Hundreds of old and disabled people are losing out on hundreds of thousands of pounds in benefits which they are entitled to by law.

A welfare rights hit squad uncovered the missing money after a crackdown by Braintree Council.

One disabled woman in Braintree was being underpaid by £108 a week - £5,600 a year - because she did not know she was entitled to it.

Another woman received a £7,000 lump sum for arrears owed to her after the hit squad revealed DSS officials had miscalculated her disability benefits.

Council welfare rights co-ordinator Gary Johnson said his team found underpayments totalling £1.3 million a year after targeting vulnerable groups most likely to be missing out on vital benefits.

The campaign has left hundreds better off. Most of the cash was owed to people who were unaware they could claim the extra money.

Mr Johnson said: "National figures indicate there is a large amount of under-claiming among certain groups, especially old people and the disabled.

"The sheer complexity of the rules and regulations puts many people off claiming. Some application forms are 60 pages long and look more like a book."

Mr Johnson said people who were housebound or lived in rural areas also struggled to get the help and advice they needed. It has taken welfare rights workers two years to uncover the underpayments.

In some cases people have struggled for years to exist on less money than the Government says is the minimum they can live on.

But Mr Johnson said feedback from benefit claimants had been positive. "One pensioner who has to spend more time at home said she could now afford extra heating," he said.

Are you missing out on your entitlement? Ring the council benefits team on 01376 552525

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