Martin Lewis says anyone earning under £35,000 a year could get £6k Universal Credit

Martin Lewis has issued an urgent alert for people in the UK earning less than £35,000 per year, as they could be eligible for a payout worth nearly £6,000. The financial advice guru is on a mission to ensure that workers are aware the financial assistance they could receive from the government, if any, with Universal Credit offering a vital lifeline for those earning less than the national average, or right on the line.

According to the MSE founder, 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 Mr Lewis has warned that median earners are not the only ones missing out.

MoneySavingExpert, the comparison site founded he founded in 2003, states workers 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 money site also cautions individuals on similar or lower incomes might be missing out on other benefits, both means-tested and otherwise.

Speaking on Good Morning Britain previously he has said: "Let’s start with Universal Credit 1.25 million people missing out on an average of around 9600 pounds a year. Who should be checking if they’re entitled to these benefits?

"OK, so universal credit is the catch-all benefit for people of working age to help with living and housing. Now, the crucial thing to understand here is this is not just for people out of work. 41% of universal credit applicants are people who get universal credit are in work;

"But you could be income stretching up to £40,000 a year of family income. If you’ve got Children and you’re paying for childcare and you’re paying for rent, you could still be entitled to universal credit. So that’s my rule of thumb family income below 40 grand.

"Get yourself on an online benefits calculator. It will take about 10 minutes. Put your details in and see if you’re entitled to this. And even if you checked a year ago because the thresholds went up in April. There are a few people not too many, but a few people who are now eligible who weren’t eligible before."

It's estimated 2.25 million people are not claiming £1,500 of Council Tax support per year, and approximately 530,000 people are missing out on £4,250 of Carer's Allowance.

Who is eligible for Universal Credit?

Those entitled to these benefit payments are typically either out of work, working (including self-employed or part-time), or 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. Use the government's Universal Credit calculator by clicking here.