Martin Lewis has urged unmarried couples living together across the UK to take action by having an “unpleasant” chat.

The MoneySavingExpert founder encouraged ITV viewers during the latest Martin Lewis Money Show Live to start the conversation and have arrangements in place.

The cash-saving guru prompted couples to protect themselves from the “3Ds: death, divorce and dementia”.

Earlier this week, Martin explained: “If you die without a will, it is the state - not you - who decides where your assets go.

UK couples living together urged to consider wills by Martin Lewis

“It’s called the intestacy rules and they are complex and they vary by UK nations,” the personal finance expert continued.

If you're married or in a civil partnership, it is “especially important”to consider a will, he explained.

The broadcaster said: “If you’re cohabiting and you’ve lived together for 20 years and you’ve got 17 children - that doesn’t matter in the eyes of the law.

“You would not get anything without a will. So it’s even more important in those situations.

“I’d also suggest you consider a cohabitation agreement of what happens if you were to split up if you’re not married.”

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It comes after a warning in his MoneySavingExpert newsletter where he explained that under inheritance law, people could lose out on their home and other assets they were expecting to inherit if they are not married or in a civil partnership.

He said: “The financial and emotional cost to loved ones of ignoring this can be dire.

“So whether with parents or children, I'd encourage you to have the 'unpleasant issues' chat.”

More information and advice from Martin Lewis can be found on the Martin Lewis website.