‘The letter said I would have to wait five years for my pension’

Krissy Abbott from Essex had to depend on food banks and handouts when she was expecting to live on her state pension – but her retirement age had changed from 60 to 65.

Her bereavement allowance (after husband Alan died the year before) ran out, and an application for benefits wasn’t approved/paid until late April. She had three months from January with no money of her own.

Because she was over 60 at that time she would have been in receipt of State Pension and Pension Credit under the old rules on pension ages. She had no idea that the rules had changed and couldn’t understand why she wasn’t getting the money.

She says it was only her border collie, Jazz, which kept her going.

Reporter: Simon Gompertz. Camera: Tracey Langford. Editor: Ben King