Nationwide is urging families to check whether they are missing out on benefits and other financial support, after its free checker found households could be entitled to an average £555 a month in extra income.
The warning comes as families receiving Universal Credit face mounting pressure during the school holidays, with many admitting they may have to borrow money or delay essential payments to cover the cost of the summer break.
Nationwide is now expanding its free Better Off Indicator to Virgin Money customers, meaning even more households can check what support they could be entitled to.
The service, developed with social policy experts Policy in Practice, can identify potential entitlement to benefits, grants and other financial help.
Crucially, you do not need to be a Nationwide or Virgin Money customer to use it.
The move comes amid a wider benefits take-up problem, with an estimated £24 billion in benefits and support going unclaimed every year.
Nationwide said its Better Off Indicator has already helped more than 17,000 households identify potential entitlement to £115 million of additional annual support since it launched in 2025.
Those households discovered an average of £555 a month in potential extra income.
The bank's warning comes as new research highlights the financial squeeze facing families during the summer holidays.
A Nationwide and Action for Children survey of more than 2,000 parents receiving Universal Credit found 66 per cent were worried about affording food during the school holidays.
More than half said they were likely to delay paying essential household bills.
Around one in two said they could delay their rent or mortgage payments, while 63 per cent said they were likely to turn to Buy Now Pay Later to help cover the cost of the summer break.
Others said they could borrow from friends or family, while 59 per cent expected to rely on credit cards.
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Kathryn Townsend, Head of Customer Vulnerability at Nationwide, said: "Too many people are missing out on financial support simply because they don't realise they're eligible or find the system difficult to navigate. At a time when many households are struggling to make ends meet, even a relatively small increase in income can make a real difference.
"By making the Better Off Indicator available through multiple channels – online, by phone and in branch – we're helping remove barriers and making it easier for everyone to access the support they may be entitled to.
"Expanding the service to Virgin Money customers means even more people will be able to benefit from free, personalised support to understand what help is available."
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