60 year old widow needs some advice to survive

oliveoil99

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

My retirement age is 62yrs 1month and 25days I am only looking for a small amount of help for the basics of living as you can see from my thread I don't even have that. I have worked for 40yrs doing full/time and part/time when bringing the family up I never asked for this tobe my lot.

Dunroamin

oliveoil99 wrote: »

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.

As a single adult, you need to do a minimum of 30 hours per week to get WTC, 16 hours is only for lone parents.

oliveoil99

PasturesNew wrote: »

In some areas of the country language schools look for host families. Perhaps you could see what's in your area and if you meet the criteria. What it'd be best to do would be to move into the smallest bedroom, then host students in the largest one. Each school will vary regarding how often they need hosts and how long the visits are, but, if, say, you could get 2 students for 6 nights each month you could 'earn' about £150 (at a guess) just for giving them a bed, breakfast, packed lunch and evening meal.

As I said earlier my land/lord will not let so much as a mouse in this property and I would never put myself in a situation with strangers no matter who they were, as you get older you feel more vunerable and a woman alone try to understand that.

Dunroamin

oliveoil99 wrote: »

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.

I agree, You were the one who said you didn't want to do this when it was suggested.

oliveoil99

Dunroamin wrote: »

As a single adult, you need to do a minimum of 30 hours per week to get WTC, 16 hours is only for lone parents.

Also the over 60s it is 16hrs for WTC was told this by Welfare Rights
Officer.

Face1992

Lots of companies are recruiting their Xmas temps at the moment, would it be worth trying any local to you?

Dunroamin

oliveoil99 wrote: »

Also the over 60s it is 16hrs for WTC was told this by Welfare Rights
Officer.

Sorry, I didn't realise you were 60 yet.

However, that makes it even easier as you can do 16 hours cleaning or other self employed work and top it up with tax credits, which should solve all your problems. Mature, experienced cleaners are like gold dust in most areas and earn far more than NMW.

oliveoil99

pmlindyloo wrote: »

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'.

This is just what gets me one person saying one thing and another saying something else it was the Water Company that said I had to have the signature of the land/lord for permission to install a metre that's why I asked him. Maybe different water boards with different rules (I get so confused with it all).

mrs_motivated

princessdon wrote: »

those on benefits don't get ALL their rent paid (they get an allowance, if your allowance, 1 bedroom tate covers rent then yes, but if not then they still have pay it).

Also people on benefits are from April expected to pay towards their CT (probably at the same rate you do).

Given what you have said - your only option is to move into somewhere less expensive as you clearly can't go on the way you are now.

From April 3013, council tax benefit (as was), will be determined by the Local Authority, so if you are expected to contribute and how much will depend on where you live.

For example if you live in Wolverhampton it will still all be paid next year. If you live in Walsall you will have to pay approx 20 percent. If you live in an authority area with a large number of pensionable age folk, you will likely pay more.

The local authority, will be given 10 per cent less than it currently costs them , pensioners are protected and how the remaining is allocated or if the shortfall will come from Council coffers will be determined locally

PasturesNew

oliveoil99 wrote: »

As I said earlier my land/lord will not let so much as a mouse in this property and I would never put myself in a situation with strangers no matter who they were, as you get older you feel more vunerable and a woman alone try to understand that.

It wouldn't be any of his business.... as for strangers, some schools are looking for hosts for kids 13-18, so not all adults. I used to run the hosts for a school and I had one 75 year old woman who lived down a hill then up a 1-in-4 ... she used to walk her 3 allocated kids to the coach in the mornings. Or, there's the option to host the foreign accompanying teacher, or trip coordinator or the driver (a bit extra for adults) - as these are respectable people who will have been extensively vetted to be working with kids you'd be fine .... and it's only a few days at a time. Even I took two in in an emergency once.... and I have some right weird ways and fears