A MARTIN Lewis fan has revealed how they managed to get an extra £2,200 a month in benefits thanks to a clever tip.
Jill revealed how she found out that she was entitled to the extra cash by using MoneySavingExpert‘s (MSE) benefits eligibility checker.
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It comes after she read an article by Martin Lewis, which explained the importance of checking if you can claim benefits.
The mother-of-two found out that she could claim £2,200 extra a month, allowing her to work extra hours and spend more time caring for her disabled children.
Writing in the latest MSE newsletter, Jill said: “I’m able to work fewer hours and give my children the support they desperately need.
“Family life now is completely different from how it was a year ago.”
Millions of households are eligible for potentially thousands of pounds a year in benefits and aren’t claiming.
The calculator, which Jill used, was built for MSE by benefits specialists EntitledTo.
You can use the tool to find out whether you’re in line for help from the government, and it should only take around ten minutes.
You can find the tool by going on MoneySavingExpert.com or EntitledTo’s website.
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You’ll need some personal details to hand though, including information on savings, income, pensions and any benefits you are already on.
Also, bear in mind the calculator isn’t 100% accurate, although it will give you a rough idea of what you could get.
Who can get benefits?
You can apply for benefits if you’re out of work, but also if you’re employed.
Around 40% of people on Universal Credit are in work.
But eligibility criteria for all the different types can be complex.
That’s why using benefits calculators are so handy as they do most of the work for you.
There are dozens of different benefits you can apply for if you live in UK.
They’re roughly split into four groups: families, work, low income and health/elderly.
If you need help supporting a family, if you’re a parent say, you can get:
- child benefit
- child tax credits
- maternity/paternity or adoption pay
- marriage allowance
- maternity grants
- maternity allowance
- widowed parent’s allowance
- Scottish child payment
If you’re in work or you’re looking for work you can get working tax credit or jobseeker’s allowance.
If you’re on a low income you can get:
- income support
- income-based jobseeker’s allowance
- income-based employment and support allowance
- pension credit
- housing benefit
- council tax reduction
- free school meals
- support for mortgage interest
- budgeting loans and advances
- funeral payments
- council support schemes
- cold weather payments
If you are ill, disabled or elderly and need help, you can get:
- attendance allowance
- personal independence payment
- carer’s allowance
- new-style employment and support allowance
- sick pay
- state pension
- bereavement support payment
- winter fuel payments
Beyond using a benefits calculator, there are a number of free services available to you if you want to find out what you could be eligible for.
Organisations like Citizens Advice often have branches in most major towns or cities and can offer you free advice.
Plus, charities like Turn2Us can help you get access to benefits if you think you’re entitled to them.
Meanwhile, we reveal the full list of benefits NOT rising in April – and the help you can get instead.
Do you have a money problem that needs sorting? Get in touch by emailing [email protected]
This post first appeared on thesun.co.uk
