More than 1.3 million people in work could be missing out on Universal Credit payments of up to £7,300 a year, according to data from the New Economics Foundation.
The number of people across the UK now eligible for the payment has skyrocketed due to a rule change announced in the Autumn Budget and implemented by the Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) at the end of November.
James Andrews, Senior Personal Finance Editor at money.co.uk, said: "In November, Rishi Sunak slashed the Universal Credit taper rate, the mechanism that sees your benefits reduced or withdrawn as your earnings rise. As a result, thousands of people who previously earned too much to be able to claim benefits now qualify for the benefit."