Money Saving Expert Martin Lewis has advised any household with an annual income of less than £30,000 to spend ten minutes on a benefit calculator to see what they are entitled to, as reported in the Manchester Evening News. Speaking in a hour-long episode of The Martin Lewis Money Show, the ITV presenter predicted that the cost of living crisis is going to prove particularly challenging for those who fall in that bracket, which it is estimated that half of the UK's population do with £30,800 the country's median household income in 2020, according to GoSimpleTax.
“If you have an income of less than £30,000 and you are struggling, it is worth spending ten minutes on a benefits calculator to see what you are entitled to,” Lewis reasoned. Other tips offered by Lewis included investing in an annual prescription certificate for £108 if you currently pay for more than 12 prescriptions a year.
The time to make that switch is now, too, with the price of an individual prescription expected to rise from £9.35 on April 1. Lewis went on to advise anybody feeling the pinch to not be tempted by buy now, pay later offers. I am very concerned about buy now, pay later," he said. “It is a debt even if it is debt free. If you cannot pay it back, it’s difficult.”
The benefits calculator can be found here.
For more stories from where you live, visit InYourArea.
