Get a free benefits check near you

A great many older people are missing out on money they are entitled to, often for no other reason than the benefits system is complicated and nobody has told them what they could claim. A free benefits check puts that right. Someone looks at your circumstances, tells you what you could be getting, and helps you claim it. It is quick, it is confidential, and there is no obligation, and people who have one are very often surprised by how much they find.

Why it is worth doing

Millions of people across the country claim less than they are entitled to. Free benefits checks routinely uncover anywhere from a couple of thousand to several thousand pounds a year of help that was going unclaimed.

It is well worth a look even if you assume you would not qualify. Having some savings or owning your home does not necessarily rule you out, and your entitlement can change when your life changes, for example after a bereavement, a new health condition, or a partner moving into care. The rules surprise people, so it really is worth checking rather than writing yourself off.

What you might be missing

A good check looks at everything together. The things older people most often miss include:

• Pension Credit
• Attendance Allowance
• a reduction in your Council Tax
• help with your rent
• Carer's Allowance, if you look after someone
• help with NHS and energy costs
• a Blue Badge

We have separate guides on many of these, but the beauty of a benefits check is that it considers all of them at once and works out the best combination for you.

What to have ready

To get an accurate result, it helps to gather a few things first:

• details of your income, and your partner's if you have one
• your savings
• any benefits and pensions you already receive
• your regular outgoings, such as rent or mortgage and your Council Tax
• your National Insurance number

Two ways to check

Check yourself online. For a quick, anonymous estimate, you can use one of the free calculators recommended by the government, Turn2us (at benefits-calculator.turn2us.org.uk) or entitledto (at entitledto.co.uk). MoneyHelper has one too. As well as benefits, the Turn2us tool can also search for charitable grants you might be able to apply for.

Get a free check with a real person. If your situation is at all complicated, or you would simply like a hand, this is often the better route. Citizens Advice and others offer free, confidential and impartial benefits checks, and they can help you fill in the forms as well, which takes a lot of the worry out of it.

It is free, and nothing to worry about

Just to put your mind at rest: these services are independent and impartial, a benefits check will not affect the benefits you already get, and it costs nothing. There is no catch, and asking is never a bother. It is exactly what these services are there for.

Where to get help, locally and nationally

Close to home, across Chesterfield, Bolsover and North East Derbyshire:

• Citizens Advice, for a free, confidential benefits check and help to claim. For Bolsover and North East Derbyshire, call 0808 250 5702 (9am to 2pm, Monday to Friday). For the Chesterfield Borough area, find your local office at citizensadvice.org.uk.
• Derbyshire County Council's adult care service, which offers free benefits checks. Ask about the First Contact Scheme.
• Derbyshire Carers Association, if you look after someone.

Across the country:

• Turn2us, at benefits-calculator.turn2us.org.uk, a free and widely used calculator that also finds charitable grants.
• entitledto, at entitledto.co.uk, the other main free calculator.
• MoneyHelper, for free and impartial money guidance.
• Citizens Advice, on the freephone Adviceline 0800 144 8848.
• Independent Age, on 0800 319 6789, for free advice and clear printed factsheets on benefits for older people.