Is living on the state pension really that bad?

The area in which you live, the facilities and shops, libraries, clubs and transport links not to mention easy access to healthcare have (I believe) much more of an effect on your general well being as you age.
To live somewhere remote without a shop or anywhere to socialise if you can no longer drive would be severely limiting and cost a fortune in taxis.
My retired friend has moved to a village where the bus route and shop closed down after 2 months of her moving there.

Then there's those who have had children in their 40's, which means you may need to still support your child

If your child is almost 30 there is no need to support them. Prioritise your own old age. Not selfish but sensible. Kids who refuse to to act like adults are destroying their parents lives.

An option might be equity release. An amount enough to sort the roof, so he can continue to live there in comfort.

Doable, just. And then the oven/frig/boiler needs to be fixed/replaced.

You can live on the State Pension as long as everything is trouble free. It’s not so simple when you need to replace appliances, maintain a vehicle or need costly house repairs.
All fine if you have substantial savings but life can become very difficult very quickly if you haven’t.

unfortunately not; it’s state pension age most places

it’s not that, but the pension was intended to give us the means to survive when we couldn’t work. Everything else is over to us.

You'll get your rent paid. There might be new build, over 55 housing, available. That puts housing costs down. Too much private pension and it just means less housing benefit.

I don't see struggling pensioners, I'm not saying there aren't any, but there's enough free lunch, events etc schemes, free bus pass, that they get out and about and can afford a Spain holiday. Most pensioners don't want the holidays that posters think they will. Cruises are expensive, of course. It's a matter of luck what's available in your area. Then there's those who have had children in their 40's, which means you may need to still support your child. The advantage of always being poor, means you aren't used to shopping at Hobbs and holidaying in the Maldives. So you can get by.

It does with a bus pass if you're over 60.

Anywhere in England? I get free travel in London, but free travel doesn’t go everywhere.🤷‍♀️.

You need to consider if you have savings.

We've never had dental insurance because on balance it's been better value to pay for anything and we can afford to.

However, if you want to use a private dentist the fees are high- this year we have paid over £500 in one month for small fillings, a re-filling and hygienists.

We can afford this but if you're on a low budge you need to factor this in too.

I have to admit I agree with this. Pensions are the highest welfare spending in the country. The state pension is unsustainable. Makes sense to transition to a time where people are made to save up for their own retirement with private pensions. People actually work and make a plan to have savings in the future.

Dentist,
hairdresser,
optician,
podiatrist

@Charlize43 The UK particularly in the northern regions and especially Scotland are not particularly warm countries.

My dad lives on his state pension. Owns a house and still drives. His house needs a new roof really and there is no way he can afford that. He’d 90 and in very good health, but not good enough to do the roof himself anymore. There is very little left over and as a tradesman wasn’t in the right environment to consider private pensions. He also feels the cold so heating is a worry.

If you’ve always lived off benefits youll be fine as your used to penny pinching. If you’ve lived a luxurious lifestyle then it will be difficult.

These are all cold countries that require a lot of heating in winter.

Do you have any sunny climes?

The issue is non home ownership. In this scenario it.might be worth using the TFLS of your pension for a house deposit?

Top ranking European pensions - shown in euros
1 Iceland 35,959
2 Luxembourg 31,835
3 Norway 30,879
4 Denmark 30,211
5 Switzerland 27,010

Way down the list is UK £11,973

Even though you've paid off your mortgage your house will still need running repairs as time passes. These can be pretty expensive. Things wear out.

I think it is dependent on the kind of life you're used to. If you've got by on minimum wage all your life, state pension will probably be fine for you. If your used to a six figure salary and spending that on luxuries then there would be quite a decline in your quality of life if you were to live off a state pension.

This all seems rather pointless when the OP has never returned.

Throwing out a question but not coming back to give more context etc.

You do wonder why.

You can’t count on there always being two of you to cover expenses tho. My DH developed cancer and died within 18 months so I have to cover everything myself now.

I wouldn’t be able to manage on £250, I guess if there’s 2 of you it maybe easier living off £500 a week but I am in my own and will likely stay that way. I do pay into a private pension but I am not sure that’s really going to benefit me as it’s not a huge amount (hopefully I can increase it at some point).

I don’t own my own home so will need to pay rent and all my bills. I don’t want to be living in Tesco value beans in my retirement 😬.

yes - this - it's the unknowns. I have state pension plus around £400 a month from a teacher's pension. I worked out I would be OK if I then top it up annually from savings - ie from the proceeds of my downsizing from family house to 2 bed house. I reckoned I could get to 80 (if live that long) before having to sell this house to move into a retirement flat.

Then comes the need to get a roof repaired, a simple rewiring which turns out to be not that simple, car needing a new clutch, NHS dentist closing and suddenly having to go private and need a lot of work doing or be toothless at the front... all in the same year. I got through two years of my "top up budget" in less than one. My car is 12 yrs old - when it reaches the point that it becomes a money pit I will have to go without.

I've had two holidays in the last 15yrs, haven't been out for a meal since November, which is OK, I choose to spend money on other things, but I have to be realistic and accept that the "little flat" might be closer than I thought.

You spend a lot of time in your 20's and 30's working towards things being a bit better, better house, car, job, salary, savings.... once you are retired on limited income it becomes about managing dwindling resources not trying to build them up.