60 year old widow needs some advice to survive

jayk

OP I do hope you are able to take up some of the very good and helpful advice given by so many posters who have taken the trouble and time to try to offer support and suggestions.

Your comment that you do not tell the water board what to charge- I have found they can be helpful and if they dont know its causing hardship then they cant help you.

Poppie68

The water bill is shocking...We have a 5 bedroom house with 5 of us living here and pay £55.60 per month, thats only £2 more than the OP. I would seriously be looking into it, does the LL bill you this or the Utility company?

jo011e2470

Bexause of your age you should be able to claim Pension Credits which are around £130 If you total income is £92 per week and you have no savings over £6,000 you should qualify and should receive £38 per week

Bogof_Babe

jo011e2470 wrote: »

Bexause of your age you should be able to claim Pension Credits which are around £130 If you total income is £92 per week and you have no savings over £6,000 you should qualify and should receive £38 per week

Not until she reaches state pension age. In the OP's case this is two years away.

newbutold

pmlindyloo wrote: »

Have you checked this recently?

Who is your water authority?

Unless your tenancy agreement is for less than 6 months you do not need your landlord's permission.

Not necessarily true. United utilities (Manchester's water board) for example, require you to get permission from your landlord before they will fit a water meter. This includes Housing Assocation tenants.

Takeaway_Addict

jo011e2470 wrote: »

Bexause of your age you should be able to claim Pension Credits which are around £130 If you total income is £92 per week and you have no savings over £6,000 you should qualify and should receive £38 per week

Bogof_Babe wrote: »

Not until she reaches state pension age. In the OP's case this is two years away.

Isn't this the 4th time this thread that someone has tried to make this point.......?

Bogof_Babe

Takeaway_Addict wrote: »

Isn't this the 4th time this thread that someone has tried to make this point.......?

Yes but I'm assuming some people aren't reading the whole thing by this stage .

pmlindyloo

newbutold wrote: »

Not necessarily true. United utilities (Manchester's water board) for example, require you to get permission from your landlord before they will fit a water meter. This includes Housing Assocation tenants.

That is because they fit the meter inside the house - new technology!


The OP needs to check with her water authority.


Not sure how many water authorities do this.


Even if this happens in the OP's authority I feel she should be negotiating with her landlord to get one fitted - her water bill is horrendous. Seems very unfair of her LL not to allow this.

Dunroamin

Poppie68 wrote: »

The water bill is shocking...We have a 5 bedroom house with 5 of us living here and pay £55.60 per month, thats only £2 more than the OP. I would seriously be looking into it, does the LL bill you this or the Utility company?

Perhaps the OP is paying off arrears?

poet123

Possibly, but water rates do seem to vary enormously, our is £62 pcm, oop north!! Where we get most rain.