One Martin Lewis fan has shared how she managed to get £22,000 by following his tips.
Money Saving Expert reader, Joanne Greenwood, 54, from Bradford was highlighted as one of MSE's "Successes of the Week".
Joanne wrote an email to the MSE team after she was inspired by another Success of the Week recently who had managed to claim a Bereavement Support Payment.
She told the MSE team that she and her partner were together for 27 years "living as husband and wife in all but paper".
The mother of two said she "nearly deleted" the MSE newsletter that week but thankfully didn't.
She then followed the link to the guidance and made a claim.
Joanne was then told she was eligible but was "totally shocked" when she received a £22,000 payment into her bank account.
Joanne's partner Darren died in 2016 when his sons with Joanne were aged just 11 and 14.
She said: "It was completely out of the blue, one morning he just didn't wake up.
"We later discovered there had been underlying health problems that we weren't aware of. It completely pulled the rug out from under all of us."
Joanne shared how she wasn't sure she would be able to keep her home after Darren's passing.
She added: "Thankfully, my partner and I were prudent enough to have taken out life insurance which, after his death, helped pay for our mortgage and allowed me to work part-time while also taking care of the boys, but it was still very hard."
Bereavement Support Payment used to only be available to couples who are married or in a civil partnership.
But from February 9 this year, the rules changed so that unmarried couples who had children together and lived together were eligible for financial help.
Martin Lewis highlighted to readers that the new rule change also allowed people to backdate claims going back to August 2018.
To qualify, claimants must have met the eligibility criteria for either Bereavement Support Payment or Widowed Parent’s Allowance on or after 30 August 2018.
Bereavement Support Payment is worth £3,500 followed by payments of £350 over the next 18 months.
You may be able to get Bereavement Support Payment if your partner died on or after April 6, 2017.
If your partner died before April 6, 2017, you may be able to get Widowed Parent’s Allowance instead.
Widowed Parent's Allowance pays £126.35 a week and you can continue to get this for however long you claim Child Benefit.
Households have until February 8, 2024, to submit any backdated claims.
Joanne added: "I would really urge people, if they think they're eligible, to apply; the process was so simple and you might end up with a life-changing amount of money.
"I really am so grateful to MSE for publicising it and all that you've done."
