60 year old widow needs some advice to survive

PasturesNew

For food .... if you look around for local Age Concern or church groups that provide lunches to the elderly in a club setting.... volunteer for that and you'd probably get a free dinner.

Dunroamin

As you have recent experience of working as a housekeeper it might be worth your while looking in The Lady for residential work of this type.

http://www.lady.co.uk/home/classifieds/25-jobs/26-domestic-uk

Dunroamin

challfour wrote: »

Disgusting!!!!

You have two options, reduce your overheads or increase your income.

To my way of thinking, I would first of all be looking at where you are at the moment with your income and what it will be when you reach retirement age.

When will you be able to collect your state pension?
Being 60 now, I would think very shortly.

Are you physically fit and well able to look after yourself and get around normally?

At the moment you are limited with what extra you can claim.

if you have any health problems/difficulties you can claim DLA AgeUK or CAB can help fill out the forms with you.

Quite honestly if I was you I would be looking to screw as much as I could get out of the benefit system given your age and circumstances..

When you reach retirement age - 61 at the moment I think you can claim Pension Credit. Do you have savings in excess of £10,000?
If not then Pension Credit says that you are guaranteed a minimum weekly income of £142.70 a week. If your income is less than this they will top it up. With Guaranteed Pension Credit you will get maximum Housing Benefit & Council Tax Benefit.

Now back to DLA. If you have problems or difficulties, you must make your GP aware of them. Not only that they can help you, but it will be important that if you do make a claim, the DWP will ask your GP for a medical report.

You would be looking to claim for Middle Rate or Higher Rate of Care.
Get the Middle Rate your current weekly income will go up by at least another £51.85. Once you get to retirement age the Guaranteed Pension Credit will, with DLA see a minimum weekly income of £200.90 plus the DLA payment of £51.85 + max benefit for rent and council tax.

So first things first (1) work out your retirement age &
(2) think about DLA


Beween now and retirement date you will have to struggle through unfortunately - but get planning!!!
Ask the council for the Discretionary HB

What on earth gives you the idea that the OP is disabled?

oliveoil99

starrystarry wrote: »

By the sounds of things there isn't anything else you're entitled to but the good folk on here will come up with loads of good advice re increasing your income if you give them a chance.

Angelsmomma's suggestion was a good one. Or could you take on a paper round?

Have asked HB about P/Time work unless I can get 16yrs and claim WTC my HB and CT will be reduced by 85p in every pound so would earn 15p I have done no end of charity work in the past that will be my best bet now.

oliveoil99

pmlindyloo wrote: »

Water rates £52 per month? Seems very high?

Are you on a water meter?

Just trying to help here. If there's no way of increasing your income then we need to look at lowering your expenditure.

I also thought the cleaning idea was a really good one. An advert in your local free newspaper/local shop may bring some clients.

Do you have any particular interests/skills that you could make money from?

The land/lord said the next tenant might be a family and not want a meter and as he is elderly doesn't like any change. Have the the postcard in the shops they grew cobwebs on them.

oliveoil99

challfour wrote: »

I know nothing was said by the poster, but the poster probably doesn't know anything about DLA. So isn't it wise to mention it just on the off chance? You never know the poster might well have problems but sees them as 'normal' for her age.

In my opinion when somebody like this asks questions about increasing income - all avenues should be looked at or do you think it wrong to tell people everything so that they have knowledge. The poster has probably never heard of DLA or AA or any other benefit that she might just fit the criteria for.

Personally I think everybody should be given a booklet, updated on a yearly basis of every benefit that is available, what you have to do to claim it and what criteria there is that would enable an award to be ma
I'm an intelligent person and I have only found out what I can claim for, some benefits I could have had years ago but through ignorance didn't know they existed.

I have medical problems but kept under control with medication nothing that disables me so would never even think of claiming a benefit for it.

oliveoil99

Dunroamin wrote: »

If you live in a poor area, I'm surprised your rent's so high.

Have you had a pension forecast to see how much you'll receive when it becomes payable?

Nothing to do with the area that's what the rent is as I said if you read my post was living here with my daughter and not claiming HB it was only with a change of circumstances when my
daughter left at age 29 thought she would be with me forever.
Yes I have had my forecast have full state-pension from my own contribution.

starrystarry

challfour wrote: »

I know nothing was said by the poster, but the poster probably doesn't know anything about DLA. So isn't it wise to mention it just on the off chance? You never know the poster might well have problems but sees them as 'normal' for her age.

In my opinion when somebody like this asks questions about increasing income - all avenues should be looked at or do you think it wrong to tell people everything so that they have knowledge. The poster has probably never heard of DLA or AA or any other benefit that she might just fit the criteria for.

Now you're assuming she's never heard of DLA. I suppose she's losing her mental abilities as well now that she's reached such an advanced age. Lord alone knows how she manages to use a computer.

oliveoil99

Dunroamin wrote: »

While I have every sympathy with your situation, claiming more benefits would be no more standing on your own two feet than taking money from your daughter.

I think that the domestic cleaning is the best idea unless you fancy doing something self employed, like Avon.

I don't see it in my world as taking money from my daughter in my world helping your family out when needed is the norm as I would do the same. And when I find this job and declare the money how much could I keep?

pmlindyloo

oliveoil99 wrote: »

The land/lord said the next tenant might be a family and not want a meter and as he is elderly doesn't like any change. Have the the postcard in the shops they grew cobwebs on them.

You do not need your landlord's permission to have a meter installed if you have a tenancy which is six months or more.

You can telephone your water company for advice about this. You really will make a saving and as they say 'every liitle helps'.