A state pensioner in her 80s has had to majorly cut back as she struggles to make ends meet.

Sheila Cornell, from Lincolnshire, uses a small electric heater to keep warm during the winter and grows her own vegetables to save money.

She lives on the full basic state pension of £156.20 a week plus Pension Credit and said she has cut back on all her costs but is still struggling to pay the bills.

She told inews: “Everything is half the size and costs twice as much. Older people should not need to live like this.”

With the constant financial pressures, any unexpected costs can land her in a very difficult situation.

Her boiler broke over last summer leaving her with no hot water for a number of days.

The pensioner cooks all her meals from fresh in her efforts to keep down her costs.

State pension payments are increasing 8.5 percent this month with the full basic state pension increasing from £156.20 a week to £169.50 a week. The full new state pension is going up from £203.85 a week to £221.20 a week.

Benefits such as Pension Credit are also increasing 6.7 percent. This will increase the Pension Credit income top up to £218.15 a week for single pensioners and £332.95 for couples.

The benefit supports people of state pension age on low incomes. You do not need to be claiming your state pension to apply.

Prime Minister Rishi Sunak recently re-committed to keeping the triple lock should the Conservatives win the General Election.

Asked in Parliament if he believes the policy is affordable, he said: “I do, because the track record of the Government is that we make priorities, and making sure that if you have worked hard all your life you have the dignity that you deserve in retirement is important to me, it’s important to the Government, and the triple lock is an expression of that.”

Some critics have warned the policy may soon become too expensive, after sizeable increases of 10.1 percent last year and 8.5 percent this year.

A person can find out how much state pension they are on track to receive using the state pension forecast calculator on the Government website.

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