The gap matters because it points to something counterintuitive: in communities where financial hardship is most common, it can paradoxically become a source of private shame rather than a shared experience that warrants collective support.
In these environments, asking for help becomes emotionally loaded. People worry about being judged by their employers, neighbours or even family members, particularly in communities where resilience and self-reliance are deeply valued.
Public narratives around benefits and financial support have often focused heavily on dependency or extreme hardship, which reinforces the idea that support is only for people in severe crisis. This means that even when they are living in hardship, many believe their situation is not severe enough to need external help.
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This misconception is again far more prevalent in areas with high concentrations of deprivation, such as Liverpool (55%) and Belfast (67%).
It creates a situation where people continue to struggle alone despite being eligible for help designed to prevent financial problems from escalating.
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The result is that £23 billion in financial support goes unclaimed each year in the UK. Not because there aren’t enough eligible people, but because of debt stigma and skewed narratives around who support is for.
To tackle this, financial struggles need to be framed as a universal issue and assistance should be seen as breathing room before things escalate, not an end-of-the-road option.
In practice, this means charities, local governments and utility companies in financially vulnerable areas need to clearly signpost that support is available for a variety of circumstances.
A shift in thinking has started to be reflected in policy, such as the Government Debt Management Strategy, which outlines plans for manageable debt repayment routes.
The problem is not only emotional but structural. The financial access system is heavily fragmented, riddled with long waiting times, out-of-date information, and different access portals. This means that people are deterred from applying for support because the process is overly complex.
Out of those who applied for financial support and then gave up, over a third (39%) said it was because the process took too long, while 33% said it required too much information.
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These barriers must be dismantled. Pathways need to be transparent and frictionless, with ‘tell it once’ approaches that remove the need for individuals to repeat their story.
In uncertain economic times, the question is not just if support exists but whether people feel able and confident to access it. Otherwise, any measures to tackle inequality risk being swallowed by the same system.
Rhiannon Sheridan is chief operating officer at financial support portal Lightning Reach
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