Martin Lewis highlights £5,800 Universal Credit claim for workers earning under £35,000
by Liam Doyle · ChronicleLiveMartin Lewis has issued an urgent alert for Britons earning less than £35,000 per year as they could be eligible for a payout worth nearly £6,000. The money-saving expert is on a mission to ensure that workers are aware of every possible type of financial assistance they could receive from the government, with Universal Credit offering a vital lifeline for those earning less than the national average, or right on the line.
According to him, there are approximately 1.4 million people earning under that £35,000 threshold failing to claim up to £5,800 in basic Universal Credit payments for which they are eligible. This total is a combination of assistance people can receive for both living and housing costs, and Lewis has warned that median earners are not the only ones missing out.
MoneySavingExpert, the comparison site founded by Martin Lewis in 2003, states that those under £35,000 are the most likely to be missing out on payments from the catch-all benefit, but that people earning up to £60,000 may also not be getting everything for which they are eligible.
Households with higher incomes are also eligible for financial aid, provided they have children and may face increased childcare costs. The finance site also warns that individuals on similar or lower incomes could be missing out on other benefits, both means-tested and otherwise, reports the Mirror.
It's estimated that 2.25 million people are not claiming £1,500 of Council Tax support per year, and around 530,000 people are missing out on £4,250 of Carer's Allowance. So, who qualifies for Universal Credit?
Those entitled to these benefit payments are typically: Out of work, working (including self-employed or part-time), unable to work due to health conditions or other related issues.
While millions can claim Universal Credit assistance, not everyone is immediately eligible, as individuals must meet certain criteria before they can begin claiming. Prospective claimants must: Live in the UK, be aged 18 or over (with limited exceptions for 16 and 17 year olds), be under State Pension age, and have £16,000 or less in money, savings and investments.
Join our WhatsApp communities
ChronicleLive is now on WhatsApp and we want you to join our communities.
We have a number of communities to join, so you can choose which one you want to be part of and we'll send you the latest news direct to your phone. You could even join them all!
To join you need to have WhatsApp on your device. All you need to do is choose which community you want to join, click on the link and press 'join community'.
No one will be able to see who is signed up and no one can send messages except the ChronicleLive team.
We also treat our community members to special offers, promotions, and adverts from us and our partners.
If you don't like our community, you can check out any time you like. To leave our community click on the name at the top of your screen and choose 'exit group'.
If you’re curious, you can read our privacy notice.
Join the ChronicleLive Breaking News and Top Stories community
Join our Court & Crime community
Join the Things to do in Newcastle and the North East community
Join our Northumberland community
Join our County Durham community
Join our Great North Run community