Help with heating

[Ajjervis0970]

Hi

I am enquiring on behalf of my mom. My step-dad passed away on the 15th July suddenly with heart failure. My mom had to perform CPR and it has left her very traumatised. As well as this my mom has been struggling with her heating. She has an open fire and the heating is run by this. Would she be illegible for any help with the cost towards a combi boiler. My step-dad left her with loans to pay and so she is just managing to get by on what she gets financially to live on.

[Hidden]

She needs to get some proper advice on benefits. Also on where she stands on the loans, some of them might not need to be repaid now he has dies. Suggest she gets in touch with the Citizens Advice Bureau and visits them with all her paperwork. Maybe you could go with her to make sure everything is covered.

[katieoxo60]

If your mum is over fifty Age UK can be another source of advice. Some solicitors will give free first advice on things like outstanding loans and the benefits agency as a special department to deal with bereavement entitlements. In these circumstances it is often best to make the loan companies aware of change, which you can do by phone or letter with your mums consent . Hope this helps .

[katieoxo60]

So sorry I forgot the heating matter, best to contact your mums heating supplier, who should be able to give advice or suggest a long term way of making payments easier so she does not have to worry about large bills especially in the winter. Sadly there is no easy way to sort all these things out in one place, each place has to be contacted seperately.

[Hidden]

Hello. Sorry to hear that your mum has had such a bad time lately. It would be lovely if she could at least be comfortable this winter, but such a lot depends on her actual financial affairs that it's a difficult question to get answered here.

She, or both of you if she needs help, should contact your nearest Citizens' Advice Bureau for an appointment to look at how much income she has and whether she might be entitled to get some help with having a combi boiler. They will probably tell you this, but it's important to go to that appointment well armed with her financial information in the way of pension information, bank statements, outgoings etc.

The Citizens' Advice Bureau is a marvellous organization who will give not only advice, but help in claiming anything she is due.

Have a look at the Age UK website too. That has lots of information about what might be available financially for particular projects, although I do find that it has become a lot more commercial now and tends to want to offer a service in conjunction with the companies it recommends.

[MAS_Nurse]

Hello Ajjervis0970,

Welcome to this supportive community. As you have already found, folks here are very willing and ready to come alongside and offer encouragement and advice, drawing upon their own personal experiences. I support what they have said about contacting Citizens Advice Bureau and getting free impartial financial advice. Your (and you) have been through a really traumatic time, I'm not surprised your mind is struggling to cope. She may well benefit from bereavement counselling in due course, so it may help to go with her to see her GP and discuss how she's feeling, and what help they can offer, for example, access to talking therapies on the NHS. Take a look at Cruse Bereavement who have a lot of helpful information and a telephone helpline with trained counsellors: ‪0808 808 1677‬

cruse.org.uk/

In regards to fuel and heating, take a look at the Government links below which explain about winter fuel payments etc.

gov.uk/winter-fuel-payment/...

gov.uk/cold-weather-payment

gov.uk/the-warm-home-discou...

In regards to dealing with debts when someone dies, you do need expert advice. Again contact CAB. Also look at this link on Age UK:

ageuk.org.uk/globalassets/a...

And also, moneyadviceservice.org.uk/e...

Hope this helps and that you can get things sorted out satisfactorily for your mum to help relieve the burden for her.

Take care,

Best wishes.

[MAS_Nurse]

Hello Ajjervis0970. I am sorry you and your Mum are having such a difficult time at the moment. Also it is understandable your Mum is traumatised by the sudden death of your Stepdad. You are so supportive to your Mum and I can see some of our other members have tried to help too, which is great news. That is just what this community is for. Best wishes to you both.

Below are some tips that I hope can prove useful to you both. Also try and suggest to Mum that she contacts Cruse which is a charity for free advice, information for anyone who has been affected by the death of a person close to them. The GP can sometimes help by suggesting Mum sees a counsellor when she is ready. However there can be a long waiting list for the service.

National Debt Line - signposting and referrals on debt issues 0808 808 4000 Mon - Fri 9am - 9pm and ? Saturdays 9.30 - 1pm.

CAB - citizensadvice.org.uk local office on website or a local directory .

Cruse - 0844 477 9400 - office hours. cruse.org.uk