Martin Lewis has issued an urgent message to any households earning under £40,000 to check their eligibility for Universal Credit.
The money-saving expert claimed that a lot of people could be missing out on the extra cash. He advised that using a simple benefit calculator could provide a clearer picture of whether someone is entitled to benefits or not.
While delivering evidence to the Digital, Culture, Media and Sport (DCMS) sub-committee on Online Harms and Disinformation, Martin highlighted that not everyone earning less than £40k will get Universal Credit, but there is still no harm in checking, Liverpool Echo reports.
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"My rule of thumb is if you have family income of under £40,000 then you should absolutely check on a benefits calculator whether you are entitled to Universal Credit," he said. He also previously told his ITV Money Show audience: "There are up to seven million of you who are eligible and who are missing out." He added: "I am not, repeat, saying you will get it.
"I am saying it's definitely worth 10 minutes of your time to go onto an online benefits calculator- there are a good few of them out there - and it should take about 10 minutes to put all of your details in to see if you are due. Remember, benefits aren't just for those out of work. 40% of those on Universal Credit are in work."
Universal Credit is a means-tested benefit intended to help recipients with living costs. It is paid either monthly or twice a month (for some pople in Scotland). According to the government, you may be considered eligible if you are either out of work, working, or unable to work (such as if you have a health condition).
You can use the government's own benefits calculator to see what benefits you could receive.
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