I'm going insane with worry

[Diamondsareforever123]

I just don't know where to turn. I'm a pensioner of 68. I get state pension and small work pension. Takes me just over limit for UC. I'm on about £14k a year. I live in a social housing flat. I can't afford the fuel bills at the moment and am terrified that from next April the lot will increase. That's rent, council tax, fuel, water rates - obviously food will increase. I'm not going to have enough money to cover all of this. I'm in my own. What in god's name am I going to do? I think I'll have to get a job but who is going to employ me now? I am in a major panic.

She has too much income to get pension credit. I know because I am in the same boat but fortunately my mortgage is paid off

Hi OP. I used the benefit calculator on Turn2us to get a rough idea of what help you may be entitled to.

I entered that you receive full state pension of £185.15pw, and private pension of £84.00, totalling your income which you stated was £14,000pa.

You said you live in a one bedroom property, I estimated the rent at £550, and council tax as band A.

With these figures, you would be entitled to housing benefit of £54.36pw, and council tax benefit of £6.25pw. Please ensure you contact your council to start a claim straight away. Depending on your council, you may be able to get it backdated for a short period.

When you claim, please also enquire about a Discretionary Housing Payment (DHP). This is issued at the discretion of the council, to aid those who are struggling with rent and council tax to pay amounts which are not covered by benefits.

I hope this is of some help, and wish you the very best of luck. 💐

I've just run a benefit calculator and on £14k per year, I think your contribution to rent should be £50 per week and the rest should be paid by housing benefit.

I forgot to add, as you are entitled to housing and council tax benefit, this will also make you eligible for any future cost of living payments for those on means tested benefits.

Sorry yes you’re right, I stupidly misread the OP’s income as £1400 (a month), not £14000 (a year). Currently my only income is the full state pension of £185.15 a week, which is £740.60 paid every four weeks, £9627.80 a year. Apologies, and thank you for picking it up.

How about poll clerk or count clerk for the local elections in May? My area are recruiting now.

It's very variable by area so may not apply where you are but some areas have availability in social housing for those over 50/55/60 even when there are long lists for younger people and families so it might be worth asking while looking at housing and CT benefit.

OP you shouldve just had the 2nd £300 cost of living allowance paid into your bank account, and the £150 help for Council tax, plus you'll get the Winter fuel payment as youre on Pension Credit.
There'll be similar help next year..
Please double check youve received everything youre entitled to, as well as the £66 monthly credit on your energy bills.

In the short term you could sign up for online website testing, surveys etc

There's a thread called £10/day I think in here which links to reputable sites. I don't do much but earned an extra £600 last year, so it may help a bit

You would not be able to claim Uc anyway as you are over state pension age. You need to ask for a benefit check- somewhere like Age uk can do this or CAB or you can do the Age uk calculator online. You may be eligible for some help with your rent through housing benefit and council tax . Most households are getting the £400 payment over 6 months credited to their electricity bill account and pensioners are getting an extra £200 winter fuel payment, so that's £600 worth of help for energy bills.

Housing benefit does not make you eligible for cost of living payments. Op would need to be eligible for pension credit to claim that.

You need to contact your local authority and make a claim for Housing Benefit and Council Tax Support. UC isn't applicable if you're pension age. You should be entitled to assistance if you don't have savings.

Just a thought but pet sitters are in great demand. Are you able to take in small dogs and/or cats for people on holiday, or do home visits to feed and care for pets whose owners are away or at work?

Or spend the night in the owners' homes, if you can't take the pet in? I am going away for a week in early December; my chihuahua is going to the sitters' home and it's costing me 650 plus extra for pickup and delivery. For one week!

My other pet sitter made 24k the year before Covid. Granted she was on the go constantly doing home visits and dog walking but at a lesser scale you could top up your income. People will spend money on their animals even as they tighten the pursestrings in other ways.

Child minding or after-school care might be another possibility for you, though I think the animals would be more fun. Parents always seem desperate for someone to do the school runs or just supervise pre-teens and early teens in the after-school hours.

