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Each year it’s estimated that £23 billion worth of help and support – from housing benefits to pension credit – goes unclaimed according to Policy in Practice.

We look at the kind of help that is available, and hear from listeners on their experiences trying to claim the benefits they’re entitled to, as well as who might be able to get money off their childcare or broadband bills.

Presenter Felicity Hannah is joined by a panel of experts who answer your questions on how to make the best of the available support: Rachael Walker, research and policy director at Policy In Practice; Sam Hubbard, Head of Core Services at Citizens Advice in Staffordshire North and Stoke On Trent and David Samson, a benefits expert at Turn2Us.

And we hear from a range of people with their own experiences of trying to secure benefits – sometimes during life-changing moments. Gary from Lincolnshire tells us how he had to become a carer for his poorly wife. But during a difficult journey to obtain benefits, it was only by chance that he discovered certain types of support he was entitled to. Meanwhile, Esther from London tells us how she wasn’t aware she could be entitled to a carer’s allowance for her children – two of whom have complex needs .

Presenter: Felicity Hannah
Producer: Craig Henderson
Editor: Sarah Rogers

(This episode was first broadcast on Wednesday 16th October 2024).