One man received £150,000 after checking his direct debits following Martin Lewis’ advice and discovering he had an unclaimed critical illness insurance policy
Emilia Randall GAU Writer
06:00, 18 Feb 2026
Following Martin’s simple instruction could earn you thousands(Image: Ken McKay/ITV/Shutterstock)
One man shared the remarkable sum of money he received after acting on a straightforward tip from money saving expert Martin Lewis.
Danny said: “I just wanted to share my good fortune thanks to Martin. His advice was to check your Direct Debits to make sure you need what you’re paying for.
“I reviewed a Scottish widows critical illness policy and found it covered me for a heart attack I’d had 10 years earlier.
“I phoned up and they were surprised how long it’d taken me to claim – I received a payment of £150k, including backdated interest. I can’t put into words how grateful I am for the prompt.”, reports the Express.
Danny acted upon Martin’s straightforward guidance, which starts with examining what you’re being charged for.
By accessing your online banking portal or application, you should be able to view your standing orders or direct debits (DDs) displayed, according to Martin Lewis.
Nevertheless, certain payments won’t appear in this category and will merely be recurring transactions. This demands slightly more investigation.
Danny was £150,000 better off after following one simple piece of advice(Image: Getty)
While some banks including Monzo, Revolut, Halifax, Lloyds and HSBC feature a section labelled ‘subscriptions’ or ‘scheduled payments’ – not every bank offers this. Similarly, even if your bank provides one of these sections, some transactions can still go unnoticed.
The most effective approach is to carefully examine your transaction history. Here are some typical companies that frequently use recurring payments – AA, Amazon Prime, Apple TV+, Audible, AutoAid, David Lloyd, Disney+, Dropbox, Giffgaff, HelloFresh, iD Mobile, Klarna, Microsoft Office, Mubi, Netflix, Now, PureGym, RAC, Spotify, Virgin Active.
If you’re paying for something you don’t require – now is the moment to cancel it. Question whether it’s worthwhile, whether you can afford it and whether you’ll actually use it.
However, before taking action, always verify you’re out of contract and there’s no cancellation charge. The most reliable way to do this is to contact the company directly.
Utilise comparison websites or tools such as Martin Lewis’ Cheap Broadband Finder, Cheap Mobile Finder, Cheap Energy Club and 0% credit card eligibility to determine if you can reduce your expenses.
You can straightforwardly cancel direct debits and standing orders through your bank – however with recurring payments it’s often simpler to cancel through the company itself. Nevertheless, you have a legal right to stop the payments through your bank if you’re experiencing difficulties.
Martin Lewis spoke about a range of issues on his BBC podcast(Image: ITV)
With this in mind, you can occasionally find yourself in a situation like Danny’s and recover substantial amounts of cash. But sometimes smaller sums can come your way too.
It’s more likely to be insurance for white goods and mobile bills you’ve forgotten about.
Avoiding paying these is always preferable, but if you do discover you’ve been paying for something you shouldn’t have, you can politely request your money back.
One man, Joshua, explained: “My partner recently moved in and I helped her review her bills and subscriptions. I noted an odd £19/mth recurring payment since 2020, which she didn’t know what it was for.
“My partner’s dyslexic and didn’t realise she’d signed up to a cashback site subscription from a pop-up. I read your article on their ban (see Complete Savings ads banned) and politely contacted the customer service team. I explained the circumstances, and they agreed to refund all payments back to 2020 – over £850 refunded. Thanks.”
The exception applies to regulated financial products such as insurance, where there’s an argument that firms have a responsibility to offer regular suitability checks.
If a company hasn’t done so, it has a ‘Consumer Duty’ to refund. Should the firm disagree, you can lodge a formal complaint with the Financial Ombudsman.