Frugal Living: 6 Freebies for Older People
As you approach retirement age, your finances will be at the forefront of your mind. Your income will be falling but your expenditures will be rising.
However, did you know that you are entitled to various hand-outs? We all love a good freebie and you can save hundreds of pounds a year, simply by accessing what is rightfully yours.
Here are 6 amazing giveaways that can save you a fortune:
Energy efficiency
You can boost the value of your home and decrease your energy bills by making your property more energy efficient. There are many government grants that can help you get a free boiler and free loft and cavity wall insulation.
Some of the grants may not cover all of the costs but they’re almost free. To apply for a free boiler, contact Help-Link, Scottish Power, E.ON or EDF Energy. For loft and cavity insulation, call the Energy Saving Trust.
Home improvements
There are loads of grants to help you improve the safety of your home as well as repair various aspects of the property. Turn2us offer help for decorating and furniture; Age UK runs a service which offers arm rail installation and security checks; and your local Home Improvement Agency (HIA) can help adapt, repair and maintain your home.
What’s more, you can get a free fire safety check and usually you’ll get a free smoke alarm.
Utility bills
Water, gas and electricity bills are rising and it’s becoming even harder for people to pay their utilities. In some cases, Britons are choosing between eating and heating but many utility providers offer grants to help. What’s more, they offer special discounts if you are struggling and if you pay by direct debit, you could reduce your bills.
Benefits
On estimate, five billion pounds worth of benefits are unclaimed ever year by over-60s. Check what benefits you are entitled to with this calculator. Furthermore, is your house branded correctly for council tax?
Winter fuel help
You could get up to £300 to help towards your winter fuel bills. For winter 2013/14, you need to have been born on or before 5 January 1952. If you have had it before or get the state pension then you should get it automatically but if you haven’t, you need to call 0845 9151515 or download the form here.
You can also claim backdated payments and in addition, you can claim cold weather payments if you’re on pension credit and if the forecast weather in your area is 0°C or below.
Study
If you want to learn a new language or go back to university to get a degree, you can get free cash to help with your studying. The new fees system means you don’t have to repay any of your student loan if you never earn over £21,000 which is great if you are retiring! You could be entitled to bursaries, scholarships and award funding; just check out the Scholarship Search site.
Elsewhere, all colleges offer free courses on English, maths, basic literacy and numeracy up to GCSE level. Check out Learndirect for local classes.
So there you have 6 great freebies that ensure your hard-earned money stays in your pockets.
This article was written by Cheselden; to go-to-experts for all the help and advice you need on nursing homes and care home fees.
Category: Financial Planning
