Michael Eastkin faced giving up all of the things he loved after racking up a credit card debt of around £1,300 – and then facing a cut to his winter fuel payments.
Michael says despite building up the debt, he was just about managing with his finances thanks to his state pension and some private savings.
The 74-year-old was relying on the winter fuel allowance – a payment given to pensioners for heating and energy costs – to help him through the colder months.
But then, not only was this benefit taken away from him in July 2024 when it was means-tested to those on pension credit, he also saw his gas and electricity bill rise.
He says the cut, and rumours of other benefits being cut, “really set off a depression” within him.
The winter fuel payment, worth between £200 and £300, was removed for most pensioners and limited only to those receiving pension credit or other means-tested benefits. It has since been reinstated for more pensioners, barring those on high incomes.
After months of anxiety about how he would cope on retirement income whilst carrying debt and facing sharply higher household costs, he turned to a debt charity.
Michael, who is a retired careers adviser and former foreign language teacher, said the financial pressure quickly became emotional strain.
He said: “I was suddenly out of my comfort zone, and I started to think I would have to lose things from my life routine. I wasn’t just feeling sad, it was genuine panic.”
Day-to-day life became dominated by constant budgeting and fears that social activities keeping him connected would have to stop.
“I love going to watch sport, like football and cricket, and going to the cinema and the theatre. I was genuinely worried I’d have to give up my season ticket.
“I’ve been going to football for over 20 years and it’s not just the match, it’s meeting the same group every week.
“Theatre trips, I enjoy going to for free on a weekly basis. I started calculating everything and asking – could I still afford coffee when I’m out? A drink after the match? When you’re retired, these activities are what keep you connected to life.”
Eventually, later in 2024, he contacted the Money Wellness charity.
“I had a lot of advice regarding restructuring debt and even looking at being bankrupt,” he says.
Michael said the breakthrough came when the charity looked beyond the debt alone and carried out a full benefits assessment alongside helping him build a realistic budget.
It was spotted that he might be entitled to housing benefit, which is designed to help people on a low income pay all or part of their rent, administered by local councils.
He also contacted Age UK and was offered a face-to-face interview to complete the application for the benefit after feeling overwhelmed by the online process.
“Their adviser looked at my income and said I was eligible. It was a great relief and I have to say, it has been a game changer. The irony of the situation is that as a careers adviser back in the 80s and 90s, I was used to dealing with government agencies but because of my continuing depression, I had lost confidence in doing a lot of things,” he says.
Michael, who retired in 2017, is now receiving housing benefit of £192 every four weeks. He also received around £700 in back pay, support from the household support fund through his council and a £300 discretionary payment from Age UK.
Suddenly, “everything seemed ok”, he said. He is very grateful for the support he got from both charities.
With the extra support, Michael said he has reduced his credit card debt, managed the cost of replacing a cooker with a £3,000 bank loan, and he has managed to rebuild his savings.
Now, he has around £2,000 left which he has put away for emergencies, which he is “delighted” about.
He now receives around £1,000 per month from the state pension, £450 from a private pension, around £200 housing benefit, taking his annual income to about £20,000.
“So, for the last 16 months, I am back to normal. I can afford what I like doing and even going on cheap holidays using Ryanair,” he says.
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