Brits urged to check DWP for missing £75 per week payment | Personal Finance | Finance

Brits have been urged to check if they are eligible for a £75 weekly boost that they might be missing out on. Experts have warned that some Britons could be missing out on a payment from the Department for Work and Pensions (DWP), including those living with conditions like dementia. One expert has said that some families are missing out on payments while struggling “behind closed doors”. Rebecca Lamb, External Relations Manager at debt support group, Money Wellness, said that the financial implications of dementia are often overlooked.

“A lot of the focus quite rightly goes on healthcare and social care, but there’s also a huge financial side to this that many families are quietly struggling with behind closed doors,” she said. She highlighted the Attendance Allowance, which supports those of State Pension age with a health condition that requires someone to look after them. However, many people aren’t aware that they are entitled to it.

This allowance is paid by the DWP at two different rates. The amount paid is dependent on the level of care required.

Ms Lamb said that families dealing with dementia often miss the financial considerations of the disease. “At the same time, families are trying to navigate a support system that often feels confusing and disconnected. One of the biggest issues isn’t always a lack of support. It’s that people simply don’t know what help exists until they’re already in crisis.”

Meanwhile, Peter Hamilton, Head of Market Engagement at Zurich UK, said there is a risk that people are not getting what they are due.

He said: “Many benefits are not automatic, meaning that you or your LPA (lasting power of attorney) must apply for them, which is a key barrier for people with cognitive impairment.”

He added that research shows some people with dementia could be missing out on £1,000 to £5,000 per year in unclaimed benefits.

Limited awareness, complicated systems and cognitive decline all contribute to people with dementia being left without the financial support they deserve, he said.

The Alzheimer’s Society says that there are an estimated 982,000 people living with dementia in the UK. However, more than a third of those affected have yet to receive a diagnosis.

Additionally, the figure is projected to reach 1.4 million by 2040.