This episode focuses on welfare benefits and support in England and Wales.

The welfare benefits system is designed to provide financial support to individuals and families in need. However, according to a report published in 2025 by Policy in Practice, over 7 million households in the UK are missing out on benefits and support due to limited awareness, complexity in the benefits system and stigma around claiming. These barriers are found to often overlap and disproportionately affect people already facing other disadvantages, including carers, disabled adults, older people on low incomes, single parents and people without strong social networks.

Discussing this topic is Gary Vaux, the author of Community Care Inform's Benefits A-Z knowledge and practice hub. Gary has been involved in welfare rights for many years and until recently managed a team of local authority benefit and debt advice workers. His background includes training and writing on welfare benefit rules and policies, and he was also chair of the Social Security Advisers Group at the Local Government Association.

Questions are asked by Gemma Balmford, content editor at Community Care Inform Adults.

Subscribe to the Learn on the go series to stay up-to-date with new episodes. Look out for the final episode in Season 2, which will be released at the end of February 2026. 

Links to resources mentioned in this podcast

• Advicenow
• Age UK
• Benefits and Work
• CC Inform's benefits A-Z (free for CC Inform subscribers)
• Child Poverty Action Group
• Citizens Advice
• Contact
• Disability Rights UK
• entitledto
• Mencap
• MIND
• Motor Neurone Disease Association
• Policy in Practice
• Rightsnet
• RNIB
• RNID
• Scope
• Turn2Us

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