Pensioner Paul feels he has returned to the poverty of his childhood 70 years ago
Pensioner Paul had to use money earmarked for his burial to cover the emergency repairs when water started flooding into his hallway recently.
The 74-year-old, from Norfolk, doesn’t have a private pension, nor does he receive any benefits, so he relies solely on the state pension.
And he says that on his income, with mortgage debt still outstanding, he feels it is becoming “impossible” to live.
Currently, those on the new state pension, like Paul, get £230.25 per week.
But despite his incomings being so low, he’s slightly over the limit to get pension credit – a benefit given to those who are above state pension age and on low incomes.
Paul, who didn’t want to give his second name, bought his house in 1983. He pays £204 a month for his mortgage, as he says he is “stuck” on a 6.2 per cent interest rate due to his financial circumstances.
He doesn’t smoke, drink, go to restaurants or go on holiday, but he says his level of income “definitely isn’t enough to live on”.
To make matters worse, he is only just over the threshold to qualify for pension credit.
Speaking to The i Paper, Paul, who worked at a timber company and then in installation, said: “I grew up in the 1950s and we were always short of money and had no central heating. I remember that in the winter it was so cold in our house that there were huge icicles hanging off the inside of the windows.
“Almost 80 years have gone past, and I feel that I’ve gone back to those days. I’m experiencing the same levels of poverty.”
With food prices and energy bills going up “so fast”, Paul says it has “become impossible” to live in this country.
He retired at 63 in 2014 – a few years before he hit state pension age – due to ill health. During his working life, he never paid into a private pension because he said he couldn’t afford to.
It comes as research from Independent Age – which supports older people living in hardship – reveals that one in five older people living on a low income would find it difficult or impossible to cover an unexpected bill of £50 without borrowing money.
Over half of the same group would struggle to pay an unexpected £250 bill without help.
The charity says it has heard from older people who are going without items such as boilers, mattresses and fridges, because they cannot afford to repair or replace them.
Paul added: “I have a leaking roof and gutters that need fixing, but I can’t afford to repair them.
“If my cooker was to break down, I don’t know what I’d do, as I’m not in a position to buy a new one. That’s how bad things are.”
Joanna Elson, chief executive of Independent Age, said the levels of poverty being experienced among older people was “unacceptable”.
She added: “More must be done to protect older people with little or no savings from unexpected bills.”
Next Wednesday’s Budget is a good opportunity for the Government to take “real steps” to boost the income of older people in financial hardship so that emergency costs do not mean getting into debt, she said.
She added: “We cannot stand by while older people in poverty are forced into debt just to keep their appliances running and their homes in good condition.”
Paul, who is single and lives alone, said even surviving is a struggle. He only goes to the supermarket once a week to get the essentials and tries to buy as many reduced items as possible.
He likely will spend this winter wrapping up in layers of clothes and piling blankets on to keep warm.
When the Labour Government came in he hoped things would improve for pensioners.
He added: “Instead, things have got worse. I’m furious with the Labour Government. They obviously see pensioners as an easy target.”