Imperial Party forum

thomas davison

ELDERLY ARE '�200 FROM GOING BUST'

Rita Young is heavily overdrawn
Sunday December 23,2012
By Danny Buckland MORE than a million pensioners are walking a financial tightrope and could be bankrupted by an unexpected bill.

Rising fuel and domestic heating costs have combined with plummeting savings to create devastating economic conditions for the over-65s.

A study by Age UK shows that 1,245,120 elderly people could not cope if presented with a surprise bill of �200.

Michelle Mitchell, the charity�s director general, said: �Many older people are living hand-to-mouth and dreading the day when the cooker breaks down or energy prices rise again.�

Campaigners fear many pensioners will put their health at risk by cutting back on food or heating over Christmas.

Sally West, Age UK policy officer, said: �This is the time of year when many people start to think about the cost of turning up the heating when they want to buy Christmas presents for their grandchildren.

�It is often very difficult for them because they only just have enough income to get by. When the boiler or cooker breaks down then it could tip them over the edge.

�They start to �make do� and that really means cutting back on the essentials of food and heat and clothing. They may do things such as only using one ring on the cooker.� The basic state pension is only �107.45 a week and, although extra financial support is available, around �5.5billion a year goes unclaimed.

Many are eligible for a �33 a week top-up and potential help with council tax bills.

A study shows that 1,245,120 elderly people could not cope if presented with a surprise bill of �200

Ms West said: �It is an enormous amount to go unclaimed. For many it is simply that they are not aware they are eligible but some are put off by the process of claiming.� Former office worker Rita Young has �166 to get her through each week and has no savings to back her up.

�It doesn�t go very far,� she said. �Food is incredibly expensive and my bank balance is always going down to the wire.

�It seems ridiculous that we live in one of the wealthiest countries in the world yet we cannot afford to give our pensioners a decent, living amount.�

Rita, 77, of Peterborough, whose lorry driver husband Gordon died eight years ago, added: �I went �4 overdrawn last week and it is a struggle. So many of us at the lower �levels have that mentality of �heat or eat�. One or the other, not both.

�I couldn�t cope if my washing machine or something like that broke down. I�d have to do it by hand because I couldn�t save up for a replacement.�

Theres a lot more on less than �166 per week yet we give billions to foreigners who do not deserve it ,CHARITY BEGINS AT HOME.

2Anne · Joined: 04 May 2008 Posts: 399 Location: Norfolk

Unfortunately many elderly people did NOT provide for their old age and anticipated the govt.would pick up the tab.
Pensions in the UK are appallingly low. For example about �420 per month against Euros 800-900 in Spain and Germany. The trouble is there are so many people on welfare of some sort in the UK the country cannot afford a hike in pensions.
Also the over 65 population is exploding.
I feel sorry for pensionerw who had endowment morgages as these have failed and they face old age with a continued morgage payment.
I know that my own mother for example has cost the NHS many thousands of pounds with hip and bladder operations and continued care for diabetes and circulatory problems. She gets the community nurse visiting every fortnight. How expensive is that on one old lady?
If my rent was paid and council tax I could manage on �166 per week. My own utilities are nearly �500 per month alone. However I did make careful provision for my old age and have an adequate income having worked hard ALL my life.
Someone told me that many pensioners spent their fuel allowance on bingo and lottery scratch cards and then of course can't afford fuel.
A lot of poverty in the elderly is just gross mismanagement.

thomas davison · Posted: Sun Dec 23, 2012 3:17 pm Post subject:

I would agree but there are a lot of pensioners who did try and provide for their retirement but had the rug pulled out from under them when their better halves decided to go off with someone else taking the majority savings etc with them.

2Anne · Joined: 04 May 2008 Posts: 399 Location: Norfolk

I have heard problems with what you mention too Thomas. Its so sad when old people do divorce after spending years together. How disloyal is that?