Living on State Pension

You won't bore me Granny1951 I'm always intrigued by how people end up getting into positions like this.

Yes, Granny1951 I try to 'live' on the two - tighten my belt much more and I'll strangle myself. It's galling that all pensioners are tied up with the same brush, and are believed to lead a glitzy lifestyle. I'd challenge anyone to give it a go, and try living on just over £600 month. Advice? Well, for a start it helps to let steam off occasionally (like now)

I have often wondered how people manage on just the State pension. How on earth do they manage to pay bills - let alone replace things. The improved State pension of £140 or so, which is due to come in, is far from enough.To eat well and have sufficient food is not cheap.
I consider we are lucky with the position we are in but realise that when one of us is left alone it will be much more difficult.

Yes, it will be difficult for me, since my husband's private pension goes with him, I did have one, but cashed it in to help save our business which went to the wall anyway, so that was a waste of money, and in any case my husband's heart attack would have put the business at risk, but there again, none of us knows what the future holds. I shall struggle to manage, I am sure, but then I can't worry about that, and like to take each day as it comes.

If my OH were to pass on first I would be in a pickle as it is his small NHS pension that keeps us afloat. But we do have a bit of savings, and more to come when Dad's bungalow is sold; and we own our house. I always think that as a last resort it could be sold, though it would break my heart to go from here.

Well done anyone managing on basic pension and pension credit - you must have amazing budgeting skills!

Bez the new state pension is unlikely to affect most of us here as it will not be paid to anyone already retired.I also do not know how those on only State pension can manage, it must be a weekly struggle.

My husband's generous pension died with him. I save by living with my daughter, rarely if ever buy anything new. Scour boot fairs, ebay and charity shops..... Actually I get more pleasure doing it this way I see it as recycling.

I have to confess that I am in Aka's camp.

Granny51, what a sad position to find yourself in. The guaranteed minimum pension is not enough to give you peace of mind. If it would help, the CAB could give you advice about maximising your income through finding out what benefits you might be entitled to claim. Council Tax Relief springs to mind, though you may have been made aware of this when you received Pension Credit.

I would never suggest that the minimum pension income, which is higher than basic pension level, is easy to live on, but if your income is that low, you do get all your Council tax paid, plus rent, if you are in rented accommodation and get extra money if you are on DLA or AA.

Many people with occupational pensions £100 a week or more than minimum pension level, can be no better off because they have to pay all their own council tax and rent, if applicable, and are excluded from other top-up benefits because their pension is too 'high'.

I agree Flickety. My mother had the basic state pension topped up with pension credit and attendance allowance. Add to this her rent, water and council tax which was paid and her income was almost the same as my pension made up of the state pension + teachers pension.

I am fortunate enough to have savings and a small private pension but as Flickety says it does mean I am not entitled to any benefits. One of my friends has no savings (spent all her money as soon as she got it) and only has her state pension, yet if you add in all the benefits she gets her income is actually more than mine!

I find that so irritating sunseeker. You have taken the trouble to save carefully whereas your friend has ben profligate with her money yet appears to benefit.

I take my hat off to anyone who 'manages' on just a State Pension and whatever topups/benefit comes with it , I am in the very fortunate position of having a small NHS pension and my OH is still working for another 18mths so we are so glad of that. He also has a small 'other' pension so we will manage fine when he also retires and receives his State Pension. We won't be raking it in but also will have some peace of mine.

Hello everyone, many thanks for your replies. I have returned from 30 years overseas and my pension is collected from NZ by the UK government and I am given a UK pension instead. By my reckoning the UK government makes £15 a week on the deal !! I have returned because a family member is seriously ill and I will be needed here for a lengthy period. I've sold up in NZ and the difference in house prices between where I lived there and where I need to live here means my savings have had to go into buying a very small house. Just wondered how others got on with watching the pennies. Quite agree that if you have saved all your life it is crazy that you get penalised for it.

Good luck granny1951 and I hope that you manage, yes, it must be a shock to see how high house prices have gone here in the UK.You should check that there are not extra benefits that you may well be entitled to.What about if you are to be a carer for somebody? Worth looking into.

A friend of mine in Sheltered Accommodation, complains bitterly that out of her Pension plus Pension Credit. She pays £22 weekly for Heating,Laundry room,Broadband,Security and Gardens upkeep. (incl.)
I am lucky enough to own my House, and constantly paying out for a Plumber, Builder, Gardener Handyman. Plus Utility bills.
My friend has Lunch out most days. Whereas I think twice about buying a coffee.
Having said this I wouldn't like to be in her shoes.

I have just been on to the Ageuk website and checked what extra I would get if I only had my state pension.
It would be £38 per week pension credit and council tax relief combined, nothing like as much as my private pension.
I would hate to have to live on that. In fact I would find it impossible. The car would have to go straight away. It costs me £10 per week to take two grandchildren to the coffee shop after school on a Wednesday.

There are lots of extras that would have to be gone without if we only relied on State Pension but we would have to manage and I'm sure we would cope with it if we had to.Car would certainly have to go.
My neighbour has her rent paid and Council tax paid plus she has Pension Credit top up whilst we pay £85.44 rent inc service charge and full Council Tax all in all she has an income of just short of ours so sometimes I do wonder if saving as we did was a wise move.
I'm sure Granny1951 that you would be able to claim carers allowance for your family member if they depend on you and that would make life easier for you,well worth trying as they can only say no can't they.

Granny1951 it must have been a shock coming from NZ to here with the cost of housing and living generally. The only bonus I can see is that your state pension will not be frozen now and you will receive the annual rises but I have no idea if they will be back dated now that you have returned.

I would definitely apply for the Carers Allowance, nothing ventured, nothing gained.

You appear to have sacrificed a lot personally.

If you are on a state pension, I'm sorry to say, you aren't eligible for carer's allowance which is an earnings replacement benefit.

www.carers.org/carers-allowance

I commented on another thread recently about the big age difference of GNetters and it now occurs to me that we have the same difference in member's incomes and standard of living.There have been instances of members having very high standards and others not so blessed.

If retired, you may not get the Carers Allowance itself, but you do get the associated benefits including an increase in income support.

When my marriage broke up 12 or so years ago I just wanted out; retirement seemed such a long way off that I didn't give it a thought. Thank goodness I was given a small pension of my husbands as part of the settlement and was able to claim state pension at 61 3/4 or I would have been working forever, even though I only get enough to survive on.