Many of us will be searching for winter discounts for seniors. Winter can be an expensive time for seniors. Spiralling heating costs alone account for a larger proportion of household bills: and with the overall price of living – food, fuel – almost double what it used to be, the same monthly expenditure doesn’t seem to go quite as far as it used to.
The savvy senior can still find discounts to help make the cold months a little more appealing. If you know where to go to save money, you can ensure that your quality of life doesn’t drop just because you have to turn on the heating.
It’s important to note that winter discounts are region-specific. For example, seniors in the UK are given some leeway by the Government’s Winter Fuel Allowance, which offers between £100 and £300 tax free to help with the cost of heating a home in winter. Ex-pat UK citizens now living in the EEA (European Economic Area) may also qualify for the payment. The same is true for ex-pat citizens living in Switzerland. For more information on how to claim, visit the official Winter Fuel Payment site.
US citizens receive no direct winter fuel allowance. However, if you are a US senior you may qualify for a range of other financial aid programs. Some are aimed at arranging your affairs to qualify for tax benefits; others, like the Medicare and Medicaid systems, deliver financial assistance in other important areas (health, in this case). By cutting down on your expenditure in these equally pressing parts of your life, you can retain more money to spend on heating your home.
Not all the important parts of life revolve around heating, tax and health – though it can seem that way when you’re struggling to find the pennies to make the pounds (or dollars) count. If you have money worries, you may want to speak to your bank or to contact the UK or US version of the Citizen’s Advice Bureau – an organisation devoted to providing free, impartial advice on all matters related to citizenship in the relevant country.
In America, similar advice is provided by the Town Hall responsible for administering your region. There is a difference: in the UK, the CAB can provide semi-legal information, while the American Town Hall simply offers advice.
There’s a nicer side to senior benefits this winter – travel discounts, seniors-only trips to popular winter destinations, and meal deals in your local pub.
Winter menus have been popular in the UK ever since the original credit crunch – with many popular local chain pubs providing bargain meal deals that perform two vital functions. First, they’ll get you out of the house and into a pleasant, warm environment: and second, you will get to eat for a price that really doesn’t break the bank. For information on local pubs you can try The Good Pub Guide.
Winter’s also a time when a senior’s thoughts turn to warmth and companionship – particularly if you have recently been bereaved or come out of a relationship. To energise the dating scene, many date websites offer senior discounts with attractive joining rewards or free memberships.
One way or another, there are plenty of options to make staying warm this winter a little less painful. If you’d like any more information, you know what to do – just Ask Granny.
