£10,900 annual income needed to retire

We rent and I have no idea how we will
survive come retirement apart from falling on the mercy of the council.

If only

My rent and rates is £19,000 a year ?

We just have our state pensions. DH's is a bit higher because he deferred it for 3 years, until he had to retire to look after me. We manage OK but it will be hard, when one of us dies, to pay the bills with a single pension.

DD told us to apply for Attendance Allowance, so we are waiting to hear about that but I am not holding my breath. I know that a lot of claims get turned down.

Working part time and very small civil service pension, topped up with universal credit am on lesss than 10,000 a year. retire next year and will be on more than i am now, but still less than the 10,900 that they say is needed. i run a small car out of necessity, dont drink or smoke, haven't had a holiday in over 5 years, just about scrape by, have yet to see what impact fuel bill rises will do to my finances

Bluecat

We just have our state pensions. DH's is a bit higher because he deferred it for 3 years, until he had to retire to look after me. We manage OK but it will be hard, when one of us dies, to pay the bills with a single pension.

DD told us to apply for Attendance Allowance, so we are waiting to hear about that but I am not holding my breath. I know that a lot of claims get turned down.

If it’s turned down Bluecat get help from citizens advice or Age Uk to fill in the forms. I’ve been told that they know exactly which boxes to tick in your favour.

I know I could not live on that, I am paying school fees for two GC and they are three times that amount.
My grocery bill for the year would probably be more than £10,000.

Bluecat Ask for help filling in the AA form. Age UK or evene the Benefit Agency can help you. I used to be a benefits Advisor with Age Concern (as was) and most people got turned down because they did not know the buzz words and phrases that led to success.

If you are turned down, go to appeal and ask for a hearing NOT a paper review. The success rate of the Appeal system is a constant thorn in the government's side, they are always trying (unsuccessfully) to get rid of it. Again before you appeal seek help and advice from Age UK or CAB.

Here is a link to the Age UK Factsheet, which may help you. www.ageuk.org.uk/globalassets/age-uk/documents/factsheets/fs34_attendance_allowance_fcs.pdf

If you get AA you are also entitled to an increase in your pension, off hand I forget the name and mechanism for this, but follow it through.

You can each be in receipt of AA if you are both disabled. You do not have to buy in care, how you spend the money is up to you.

My pension is £8600. Thank goodness my husband has a good private pension.

We barely survive, as a couple, on £11500.
We have a very old car, pay rent, and live in a rural village. I can’t sleep at night for worrying about fuel and food costs

If I was living alone I would have a miserable existence compared to now.
I don't know how those still paying a mortgage or rent would manage.

????

£209.61 is the weekly amount. Really? There are so many unchallenged assumptions in this figure - i.e., there is no rent or mortgage to be paid, no holidays to be taken, no clothes to be bought, and certainly no car to run and no occasional theatre ticket to be bought. Where I live (in a London suburb) the cost of a visit to a hairdresser for a half-head of highlights is £120, a call-out fee for a plumber to diagnose a problem (not to remedy it) is £85, and the weekly shop for two people taking into account the renewal of things like detergents, toothpaste, is £110.00. What energy is going to cost is yet another shot in the dark. I really am appalled at these silly figures which implicitly say that in retirement people are expected to change their lifestyle and become lesser beings. Yes, there may well be things on offer such as free lane swimming, reduced tennis club fees, free transport, but not everyone wants to be restricted to doing their swimming or playing their tennis between 7 and 8 in the morning. If ever there was a message that said 'pack up and die' when you stop working, this £10.900 is it.

There is no equality in the country. Heard in radio on Monday during item on why asylum seekers are not allowed to work that an asylum seeker is awarded £56. and a few pence per day for living expenses. That is over £20,000 a year. Many people in work and pensioners would love that income.

4allweknow

There is no equality in the country. Heard in radio on Monday during item on why asylum seekers are not allowed to work that an asylum seeker is awarded £56. and a few pence per day for living expenses. That is over £20,000 a year. Many people in work and pensioners would love that income.

Who said that?

Asylum seekers are given somewhere to live and £39.63 per person a week.

www.gov.uk/asylum-support/what-youll-get

Somebody needs to do a factcheck.

GoldenAge Who actually needs their hair colouring?

My food and household bill is £20 a week and I eat well.

The figure quoted is for a basic standard of living. Housing costs fall outside the figure.

My disposable income (after housing costs) has been less than £209.61pw for years and I'm not going to pack my bags and die.

Jeremy Vine radio item

MTDancer

We barely survive, as a couple, on £11500.
We have a very old car, pay rent, and live in a rural village. I can’t sleep at night for worrying about fuel and food costs

Are you claiming all the credits, council tax relief and housing benefit you can?

4allweknow

Jeremy Vine radio item

Well, it's wrong.

nadateturbe

If I was living alone I would have a miserable existence compared to now.
I don't know how those still paying a mortgage or rent would manage.

I don't have a miserable existence. I accepted years ago that I can't afford some material things.

PS. I confess that my life changed about 18 months ago when I got together with my current partner. He's considerably better off than I am, although I don't like accepting handouts. I'm quite shocked at how wasteful he is. I'm hoping for a rosy future, but I won't ever forget how much I've struggled at times, but still made the best of what I had.

harrigran

I know I could not live on that, I am paying school fees for two GC and they are three times that amount.
My grocery bill for the year would probably be more than £10,000.

But paying school fees isn't basic living. I don't know how many people you're feeding, but it sounds like you have an army.

Yes I could live quite well on this figure. Living off Job seekers for 2 yrs brings you down to earth, getting a job and having a wage (low wage) but better than JS.

I'm due to receive my state pension (6 yrs late)and Bus pass!! WOOOOHOOOOO at the end of the month I will feel rich lol.
I may pack sandwiches/drink and ride round on bus all day getting on and off lol.

4allweknow

Jeremy Vine radio item

well you either heard it wrong, or heard what you wanted to hear. Nonsense.

We have to live in an area we can afford. If our pension can’t cover where we live then we have to move to a cheaper area. I’d love to live in London but can’t afford it. So I cut my cloth. It’s always been like this.
Do you remember the film The Railway Children, well that’s life. We go to affordable areas if you haven’t enough money. It’s sad and we leave loved ones behind. This is why people traditionally went to the seaside when they retired. We can’t rely on the state for everything.

My pension is £7800 a year so I really do have to work, it’s only part time but then that’s an extra £600 a month which makes all the difference