Rightfully Yours

Make sure you get what’s rightfully yours

Rightfully yours is a campaign aimed at helping Southwark residents get their share of the extra income that’s going uncollected in the borough every year.

Older people

If you’re 60 or over, you might be entitled to pension credit. Millions of older people across the UK are already getting pension credit, more than 10,000 in Southwark alone.

On average they are all
receiving around £40 a week extra. They’ve also had their credit backdated for up to a year and have received about £1,000 each as a one-off lump sum.

The campaign to increase the take up of benefit amongst the Southwark’s Pensioners proved so successful we have now launched a Joint Team, in partnership with the pension service.

The aim of the joint team is not just to increase take up of benefits but also to simplify access to a whole range of other services for older residents.

Please click here for more information on the Joint Team.

Returning to work

For families with children where no-one is in work, the best way to increase household income is through employment, either full-time or part-time.

The introduction of tax credits and other changes to the benefit system mean that many of those in Southwark who are not working at present - possibly because in the past the benefit rules meant that they were actually better off on benefit - will now find themselves much better off if they take a job, hundreds of pounds a month better off in most cases.

Lone parents have always faced perhaps the biggest barriers when considering moving off benefits and into work. However, from April 2005 a lone parent of young children in Southwark is likely to be as much as £400 a month better off in work than on benefits, even after paying rent, council tax and childcare costs.

More for me and my kids

The more for me and my kids team is contacting lone parents across Southwark to tell them more about the financial and other advantages of work. The team will also offer advice and support to those who are interested in taking steps to get more for themselves and their families.

Rent and council tax

You may also qualify for  help with rent and council tax. Find out more about housing and council tax benefits.