With around £15 billion of benefits being unclaimed every year, IncomeMax and EDF are helping vulnerable families across the UK access essential financial support.
Since 2011, the social enterprise and energy giant have been working together to support low income and vulnerable people take control of their finances.
Over 11 years, the partnership has found more than £11 million in additional income for those in need. In the context of a cost of living crisis and a global pandemic, the two companies have supported almost 5,000 UK households over the past 12 months and found more than £1 million of additional income, with an average uplift of almost £4,000 - including backdated payments.
IncomeMax supports customers identified by EDF by providing an assessment of finances and personal circumstances, help to claim and one-to-one support to ensure barriers to income maximisation such as mental health, skills and disability are overcome. The partnership began with supporting those eligible for the Warm Home Discount Scheme.
Since then, it has grown to encompass wider benefit entitlement checks such as:
- Charitable grants
- Help on energy and water bills
- Discretionary support grants
- Adjusted benefit claims/checks
- Saving money on household bills
As a result of this support, around two thirds (64%) of customers surveyed can now afford to pay ongoing energy bills.
Christopher Dalley, Director of Back Office Operations at EDF, said: “We’re really proud that our partnership with IncomeMax has found millions of pounds of additional income for our most vulnerable customers.
“We’re doing all we can do to help our customers at the moment and the service IncomeMax provides to our customers can be life changing. In the current climate, our partnership is even more important and we look forward to continuing working with IncomeMax to help many more of our customers find income they’re missing out on.”
Lee Healey, Founder and CEO of IncomeMax said: “We’re incredibly grateful for the ongoing support from our amazing corporate partners such as EDF. It is thanks to them that we’re able to help so many people who struggle to navigate the benefits system and are unaware of the income they are missing out on.
“I’m really proud to have reached this amazing milestone with them and look forward to continuing to steady the financial ship for many more vulnerable customers in the years to come.”
To access the IncomeMAX personal money advice service you just need a referral from one of its network partners - it’s free, convenient and could make a crucial difference to your finances during the cost of living crisis.
Find out more on the website here.
To keep up to date with the latest cost of living news, join our Money Saving Scotland Facebook group here, follow Record Money on Twitter here, or subscribe to our twice weekly newsletter here.
