CITIZEN'S Advice Bureau visiting worker Pat Newton discovered £338,000 of unclaimed disability benefits in the Tavistock area last year.
The money was unclaimed because disabled people were either unable to get to a Benefits Agency office to make a claim or were unaware that they were entitled.
Benefits problems made up 1,234 out of 3,470 calls to the CAB office in Tavistock in the second half of last year. 'The number of benefits queries is increasing, especially those on disability benefits,' said manager Margaret Bull. 'Often Benefits Agency staff are not able to tell people what benefits they may be entitled to.'
She said the CAB worked closely with the Benefits Agency, but there was a lot of work which the agency could not or would not do, such as provide help with filling in difficult claim forms.
Debt and consumer affairs accounted for 760 inquiries in the same period. Margaret Bull said the sharp rise in debt cases was attributable mainly to the ease of borrowing. The average amount owed by callers was around £10,000 and sorting out their financial problems was extremely complicated
Employment and housing issues made up 340 and 297 cases respectively.