Martin Lewis left with ‘tears in eyes’ over letter from fan who received £34K back pay

GMB host Martin Lewis had ‘tears in his eyes’ while reading out an emotional letter from a viewer who followed his advice.

The Money Saving Expert shared the news on Good Morning Britain, on Wednesday July 19th, as he hosted the ITV daytime show with Susanna Reid.

Lewis admitted his eyes welled-up as he read the message on Tuesday night from an anonymous fan who followed his advice about widowers allowance.

Lewis, a finance journalist, fronts ‘Wallet Wednesday’ on the show where he shares his top tips for financially struggling viewers.

On the segment he asked co-host Reid if he could ‘do an aside’ after noting Wallet Wednesday always falls on the day new inflation figures are released. “I’ll be honest, I had some tears in my eyes last night — I’ve had a stressful couple of weeks and I got a lovely message,” he said.

Reid asked: “Are you the cost of living crisis hero in action?”

“No, no — this is something else,” Lewis replied. 

He read the message he received in May as he continued: “Someone says they regularly watch my show and [told me], ‘In 2015, I was sadly and suddenly widowed at the age of 38.

“I was unable to claim widowed parents allowance due to not actually being married to my long-term partner and received little help from the government to then bring up our three children’.”

He explained that the woman got in touch with him in May to ask for information and advice about a change in the law that now allows claims from unmarried widowed parents. 

Lewis’ Money Saving Expert site notes it’s worth applying for the allowance to have applications back dated.

He read the letter out on air which said: “Today I received a letter from DWP, I have been awarded £34,000 in back dated money and that’s in my account already. 

“I cannot explain what this means to me — I cried for an hour and just had to get in touch. My kids are grown up now and I am able to help them with their own struggles and housing.”

Lewis went on to explain to viewers how the money was awarded to the woman, saying: “If you know someone who has someone since 2001 and is a parent with young children, they may be able to claim something even if they weren’t married.

“It runs out in February next year. This wasn’t on the agenda to talk about this morning but I had to talk about it. Spread the word people!”

Reid then applauded her co-host for his helpful advice. “Not all heroes wear capes, some don’t even wear ties,” she said as she poked fun at his laidback style as host on the show. He cheekily replied: “Hey, I shaved my face for you last night!”

Bereavement benefits are cash payments that are designed to help reduce the financial impact of losing a partner and are available UK wide. Until recently, the payments were only available to people who were married or in a civil partnership. 

However, a landmark change in the law in February this year means that cohabiting parents who are bereaved are also now eligible for help.

For a limited time this claim can be backdated to 2001. You need to apply by February 8th 2024 when it expires, according to the Money Saving Expert website.