60 year old widow needs some advice to survive

merlin68

If you claim pension credit it will top you up to £142 a week.

starrystarry

faerie~spangles wrote: »

I think you're being a bit harsh on the OP tbh. The world can be a very frightening place when you have no money and have reached a certain age.

I'm not judging her or criticising her, believe me. I was just saying that I don't think there's much point in us suggesting ways of her earning a few extra quid. That's not what she wants. It sounds like she needs a job with a good few hours, rather than a bit of work here and there. The fact is that there are no other benefits available to her, so the only option is to earn money or reduce outgoings.

Dunroamin

merlin68 wrote: »

If you claim pension credit it will top you up to £142 a week.

Once again - she isn't eligible for PC yet!

oliveoil99

princessdon wrote: »

Do you enjoy being a mother, could you foster?

Would that be allowed a 60yr old must look into that one.

Dunroamin

oliveoil99 wrote: »

I never get passed the phone-call they can tell your elderly from your voice have even been asked my age and said why do you need to know that surely it's if I can do the job and then say will get back to you. Age discriminations laws are a (giraffe). You can only take so much rejection.

There are many jobs like housekeeping and care work where age is a positive bonus, particularly if you have experience.

I doubt very much that anyone can tell your age from your voice ( I'm of a similar age to you and I know that nobody could tell my age on the phone) so perhaps it's your negativity that's coming over?

oliveoil99

zzzLazyDaisy wrote: »

Unfortunately I think this is probably where your problem lies.

You are living in a house which presumably has two bedrooms since your daughter live with you until recently and you thought that she would stay with you forever.

Now you are a single person and only entitled to the one bedroom rate. Since that is not enough to pay your rent you must either find a one bed flat or room in a shared house, or take a lodger in to pay for the vacant room. Not all lodgers are dangerous or risky. I myself have a lodger because the alternative would have been to give up my home and move somewhere cheaper which considering my house has been specifically adapted for my disabilities wasn't really an option.

It is hard and you have my sympathy, but the law provides only a minimum basic income and if your outgoings are bigger than your income, hard decisions have to be made.

Yes what you say is correct, I have had some very kind positive people give me ideas and wll work on it, but a small amount of people have been very judgemental and I wish them well and wish I could meet these perfect people because I have never met one in 60yrs. Thank-you for your advice.

marybelle01

£109 per week is an awfully lot for a property in a poor area of Bradford. I'm in a not "rich" but not "poor" area of Bradford - I suppose what you'd describe as "working class respectable", lovely area, quiet, no trouble, rarely any crime, and for that rent you would get a large 3/4 bedroom terrace. The large 3 bed terrace down the road from me is £380pcm (I know the family who live there and they told me) and the two bed back to back on the next street down (and a really nice one too!) is £350pcm. You are paying £472pcm and for that I would expect it to be an enormous and wonderful property in a poor area of town - or in a very nice area indeed.

From what you say here you are paying rent well over the market rate for Bradford - is moving out of the question because there are many landlords, even some estate agencies in the city, who take benefit claimants. With the amount of property to rent in the city, they would never find tenants if they didn't, and your age would definitely be in your favour here - whilst I suppose it isn't impossible that you throw wild, drug and alcohol fuelled parties every night, it's probably unlikely And certainly wouldn't be expected.

princessdon

Can someone more knowledgeable than me check the figures?

I can't work out why op only gets £68 from £81 allowance for a £21 overpayment above the minumum.

sleepless_saver

princessdon wrote: »

Can someone more knowledgeable than me check the figures?

I can't work out why op only gets £68 from £81 allowance for a £21 overpayment above the minumum.

She doesn't get the full local housing allowance because her income is too high (yes, really). As far as I can work it out £68 is about right.

princessdon

sleepless_saver wrote: »

She doesn't get the full local housing allowance because her income is too high (yes, really). As far as I can work it out £68 is about right.

Including the CT relief?

I work it out (but I am not the best at this) that she is getting less than she should.

For £21 she is losing £13 plus the CT relief - I thought it was at a rate of 65% for every £100?