“It was a game changer”: How £200 a month in housing benefit, plus £700 back pay, helped Michael rebuild his life. Could you be missing it too?

Across the UK, hundreds of thousands of people are missing out on vital financial support, often without realising it. In 2025, it was reported that many could be missing out on nearly £2,000 a month due to confusion around benefits or assumptions about eligibility.

Michael, a 74-year-old Money Wellness customer, was one of them.

When Michael looks back on 2024, he describes it as the moment “things came to a head”.

“I was sort of managing OK on my state pension and private pension,” he says.

But beneath the surface, the cracks were starting to show. Rising bills and existing debt were beginning to stack up, and things started to become unmanageable.

Michael was living on around £1,000 a month from his state pension and £450 from a private pension. It was enough to get by, just, but left little room for unexpected costs or financial shocks.

Rising costs and mounting anxiety

The tipping point came as everyday expenses surged.

“My gas/electricity had gone from about £70 up to £140 a month,” he explains.

That was on top of a large credit card debt of £1300.

A loss of additional support made things even harder.

“I relied on the winter fuel allowance at end of year to help me through winter,” he says.

When that safety net disappeared, and with uncertainty about other support, Michael quickly lost his sense of financial stability.

He explains how the loss of the winter fuel allowance, along with talk of reforms to free bus passes, triggered a period of depression.

“I was suddenly out of my comfort zone and I started to think I would have to lose things from my life routine.”

As the pressure grew, daily life became increasingly difficult.

“I still thought I might have to cut back seriously on my lifestyle,” Michael recalls. “I love going to sport [football, cricket, movies and the theatre].”

These weren’t luxuries to him, they were part of what kept him connected and fulfilled. The idea of losing them added to an already growing sense of anxiety and isolation.

The hidden impact of mental health

Michael is open about how his mental health played a role in his situation.

“Because of my continuing depression, I had lost confidence in doing a lot of things,” he says.

This loss of confidence made it harder to take action, even when help might have been available. Despite a long career as a careers adviser, navigating systems he once understood now felt daunting.

“The irony of this situation was that… I was used to dealing with government agencies,” he reflects.

Reaching out for help

Eventually, Michael decided to seek advice.

“I started looking at debt reduction schemes and… contacted Money Wellness,” he says.

While the guidance he received was helpful and he found the advice friendly and reassuring, the outlook still felt uncertain. Options like restructuring debt or even bankruptcy were discussed, reinforcing his fear that life as he knew it might have to change.

The turning point: a missed entitlement

Then, everything changed with one conversation.

“The turning point was that one of the Money Wellness advisers said I was eligible for housing benefit,” Michael says. “I hadn’t seen anything about that and wondered why I hadn’t been told about it before.”

Housing benefit is a government payment that helps people on a low income pay their rent. It’s one of the benefits being replaced by universal credit.

He was then signposted for further support. “So I contacted Age UK for an interview, and their adviser… said I was eligible.”

What followed was transformative.

“It was a great relief and I have to say a game changer.”

Support that made a real difference

With help applying, Michael began receiving around £200 a month in housing benefit, along with £700 in back payments.

“This was fantastic and my negative feeling began to go away,” he says.

The support didn’t stop there. “Age UK gave me £300 out of their spare funds… in lieu of losing the winter fuel allowance. Suddenly everything seemed OK.”

With this financial breathing room, Michael could start to rebuild. He reduced his credit card debt and, when he needed a new cooker, secured a £3,000 loan he could now afford to repay.

“Now I have a cushion of £2000 to fall back on and I am delighted.”

A return to normal life

A couple of years on and Michael’s life looks very different.

“I am back to normal,” he says. “Can afford what I like doing and even going on cheap holidays using Ryanair.”

The stability has brought more than just financial relief, it’s restored his independence, confidence, and enjoyment of life.

Reflecting on his experience, Michael is clear about what might have prevented things from escalating.

Simply knowing what support was available earlier could have made all the difference.

“I hadn’t seen anything about [housing benefit] before,” he says, testament of how easily people can miss out on help they’re entitled to.

Could you be missing out too?

Michael’s story isn’t unique. Across the UK, many people are unaware of the financial support available to them.

Commonly overlooked benefits include:

• universal credit
• pension credit
• attendance allowance

A simple step that could change everything

Michael’s journey shows how one piece of advice can completely change someone’s outlook, and their future.

What started as a search for debt help became a discovery that restored his financial stability and peace of mind.

If you’re not sure what financial support you might be entitled to, we’re here to make it simple for you.

Try our benefits calculator or get in touch to see if you’re getting all the support you’re entitled to.

As Michael puts it, it could be “a game changer”.