Families across the UK may be missing out on benefits, grants and other financial support, according to Nationwide, which is encouraging households to use its free Better Off Indicator to check what help they could potentially receive.
The tool found that households using the service were, on average, potentially entitled to £555 a month in additional income. Nationwide said the figure represents potential entitlement identified by the checker, rather than a guaranteed payment.
The service is now being made available to Virgin Money customers as well, widening access to a tool that can help people understand whether they may qualify for support. Importantly, users do not have to bank with Nationwide or Virgin Money to use it.
Checker
The Better Off Indicator was developed with Policy in Practice, a social policy organisation that specialises in benefits and financial support.
The checker is designed to assess a household’s circumstances and identify benefits, grants and other forms of assistance it may be able to claim.
That can be useful because eligibility for UK benefits can depend on several factors, including household income, savings, rent, family circumstances and disability or caring responsibilities.
A person may therefore be entitled to support without realising it.
Nationwide said its checker has helped more than 17,000 households identify potential entitlement to £115 million in additional annual support since its launch in 2025.
The average potential increase identified was £555 a month.
However, households should view the figure as an indication of possible support rather than an amount they will automatically receive. A benefits calculator can highlight potential entitlement, but an actual claim may require further information and assessment by the relevant authority.
Support
The expansion comes as households receiving Universal Credit face additional costs during the school holidays.
Research from Nationwide and Action for Children surveyed more than 2,000 parents who receive Universal Credit. It found that many were concerned about how they would manage essential spending during the summer break.
Around 66% of those surveyed said they were worried about being able to afford food during the school holidays.
More than half said they could delay paying essential household bills.
The survey also found that around one in two respondents said they could delay rent or mortgage payments, while 63% said they were likely to use Buy Now Pay Later to help manage the costs associated with the summer holidays.
Credit cards and borrowing from friends or family were other options cited by respondents.
The figures highlight how additional costs can put pressure on households that are already working with limited budgets.
Eligibility
Benefits entitlement is not always straightforward. Universal Credit is only one form of support available to UK households, and other assistance can depend on individual circumstances.
A household could potentially qualify for help with costs such as housing, childcare, energy, council tax or other essential expenses. Some support is provided nationally, while other schemes are administered by local authorities or organisations.
This is why using a benefits checker can be useful as a first step. Rather than assuming that a household does not qualify, people can enter their circumstances and see which forms of support may be relevant.
The £555 average identified by Nationwide should not be interpreted as a standard amount available to every family. One household’s entitlement could be substantially lower, while another could potentially qualify for more.
Access
Nationwide said the Better Off Indicator is available through multiple channels, including online, by phone and in branch.
The expansion to Virgin Money customers is intended to give more households access to personalised information about potential financial support.
There is also a broader issue behind the initiative. Nationwide cited estimates that around £24 billion in benefits and other financial support goes unclaimed each year.
Unclaimed support can occur for several reasons. People may not know they qualify, may find the benefits system difficult to understand, or may be reluctant to begin an application because they expect the process to be complicated.
Providing an initial eligibility check can remove some of that uncertainty.
Warning
Kathryn Townsend, Nationwide’s Head of Customer Vulnerability, said some people were missing out because they did not know they were eligible or found the system difficult to navigate.
She said the wider availability of the Better Off Indicator could make it easier for households to understand what support might be available to them.
For families under financial pressure, checking eligibility could be worthwhile, particularly if household circumstances have recently changed. A change in income, rent, family composition or caring responsibilities can affect entitlement.
The key point is that the £555 figure is not a promised benefit payment. It is the average amount of potential additional income identified among households using Nationwide’s tool.
For anyone struggling with household costs, a free benefits check can nevertheless provide a useful starting point. It may identify support that could otherwise be overlooked, while the final decision on eligibility rests with the relevant benefit or support provider.
