Money expert Martin Lewis is warning households to avoid being slapped with £100 fines for a prescription mistake.

Returning on the latest episode of The Martin Lewis Show Live on ITV1 on Tuesday, Martin issued a warning to those who are being migrated from tax credits to Universal Credit which has led to £100 fines for simply ticking the wrong box on prescription forms.

The DWP is gradually moving people from various benefits over to Universal Credit, which as the name implies, is intended to become the catch-all benefit replacing various other welfare payments.

Many people who were claiming tax credits have been moved over to Universal Credit, but a difference in the eligibility for free prescriptions in England has seen some claimants unknowingly fall foul of a prescriptions rule that’s led to £100 fines.

Speaking on the ITV show, Martin Lewis said: “A warning if you move from tax credits to Universal Credit. Do not assume you get free prescriptions (in England that is) and dental.

“The Universal Credit income threshold for these is lower than under tax credits, and remember with Universal Credit, your eligibility is deemed by a monthly assessment, with tax credits it’s an annual assessment and that can change and shake things up too.

“Now this is what happens, many who were on tax credits, they get to the box at the dentist or prescriptions and they just tick the tax credits, Jobseekers Allowance or Universal Credit boxes.

“Then, they get sent a letter saying ‘can you check that you’re really eligible’ because they don’t realise the threshold is different, they don’t do that, and then it’s an up to £100 fine for those people that they don’t realise are doing anything wrong, and there has been a huge increase in fines on this in the last year or two which is why I’m doing the story on this.

“I’m also talking to the government because I don’t believe its forms are clear enough to tell those people, who aren’t trying to do something wrong, ‘by the way you’re not entitled to free prescriptions any more, you’re not entitled to free dentistry’.

“If that’s you, protect yourself and go check if you are eligible.”

The Martin Lewis Money Show Live, Tuesday March 17 episode is still available to watch via ITVX.