Good luck to you!

Another vote for exam invigilator... my daughter did this during her gap year, and has been asked back after her uni exams each year. Makes £11 an hour, 4 to 7 hours a day for around 20 days. Tops up her income for one month's work.

In her gap year she covered Gcse, Alevel, mocks for gcse and A levels, autumn resits and any exams that might be used as proof for teacher awarded grades when covid was around.

They are desperate for people to help, she says most invigilators were retired because of the irregular nature of the hours.

My last job - in 2020 - was an English as a second language teacher. The school closed due to Covid.
Indeed often advertise for English tutors on an hourly salary basis.
Also, supply agencies could offer you online tutor roles.
Depending on how desperate you are, many schools are advertising now for exam invigilators (hourly rate, walking up and down so need to be mobile).

Hi all thanks for your comments. I have £1274 per month coming in. I have applied for pension credit, housing benefit - but they say I'm not entitled. I may be entitled to a CT discount of £18 a week. I have to apply to my local authority which I will do. I just didn't imagine the energy bills increasing at this collosal rate (well who did?). This is what's doing me financially. I get the present £66 from government and am on a fixed tariff until end of February 2023. After that the bill will increase and from April fuel increases again, this time with no help from government. This is what's driving me into a panic. I am really scared. I honestly don't think there's a lot of help for people in my position. But thanks for your help everyone.

And just to add I will receive the £500 energy fund for pensioners in December. I am grateful for that but I don't know how far it will go. I honestly don't understand how any ordinary people are going to pay these vast amounts - let alone me!

Hi OP, can you save the £66 you're not having to pay the enery co into a savings account and put the heating allowance in there as well? if you can afford to do that it's a bit of a buffer for next year.

I’m finding this discussion quite confusing. I receive a State pension and have no other income, but the pension includes a top-up of £50 a week, the title of which for the moment eludes me. So that’s £235.00 a week. I’m a local authority tenant, so when I qualified for my State pension I applied for housing benefit and council tax benefit which were accepted. The outcome was what I expected to pay towards both is that £50 a week, leaving me with the basic pension of £185 a week. Which I think is fair.

Every month when I receive my bank statement I can see that I’ve spent less than I have coming in. Including the winter fuel allowance and various other bits and pieces I have received over £1300. And I’m a smoker. I’m not panicing (yet).

Remember you will only pay for what you use, so you are in control of usage.Can you invest in a heated throw, this will massively reduce your bills.Can you subscribe to a community pantry? £20 worth of food for £4 near me. Services for older people are generally very good, in terms of social groups (warmth, company, free hot drinks and food) as are local churches and community groups. Ours do free home delivery of home cooked meals, sounds more expensive than cooking yourself, but you will save a load by not using your oven.Or weekly Sunday lunch clubs with transport there and back home again.Can you do subsidised exercise classes or use a local leisure centre? Free showers etc. Is your property a 1 bed? If not, you could bid for one to downsize and pay less rent etc.

but the pension includes a top-up of £50 a week, the title of which for the moment eludes me

Pension credit? OP is 68, which suggests that she's getting the flat rate pension, which IIRC means she doesn't qualify for pension credit. OP has also said that she doesn't qualify for housing benefit.

OP, are you eligible for the CT single person discount and are you receiving it?

I’d have thought £500 would go quite far for energy in a one bedroom flat? We’re a 4 bed detached and our combined energy bill is currently £250 and we’re quite high users of electric.

youll use a lot less than the average I’d have though so the £500 should cover most of your winter usage surely.

Yes pensioners not getting Pension credit end up worse off. they miss out on all the extras that go with pension credit like the generous cost of living payments, free TV license, dental costs paid etc.

OP are you good at English, spotting errors, writing etc? If so I could have a suggestion for you.

Wasn't the new flat rate pension supposed to mean that the extra amount replaced pension credit? PC is to make the pension amount up to what the flat rate pensioners get.

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