Successful pilot project LIFTs household annual incomes by £623k

This LIFT tool, which has a licence funded by Surrey County Council, has been used to target support more effectively to households struggling with the cost of living.

By combining multiple data sets, LIFT helps to identify local people who may be missing out on support they are entitled to. The project team can then encourage them to take up the relevant benefits and grants, such as Pension Credit and NHS Healthy Start, that could directly improve their financial position. In the six months between August 2025 and January 2026, this led to a combined annual income boost of £623k for households and schools across the borough; and a potential lifetime financial impact of £3.4m.

With Surrey County Council committed to paying the LIFT tool licence until the end of January 2027, Reigate & Banstead Borough Council has agreed to continue funding its Financial Resilience Project for a further year.

Cllr James Baker, Deputy Leader and Executive Member for Community Development and Prosperity, says: “In its first year, the Financial Resilience Project has exceeded our ambition to put extra money in the pockets of residents experiencing the greatest financial challenges.

“The team has demonstrated the power of technology to make sure those in greatest need have the financial benefits they are entitled to – delivering a total annual income boost in excess of £623k. But more than that, it shows how more targeted and relevant communications help build positive engagement and feedback between the council, local residents and other service providers.

“We think there is potential to learn and do more to support greater financial resilience in the borough and beyond. Our commitment to continue the project for a further year could see the impact of this work expand across the new East Surrey Council area.”

Increasing financial resilience in Reigate & Banstead

Surrey is perceived to be an affluent part of the country but there are significant numbers of local people facing financial challenges. For example, the borough has historically higher-than-average numbers of children in absolute low-income households and pensioners in receipt of Pension Credit when compared to Surrey as a whole.

Analysis by ‘Policy in Practice’ in November 2025, suggested there was £34m worth of potential support unclaimed within the borough, with at least 9,896 local people eligible for additional support, missing out on an average claim of £3,436 each year. Cross-referencing data sets within the LIFT tool provided the opportunity to identify and focus on those most likely to benefit and, as of end January 2026, 5,649 households (including 3,108 with children) had been identified.

Successes in year one

Between August 2025 and January 2026, the project ran 14 campaigns to encourage take up of relevant support, leading to 259 households accessing additional help and income that they weren’t previously.

Examples include:

• Additional £1.24m combined lifetime income for 21 households through Pension Credit take up, which equates to an average annual income boost of £4,309 per household.
• An average annual income boost of £4,693 for 29 households through take up of the Attendance Allowance, which equates to a total additional lifetime income of £914,130.
• 60 households moved onto Free School Meals, securing £82,980 additional pupil premium for schools and household savings of £27,100.
• The highest percentage increase in NHS Healthy Start registered users for any English borough for the month of August 2025, securing an estimated £76,752 additional income for households (or an average of £2,952 per household over an anticipated award life of approximately two-and-a-half years).
• 26 households registered for the Warm Homes Local Grant, with 13 properties already with grant funding approved for energy efficiency improvements to the value of £240,539.

One resident in receipt of the Household Support Fund said: “It’s horrible, the feeling of knowing that you can’t food shop every week. But now I’m able to buy food again it’s great and has opened up another source of help for me.”

The increase in targeted contact with these households also opened up access to other far-reaching services. For example, 10 households were invited to contact the Council’s Money Support team for one-to-one support and five households were added to its Downsizing Scheme register to be able to move into more appropriately sized properties, reducing their bills and leaving them with more money each month.

The Financial Resilience Project has been shortlisted for the ‘Best use of data or research in a district council’ award by the Local area Research & Intelligence Association (LARIA).

Councillor Mark Nuti, Surrey County Council Cabinet Member for Customer and Communities said: “We know the impact of poverty on people’s health and wellbeing can be devastating and lead to even greater demand on services. LIFT has enabled us to work with districts and boroughs across Surrey to target our welfare support offer towards those who need it most. We need to work harder and smarter within the financial constraints we face to prevent and mitigate the effects of poverty in Surrey, so no one is left behind.”