Unclaimed support: changes in the take-up of means-tested benefits in the UK since 2008

Matteo Richiardi, Daria Popova, Lavinia Mitton and Melchior Vella

No CeMPA6/26, Centre for Microsimulation and Policy Analysis Working Paper Series from Centre for Microsimulation and Policy Analysis at the Institute for Social and Economic Research

Abstract: Non-take-up of social benefits occurs when eligible individuals or households fail to claim welfare support to which they are entitled. This paper provides new estimates of take-up for major UK benefits between 2008 and 2023, including Child Benefit, Pension Credit, and Universal Credit together with the legacy benefits it replaced. Using Family Resources Survey data combined with the UKMOD tax-benefit microsimulation model, we reconstruct eligibility and compare simulated entitlement with reported receipt to estimate take-up rates. The results show substantial and persistent non-take-up across all programmes. Child Benefit maintains relatively high participation but declines following the introduction of the High Income Child Benefit Charge. Take-up of working-age means-tested support is considerably lower and gradually declines during the Universal Credit rollout, with only a temporary increase during the COVID-19 pandemic. Non-claiming is more common among higher-income and more educated eligible households, while disadvantaged groups claim more consistently, suggesting a degree of self-screening. A decomposition analysis shows that changes in population composition over the period of 2008-2013 would predict higher take-up; the observed decline is likely driven by behavioural or institutional factors affecting claiming incentives.

Date: 2026-03-07
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