A MARTIN Lewis fan has revealed how she gave herself a “£5,000 pay rise” with a simple benefits check.
The viewer named Sarah explained how she discovered she was she was entitled to Universal Credit.
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Her success story prompted the money saving expert to urge others to check.
He said as many as seven million people could be entitled to some much-needed help as the cost of living crisis bites.
Speaking on his popular ITV show Martin Lewis Money Show Live, he said: “My rule of thumb is that if a family is earning sub £40,000 then you should check your benefit eligibility.
“I’m not saying you are due, but it is worth 10 minutes on a web calculator to see if you are.
“Benefits are not just for those out of work. 40 per cent on Universal Credit are in work.
“You can get one-on-one help from Citizens Advice or advicelocal.uk agencies.”
Around 2.6million people are still on old style benefits, such as Tax Credits, Income Support, Job Seekers Allowance and ESA.
Mr Lewis said that most people on those benefits will be moved over to Universal Credit by the end of 2024, although he added some will now move in 2028.
He also advised it may be worth asking if you can be moved earlier, especially for those in work and paying rent.
Mr Lewis stressed though it was always worthwhile to use a benefits calculator and to get one-on-one help.
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He also warned that if you have built up some debts, such as council tax, rent and energy, that can mean some 25 per cent can be “deducted” from the amount you receive in Universal Credit.
Check if you’ll be better off switching to Universal Credit by using a benefits calculator for a rough idea, like the one on MSE.
You can grab free advice from organisations like Citizens Advice or MoneyHelper, which is a free, government-run information service.
An online benefits calculator from charities such as Turn2Us and EntitledTo, may also be useful to help you work out the best route for your circumstances.
