Sefton Council is helping local households on low income find out if they are entitled to extra money through the Better Off Calculator.

Free and confidential  

The free, confidential, online Better Off Calculator asks a few straightforward questions about a person or household's circumstances. It then provides a personalised estimate of benefits, grants, discounts and other support they may be entitled to.  

Developed and hosted by social policy software and analytics business, Policy in Practice, the calculator can also show how changes in work, income or family circumstances might affect finances in the future. 

Use this link to find out more about the Better Off Calculator and how to use it.  

People not receiving benefits they are entitled to

Cllr Liz Dowd, Sefton Council’s Cabinet Member for Communities and Partnership Engagement, said: “We are aware that for a variety of reason, there are significant number of people and households across Sefton, many of them working, who are not receiving the benefits they are perfectly entitled to. 

“We want to change that, which is why we are making the Better Off Calculator available free to local people.  

“All you need to do is go online, provide a few details about your circumstances and let the Calculator work out what extra money and support you might be able to claim. And the whole process is confidential so none of the information you put in will be shared or seen by anybody else.

"If you don’t have easy online access, you can use the free computers, Internet and Wi-Fi access at local Sefton’s libraries. 

“Some households may discover they are entitled to benefits or other assistance worth hundreds or even thousands of pounds each year.” 

From all walks of life

The Better Off Calculator can support people from all walks of life, including those who are working, looking for work, retired, caring for others, living with a disability or raising a family. In just a few minutes, residents can gain a better understanding of the financial help available to them and take steps to improve their household finances. 

Cllr Dowd continued: “This is just the latest in a number of ways Sefton Council is trying to help make sure local residents are getting access to the help they have a right to and should be getting. 

“We have already used the LIFT data-matching system to automatically contact 160 low-income families in Sefton who were entitled to free school meals but not claiming them. That meant Sefton schools have been able to access around £225,000 of extra Pupil Premium’ funding.  

“And around 80 pensioners are now receiving a total of almost £425,000 between them in additional Pension Credit support that they are entitled to but weren’t claiming. 

“That’s a lot of extra money and support for people in Sefton and I’m sure if people check out the Better Off Calculator, it could add up for them too.” 

Help for residents to get online

Sefton Council has joined its neighbours in the Liverpool City Region to encourage local residents to go online and enjoy the benefits of using the internet. 

Part of the city region's Digital Inclusion Network, SeftOnline is the council's digital accessibility portal, with online support and advice for those of all abilities using the internet. 

Visitors to the portal can find opportunities to learn new digital skills, stay safe online, discover free computer and internet access at your local library and more besides. 

You can use this  link to get started with SeftOnline. 

People can also find out about support available including benefit and debt advice and help with rent and Council Tax at www.sefton.gov.uk/cost-of-living.