as possible are able to claim the correct amount of benefit entitlement. This will help to prevent deprivation and hardship in our community.
We undertake many activities to try to increase take up of benefit. One such measure was our “credit crunch campaign” in which we publicised Council Tax Benefit to every single council taxpayer who was not already receiving Council Tax Benefit.
One of the people who received this information contacted the service after reading the promotional take-up notice on the 20th March 2009 and returned the completed claim form on the 20th April 2009.
It turned out that she was a lone parent struggling to make ends meet on a low income. She had one dependant child in higher education.
On assessment of her claim she was entitled not only to Council Tax Benefit but Housing Benefit as well. This gave her £2,876.64 a year in extra income, reducing some of their financial burdens.
Although she had somehow found away previously to pay her way, this extra income coming into the household each week has made her life that much easier.
Without the information provided she would have continued to struggle as she had never claimed benefit before and did not know the help was available.
She has continued to receive benefit throughout, all because of one promotional leaflet.