'I tried Martin Lewis' two-minute tip and received £154 in days'

Like many Brits, Martin Lewis has become somewhat of a Messiah in our household. The has become a crucial tool for many of us, especially as the full wrath of 'Awful April' starts to kick in.

With, another hike to the TV Licence, increased road tax and , deciphering what to do with your money, how to get the best deals, and working out what benefits you're eligible to claim can feel impossible. Martin and his MSE experts have helped fill the void when it comes to being savvy and managing your finances.

Swathes of Brits have reached out to the expert, explaining how his simple advice had helped them out financially - from embarking on the to . It's no surprise avid fans are constantly calling for Martin to be the next Chancellor of the Exchequer.

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Like thousands of unlucky Brits, I was one of many who were stung by spiralling tuition fees during the Conservative and Liberal Democrats coalition in 2012. It cost a staggering £9,000 a year for me to study journalism by the time I was old enough to attend university - and has left me with an ever-growing debt that's now exceeded £50,000.

Back in 2023, I took a career break to go travelling - and when I came back on stumbled on Martin Lewis' eponymously TV show, which just happened to be focused on student loans. The expert revealed that in the 2023-2024 tax year - a staggering one million university leavers overpaid their student loans.

I had seen my student loan come out of my monthly pay check, but because I stopped earning altogether to venture to the other side of the world - I wondered if I had also accidentally overpaid. Straight away, I signed into my student loan (ignoring the mass scale of my debt) and requested a refund with a few clicks of a button. There's no need to try and work out all of the calculations or tell the government how much they owe you - all of that is done for you.

I received an instant email from the Students Loan Company, who said the request was being processed. "We'll let you know whether it has been accepted and how much you'll get," it read. "It can take up to 28 days for this to happen." A few days later and a refund of £154 was issued to my bank. Cheers, Martin.

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While overpaying a loan tends to be a good thing, it's a little more complicated with student loans. This is because they wipe after 30 years if they haven't been fully paid off.

"Many are on Plan 2 loans (eg 2012 to 2022 uni starters from England), with its current 7.3 per cent interest rate," Martin said last year. "So on the surface overpaying may look a good idea.

"However, the Govt's own stats show more than three-quarters of people won't clear these loans in full before they wipe after 30 years. If so, overpaying these smaller amounts won't usually actually reduce what you will pay in future, so you don't gain by overpaying (the very highest earners who will clear the loans in time will gain) – so you may as well get that money back."

Should I be repaying my Student Loan?

You only have to start repaying your student loan when your income is over the threshold for your repayment plan - unless you make voluntary payments to clear the debt. This depends on when you went to university and where in the UK you live.

According to GOV UK, if you have a Plan 1 student loan, you'll only repay when your income is over £501 a week, £2,172 a month or £26,065 a year. The threshold is slightly higher for Plan 2 (£547 a week, £2,372 a month or £28,470 a year) and even more generous for Plan 4 (£629 a week, £2,728 a month or £32,745 a year.

"If you have a Plan 5 student loan, you'll only repay when your income is over £480 a week, £2,083 a month or £25,000 a year," GOV UK added. "If you took out a Master's Loan or a Doctoral Loan, you'll only repay when your income is over £403 a week, £1,750 a month or £21,000 a year."

You can . To claim a refund, you'll need to.

Has a Martin Lewis trick helped you claim money back? Email liam.gilliver@reachplc.com for a chance to share your story