Martin Lewis has revealed many people across the UK are owed hundreds of pounds from energy providers, the taxman and student loan companies, which they may not be aware of. Speaking on his ITV programme, The Martin Lewis Money Show, the money saving expert explained exactly how viewers can find out if they're eligible and reclaim the money – giving their income a boost! Read on to discover what hidden cash payouts you could be eligible for…
Married couples or civil partners could be owed £900
Married couples and civil partners have been entitled to marriage tax allowance since April 2015. The scheme lets couples transfer some of their tax allowance between each other, where one person works and the other does not. The value is worth £268 this year but you can claim back for the past three years. Visit gov.uk/marriage-allowance to see more details and find out more details.
Claim cash back on your energy bills
If you pay your energy bills by direct debit, you should be in debt to your energy. However, if you have been overpaying and are in credit on your account, you are entitled to claim that money back, as Ofgem rules mean customers are entitled to any refunds on credit as long as up-to-date meter readings have been provided.
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Recoup overpayments on student loans
Graduated in the last 20 years? You may be owed hundreds of pounds from the student loans companies. This is because you're only meant to start paying your loan in the April after graduation and then only as long as you meet the payment threshold. But MoneySavingExpert found that more than 100,000 people started paying back their loans too early in the last three years alone, so many more graduates may also have the same problem.
If you started paying off your loan before it was due, you could be entitled to claim back hundreds. You can find out by ringing the Student Loans Company on 0300 100 0611 and say you would like to check if you started paying back your loan before the April following your graduation, and ask to claim back the money you may have overpaid.
Get money back if you wear a uniform or specific work clothing
If you wear a uniform to work which you own yourself and wash at home, you are entitled to a uniform tax break. This would cover anything from a police uniform to a T-shirt with a logo on it, and you can get six years' worth of uniforms back dated. Check if you can claim at gov.uk/tax-relief-for-employees.
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Claim a £54 refund for legal fees
The Ministry of Justice has said that hundreds of thousands of people in England and Wales are due a refund because they were overcharged when seeking a lasting power of attorney. The Office of the Public Guardian isn't allowed to make a profit from this work, but didn't reduce its prices after finding cheaper ways to grant powers of attorney, so Martin says that anyone who signed up from 1 April 2013 to 31 March 2017 was overcharged. To get more details visit gov.uk/power-of-attorney-refund.
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