PEOPLE could be missing out on at least £25,000 in benefits.

Residents of Darlington may be paying too much council tax or rent and not receiving their tax credits.

A report showing thousands of pounds of benefits are not being claimed, was produced after Darlington Borough Council carried out a benefits awareness campaign in January.

About 12,000 residents were contacted by the council with advice on how to check their benefit entitlement, and £25,000 was found in unclaimed benefits.

But a council spokesman admitted that the figure could increase as more people come forward with claims.

"That's how much we have identified so far - so in other words, there could be that much again," he said.

"But we won't know for sure until people actually put claims in, so that's not to say that there's definitely £50,000 unclaimed."

For more details about benefits, residents can contact the borough council's housing benefits team on (01325) 388045.

The council also offers a visiting service for residents who want to find out more about benefits or need help claiming.