Struggling to survive & selling their homes – thousands of Sun readers have written in looking for Winter Fuel support

THOUSANDS of readers flooded our Winter Fuel SOS helpline looking for enactment past month.

We received thousands of calls from older radical disquieted astir paying bills and staying lukewarm this winter.

We connected them with our sheet of experts from Age UK, Which?, Independent Age and uSwitch and person helped galore successfully use for pension credit, prevention connected bills and entree awards to which they didn’t realise they were entitled.

In immoderate cases we person helped readers entree thousands of pounds worthy of further help.

We launched our Winter Fuel SOS thrust pursuing the government’s determination to axe the tax-free payment worthy 300 pounds for 10 cardinal pensioners.

But those connected Pension Credit volition support the Winter Fuel Allowance, nevertheless determination are astir 800.000 of radical who could assertion but don’t.

They are among conscionable immoderate of those who called our peculiar hotline.

Our sheet received truthful galore calls we are inactive calling readers backmost and investigating their cases - but we cognize galore thousands much whitethorn inactive beryllium eligible for help.

Here are immoderate of the stories of those we person helped already.

• Additional reporting: James Flanders and Clare O’Reilly

'I'm truthful pleased I took the clip to scope out'

WE besides assisted 98-year-old Arnold Walton, who lives successful Wickersley, Rotherham, with his British Gas vigor bill.

The erstwhile D-Day seasoned and ex-car salesman, who served with the York and Lancaster Regiment successful WW2, assumed helium wouldn’t suffice for Pension Credit due to the fact that helium was already receiving Attendance Allowance, arsenic helium is unsighted successful 1 oculus and has constricted mobility.

It meant that helium struggled to get by connected a £239 a week authorities pension and £5.25 a week (£21 a month) backstage pension.

To assistance with his surviving costs, British Gas has agreed to screen fractional of his vigor measure for six months.

They are besides looking astatine fixing the damp successful his location and person offered to regenerate his 35-year-old washing instrumentality and cooker.

Additionally, arsenic portion of its “random acts of kindness” initiative, the vigor elephantine volition springiness him a £100 supermarket voucher.

And helium whitethorn besides get a boost to his income arsenic our checks bespeak helium could beryllium eligible for pension recognition too.

Arnold told The Sun: “I’m utterly astonished by the enactment available, and I’m implicit the moon.

“I’m truthful pleased that I took the clip to scope out, and I’m immensely grateful for each the assistance and assistance they’ve provided arsenic Christmas approaches.”

We besides helped a 64-year-old scholar from Stanwell, Middlesex with her Octopus bill.

She is not eligible for benefits but is connected a debased income and is struggling with her vigor measure and disquieted astir this winter.

The vigor steadfast was capable to recognition her with £750 from its Octoassist money which helps susceptible customers.

'I deliberation a batch of radical springiness up'

RETIRED tube fitter Neil Dingwall, 80, from ­Balmullo, St Andrews, faces an agonising 9 week hold to find retired if helium volition get Pension Credit.

He is unsure whether helium volition person the benefit, contempt surviving successful Scotland, 1 of the coldest parts of the country.

His uncertainty – and a household subordinate – are what prompted him to telephone successful to our Winter Fuel SOS line.

“I honestly wouldn’t person called successful if it wasn’t for my girl being beauteous definite I’d beryllium capable to get something,” Neil reveals.

“I don’t privation handouts, but the Winter Fuel Payment past twelvemonth made specified a difference.

“I deliberation with the telephone lines taking truthful long, though, and not getting answers quicker, a batch of radical springiness up.”

He added: “It’s been superb having The Sun’s help, I haven’t heard astir it for sure, but I’m hopeful I’ll get Pension Credit and the different entitlements that opens up to me.

“None of it would person happened without the Winter Fuel SOS helpline and my daughter.”

'I'd nary thought we could beryllium eligible'

JOHN SMITH, 77, a retired builder, has incurable prostate cancer and is facing selling his home.

But aft a telephone to our Winter Fuel SOS helpline, helium could beryllium owed an other £6,888 a year.

Despite getting conscionable £95 a week successful State Pension, John doesn’t suffice for Pension Credit due to the fact that his woman Sitada, besides connected a debased income, is lone 45.

The couple, who unrecorded successful North Hykeham, Lincoln, are struggling to wage their bills and often dipping into their savings — and they won’t suffice for this year’s £300 Winter Fuel Payment.

But a little-known loophole means that the mates could use for Universal Credit instead, and whitethorn beryllium owed an further £132 a week.

Crucially, this should marque them eligible for the Winter Fuel Payment, too.

John said: “I had nary thought we could beryllium eligible for Universal Credit due to the fact that I’m implicit the State Pension age. If it wasn’t for The Sun’s help, I would person ne'er been aware.”

'It's outrageous I wage charges'

WE are warring to unafraid Pension Credit for Douglas Gough, 72 – aft benefits bosses warned helium was not eligible.

Our experts reckon that the retired jeweller, from Dulwich, southbound eastbound London – who gets by connected £180 a week successful State Pension –  should suffice owed to sky-high work charges helium pays.

Douglas, who lives successful a two-bed flat, forks retired £599 a period successful fees contempt buying his location from Lambeth Council backmost successful 1970.

He said: “It’s outrageous that I person to wage these charges erstwhile I ain my home.

“What’s adjacent much absurd is that the work complaint keeps increasing, contempt the information that the spot is deteriorating and we’ve mislaid our reception porter.”

The result of a DWP probe into Douglas’s lawsuit is pending.

Eligible OAPs person until December 21 to use for Pension Credit but, crucially, they indispensable inquire for the assertion to beryllium backdated successful bid to get the Winter Fuel Payment.

Many look waiting until aft Christmas to find retired if their exertion is successful.

Meanwhile, different readers person told america they struggled to get done to the Pension Credit hotline.

The DWP says determination is presently a 9 week hold for applications.

And portion the £300 Winter Fuel Payment is owed to onshore successful slope accounts from the extremity of November, it means that galore volition miss out.

'I disquieted however I'd provender myself'

STRUGGLING to past connected her £800 a period pension, Jenny Ward, 74, began starving herself due to the fact that she thought she had nary different option.

“It got to a constituent wherever I couldn’t spend meat,” she explained.

“I couldn’t spend effect and oranges to get vitamin C, truthful I was utilizing herb foodstuff to effort and get the nutrients I needed. I was buying tinned kidney beans due to the fact that they person a batch of macromolecule successful them.

“I started to get poorly.”

Jenny, from Wakefield, West Yorks, had nary thought she was entitled to Pension Credit until Age UK, 1 of The Sun’s Winter Fuel SOS experts, stepped in.

She revealed: “I was truthful adjacent to giving up and I tried to a batch of times, but Age UK kept persevering with maine and for me, and it’s acknowledgment to them I person it.”

Recalling however pugnacious beingness was earlier she got the benefit, she added: “Every period was a challenge. I was sleepless with interest astir what would hap to me, astir however I’d provender myself and support myself warm. It’s difficult, but a batch of radical similar maine are successful the aforesaid position.”

After a 7 period hold for Pension Credit, Jenny is feeling little fearful.

She said: “I’m not looking guardant to this winter, but I’m not arsenic frightened going into this 1 arsenic I was past winter.”