Dear LPG,

I have been a pensioner for the past 12 years now, and I have spent most of that time living alone but happy.  I like to think of myself as reasonably fulfilled, busy and happy so far, although I had a good look at my finances recently and I now realise that I am not as well off as I used to be.   To put it in a nut shell; I am not destitute, but I have become more and more aware that my pension is never going to increase significantly, and that I am gradually having to cut down on those little items that enriched my life a few years ago. 

The other thing is that I find myself getting all sorts of conflicting advice from the few friends and members of my family that I have confided in on the subject. I was always worried about asking for professional advice because of the risk of being found to be getting too much pension and having it stripped down even more. 

I looked on the internet and I have found a couple of places where you can find out if you are receiving all the benefits that you are entitled to, and I want to pass that information onto my fellow readers.

I know that it might be easier to discuss ones finances with a stranger than with someone you know, and hope that LPG can pass on some information about some of the places where people with concerns like mine can get advice. 

NN, Lewisham.

Having checked online, LPG can offer a little information about benefits and the following starting points for finding advice, although we have to point out that some of the sites will lead you to private companies.  We suggest that, in the same way that one is always advised to get more then one quotation when having repair work done, advice from two or three sources is always the way forward.  And if it is at all possible have a trusted family member or friend with you ‘tow heads are always better than one’ …

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