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<\/p>\nOne man received \u00a3150,000 after checking his direct debits following Martin Lewis’ advice and discovering he had an unclaimed critical illness insurance policy<\/p>\n
Emilia Randall GAU Writer<\/p>\n
06:00, 18 Feb 2026<\/p>\n
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Following Martin’s simple instruction could earn you thousands(Image: Ken McKay\/ITV\/Shutterstock)<\/p>\n
One man shared the remarkable sum of money he received<\/a> after acting on a straightforward tip from money saving expert Martin Lewis<\/a>.<\/p>\n Danny said: “I just wanted to share my good fortune thanks to Martin. His advice was to check your Direct Debits <\/a>to make sure you need what you’re paying for.<\/p>\n “I reviewed a Scottish widows critical illness policy and found it covered me for a heart attack I’d had 10 years earlier.<\/p>\n “I phoned up and they were surprised how long it’d taken me to claim – I received a payment of \u00a3150k, including backdated interest. I can’t put into words how grateful I am for the prompt.”, reports the Express<\/a>.<\/p>\n Danny acted upon Martin’s straightforward guidance, which starts with examining what you’re being charged for.<\/p>\n 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.<\/p>\n Nevertheless, certain payments won’t appear in this category and will merely be recurring transactions. This demands slightly more investigation.<\/p>\n Danny was \u00a3150,000 better off after following one simple piece of advice(Image: Getty)<\/p>\n While some banks including Monzo, Revolut, Halifax, Lloyds and HSBC<\/a> 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.<\/p>\n The most effective approach is to carefully examine your transaction history. Here are some typical companies that frequently use recurring payments – AA, Amazon Prime<\/a>, Apple TV+, Audible, AutoAid, David Lloyd, Disney+, Dropbox, Giffgaff, HelloFresh, iD Mobile, Klarna, Microsoft Office, Mubi, Netflix<\/a>, Now, PureGym, RAC, Spotify, Virgin Active.<\/p>\n 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.<\/p>\n 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.<\/p>\n 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.<\/p>\n 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.<\/p>\n Martin Lewis spoke about a range of issues on his BBC podcast(Image: ITV)<\/p>\n 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.<\/p>\n It’s more likely to be insurance for white goods and mobile bills you’ve forgotten about.<\/p>\n![\"Retired](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/0_Retired-senior-man-counting-money.jpg\")
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