Home / England

England

What England owes you

£19–24 billion in benefits goes unclaimed every year — not because people don't want it, but because the system is buried in jargon. Here's how to claim yours.

£0In benefits unclaimed every year

0Missing Council Tax Support

£0Universal Credit unclaimed

£0Tax-free ISA allowance / year

Verified against official sources Sources GOV.UK HMRC Your local council DWP Updated 23 Jun 2026

Start Here

Claim these this week

The three biggest pools of unclaimed money in England right now.

⚡ Fast claims · most done online

Council Tax Support — £2.8bn sitting there

The most underclaimed benefit in England — 2.7 million eligible people miss out. Apply via your local council website.

Pension Credit — £3,900+/year

Massively underclaimed by older residents. Unlocks a free TV licence, Cold Weather Payments and Housing Benefit. gov.uk/pension-credit.

Marriage Allowance — up to £1,008 back

£252/year, backdated 4 years. Qualifies if one partner earns below £12,570 — gov.uk/marriage-allowance.

Unclaimed Benefits

£19 billion left on the table

Who qualifies, how much, and exactly where to apply.

Council Tax Support

£2.8bn pool

WhoLow income, on benefits, disabled, or single-occupancy discount.

Note2.7 million eligible people are missing out — the most underclaimed benefit in England.

Apply via your council →

Universal Credit

£7.5bn pool

Who1.2 million eligible households aren't claiming. If income dropped or hours reduced, you may now qualify.

NoteCircumstances change — it's worth re-checking even if you didn't qualify before.

Apply at gov.uk →

Pension Credit

£3,900+/yr

WhoOlder residents on low incomes — massively underclaimed.

UnlocksFree TV licence, Cold Weather Payments, Housing Benefit.

Apply at gov.uk →

Warm Home Discount

£150 off

WhoLow income or on certain benefits — often applied automatically.

NoteEnergy companies don't always proactively tell you. £150 off your electricity bill.

Check at gov.uk →

HMRC Reliefs

Tax money HMRC owes you

Millions overpay tax and never reclaim it. Most reliefs can be backdated.

Relief	Worth	Who qualifies
Marriage Allowance	£252/yr	One partner earns below the £12,570 personal allowance — backdate 4 years (£1,008)
Self Assessment Refunds	varies	Changed jobs, gaps in employment, or paid emergency tax — millions overpay
Child Benefit (NI credits)	NI credits	Claiming preserves National Insurance credits even if you repay some via the High Income charge
Pension tax relief	20–40%	Relief at your marginal rate on approved pension contributions

Overpaid tax can be reclaimed for previous years — start at gov.uk/claim-tax-refund.

Energy & Bills

Stop overpaying — quietly

Savings your supplier isn't going out of its way to mention.

Action	Saving	How
Warm Home Discount	£150	Off your electricity bill if on low income or certain benefits — gov.uk
Switch / fix energy deal	£100–300/yr	MoneySupermarket / Uswitch — compare when out of contract
Never auto-renew broadband/mobile	£100–200/yr	Ring and threaten to leave — you almost always get a retention deal
Cashback stacking	£100–200/yr	TopCashback & Quidco — earn passively shopping through their links
Cold Weather Payments	£25/spell	Automatic for qualifying benefits during cold spells — check you're recorded

Savings & ISAs

Make your money work — tax-free

Plain-English options to grow what you have, without being sold something.

Stocks & Shares ISA

£20,000 annual tax-free allowance — all growth and income is completely tax-free. Platforms: Vanguard, Freetrade, InvestEngine.

Pensions — free money

Many employers match contributions. Higher-rate relief means £100 in your pension can cost you as little as £60.

Index Fund Investing

Start from small monthly amounts. Long-term historical returns of 7–10% annually — without picking stocks.

Martin Lewis / MoneySavingExpert

Free, trusted guides on every UK money topic. moneysavingexpert.com

Benefits Calculator

Check everything you're entitled to in minutes. gov.uk/benefits-calculators

What Retailers Hide

The tricks used on you every shop

Small habits that quietly cost you hundreds a year.

The .99 Trick

£1.99 feels like £1 because your brain reads left to right. Always round up mentally.

Fake Multi-Buy Deals

10% of multi-buy deals cost more than buying singly (Which?). Always check the unit price — it must be displayed.

Fake Crossed-Out Prices

A discount is only legal if the item sold at the higher price for a reasonable period. Many don't — verify with price trackers.

The Middle Choice Trap

Cheap, medium, expensive shown together — most pick the middle. Retailers engineer this; it's usually highest-margin.

Loyalty Card Data

Your data builds a profile and sends offers designed to grow your spend, not your savings. Take the points, ignore the nudges.

Shrinkflation

Same price, less product. Always buy on price per unit — never on the pack price.

🔒 Member

Get the step-by-step claim guide

Members get the exact click-by-click walkthrough for every grant and credit on this page — plus downloadable checklists and personal deadline alerts.

Log in and open the right section

The exact menu path, with screenshots so you can't get lost.

Enter your details correctly

The fields that trip people up — and what to put in each one.

Submit and track your claim

What happens next, and exactly when the money lands.

🔒 Member only

Unlock the full step-by-step guides, checklists and deadline alerts for your region.

See what's inside →

Step-by-step

Guides for England

Plain-English walkthroughs for claiming exactly what you're owed.

Universal Credit PIP (disability payment) Attendance Allowance (£110/wk) Pension Credit (£3,900) Cut your Council Tax Carer's Allowance Child Benefit Help with rent Winter heating payments 5 UK benefits you're missing How to claim a tax refund Money deadlines & closing soon Marriage Allowance (save £252) Household Support Fund Healthy Start & Free School Meals Warm Home Discount & Cold Weather Payment How to appeal a benefit decision Section 75 & chargeback The State Pension Childcare (Tax-Free Childcare) Social tariffs (cheap broadband) Tenant rights you should know Cashback (free money) How to spot a scam

Get the England briefing weekly

New benefits, HMRC changes and claim deadlines — straight to your inbox, the week they land.

Join Free →