Pensioner can't afford to heat house

[doozeldog]

My mum is a pensioner and receives state pension, doesn’t get any other money from anywhere else, her house is old and very hard to heat, she has a pre pay metre and it’s killing her to keep putting 20 quid in every 4ish days, she has it on first thing and befor bed for only a hour or so. i found out last week that she went a week without gas because she didn’t have any money! She doesn’t waste money but the council tax is a lot around where she lives so it’s a big mount taken out of pension strait away. Does anybody know if there is anything she can claim?

Is she getting the winter fuel allowance

www.gov.uk/winter-fuel-payment/how-to-claim

Can she get the meter changed? Pre pay is the most expensive way to pay & you can’t spread the cost

Surely someone on just state pension should get other help. I don't know what but pension credit? Council tax discount/benefit? Winter fuel allowance?

Does she own or rent , if it’s the former perhaps she should look at selling and moving to somewhere that’s cheaper to run . Check that she is getting all the benefits she is entitled to , ie single occupancy on council tax etc .

Can she get a old style paraffin heater

Yes winter fuel allowance. My dad gets this and it really helps.
Also have a look at pension credit as pp stated.

She needs a benefits check from age UK in your area.
She should be getting pension credit if she only has state pension. Also is she not entitled to council tax benefit?

She should be entitled to pension credit as well. Possibly other benefits on top.

There are also fuel deals for pensioners. If she's not in debt I don't think she'd have to pay to swap her meters.

Finally, does she have to live there? Can she move to a more economical property?

If only on basic state pension then she should look into pension credit. There may also be grants available for more insulation etc.

Does she have a open fireplace in her home?

In addition to extra money sources what about:

• reflective panels behind radiators
• draught proofing doors/windows with foam/sealant/the thermal film for window panes/draught excluders

-keeping curtains open during sunny periods and closed when dark -adding thermal lining to curtains -keeping internal doors closed -only heating the room she's in

• heated blanket/throw/hot water bottle

If she's in rented accommodation she will be entitled to housing benefit. She will also be entitled to council tax support. She needs to apply for these through her local council

Firstly can you put your mum on the cheapest tarif using one of the comparison websites. Unless she owes money she should get a normal meter. Secondly if she's just on a basic pension she should get pension credit which then entitled her to other benefits. My mum gets this despite having a small pension from work.

My mum gets a reduced state pension and receives pension credit to top it up. If your mum qualifies for pension credit it should passport her to max council tax support and housing benefit - my mum doesn't have to pay anything towards council tax or rent. She also gets £140 warm home grant and £200 winter fuel allowance. My mum also gets PIP for disabilities, if your mum has any health problems she could look into applying (or attendance allowance if over 65). She got her boiler replaced for free last year as well so it's more energy efficient now.

Also could you maybe treat her to a plug in electric throw as they are awesome and don't cost much to run. Make sure she also has water bottles or, safer, heatable microwave things.

Can she improve her insulation? Cavity wall and loft insulation etc? New boiler? There are lots of grants available so she might be able to get these free or very reduced cost.

Is downsizing possible if she owns? Would save on all her bills. Or move somewhere cheaper if rented.

Alternatively, if she doesn't want to move, would a lifetime mortgage be appropriate if she owns the house? May seem a drastic solution but depending on her age and her attachment to the property, it might make sense if it will allow her to stay there and live a bit more comfortably. But she should take independent advice on this.

Everything PP has said, but also
Has she got a single person discount on the council tax?

If she's only getting state pension she'll be entitled to council tax support (if in England).

There's a 3 month pensioner take on (back date).

If she owns and doesn't want to move she should consider equity release and spend the money improving her house. Or downsize if you can persuade her. If she rents I'd speak to the landlord about Windows etc see what can be done or encourage her to move what an awful situation.

Lice Chocolate said, Age UK for a benefits check and to see what else there is around. EG one of our local councils is doing a free energy checkup which links to home improvements grants if necessary.

This annoys me that pre pay/ energy tariffs are so fucking expensive. My mum was to proud to ask for help and we nearly lost her two years ago through pneumonia and multiple organ failure. We had to get the police to break in as I'm 500 miles away unfortunately and they found her collapsed on the floor. She was in a coma for two months. She's only just improving now. Please get Age UK to help her claim what she is owed. My mum is better off by £200 pm now thanks to their help

Your Mum is entitled to a lot of help.

Phone Age Concern and ask to meet them with your mum.