We both retired 3 years ago, 60 & 59 respectfully, and are taking more holidays now that when we were working. We have already told the children, we are not full time babysitters, yes you can ask but be prepared for us to say, well we are off to so and so that week. I agree with Glynis. Enjoy now there will be more than enough time to buy a new carpet.

Perhaps it is how you define poor Sanji

It's not up to me to define poor, but like Graham, I worked in the community and I saw pensioners from both ends of the spectrum, which ranged from those comfortably well off, which was mainly because they had a private pension as well as a state pension, and I saw others in dire need.

But, if you think there is no such thing as a poor pensioner, well, maybe you should inform the Government, Age Concern, charities such as the Joseph Rowntree's Trust and the Church of England, and the various Think Tanks who have crunched the numbers in relation to the disposable income of many pensioners.
I'm sure they'd all welcome your expertise.

Sanji

Last month when I was in the UK I helped an elderly widowed friend of my MIL fill out forms to apply for Attendance Allowance. I had a long chat with her about her finances and she told me that she gets the Basic OAP which I believe is around 106GBP per month and she receives a small private pension of her own and one from her late husband, this brings her income up to about 152 pounds per week which takes her over the limit by a couple of pounds for receiving any pension credits (benefits) from the government. Out of this amount she has to pay for everything the only help she gets is that the LA pay 25% of her community charge.

She told me there are times in winter when she has to choose between heating her house or a hot meal. If she is awarded the attendance allowance then maybe she won't have to make that choice anymore. Holidays?
she hasn't had one since she lost her husband 12 years ago. .

Now I don't live in the UK so I'm not totally up with prices etc but I even I can see by any stretch of the imagination that 150pounds per week doesn't make this person at all comfortably off.