A disabled Musselburgh pensioner has been helped by the town’s Citizens Advice Bureau (CAB) to claim “significant amounts of new income” as the cost of living crisis deepens.

Helen Simpson, 67, was struggling to feed, heat and look after herself, saying that this time last year her income was her state pension and disability benefit (PIP), which was “really not enough to live on”.

She explained: “Then last summer, I had a toothache and the dentist told me the treatment would cost hundreds of pounds.

“Well, I just can’t afford that. And I was actually shocked because I thought as a pensioner I would get it free.

“So I went to the Citizens Advice Bureau in Musselburgh and explained the situation. They asked me why I wasn’t claiming pension credit guarantee.

“I said I’d never heard of it and didn’t even know what it was. They told me that it was a weekly benefit and that they thought I was eligible to claim it.

“The CAB adviser then helped me with the actual claim. I have to say, the man at the HMRC was very nice and super-efficient.

“He confirmed that I was entitled to this Pension Credit and from now on I would be getting £83 per week, on top of my normal state pension. Not only that, but I could also claim it backdated for three months, which was a lump-sum of more than £900. This was in my bank account that very evening.

“Well, you can imagine, I was gobsmacked. That sort of money is life-changing for me. I mean, don’t get me wrong – I won’t be going on a cruise to the Bahamas or buying a Rolls Royce. I’m still living pretty near the breadline.

“But this extra money has made all the difference. It meant I could get my teeth fixed and I can keep the heating on instead of rationing it.

“And there’s food in the cupboard, plus I can also treat my little dog a bit more.

“And this money is not a handout or some kind of scam. I’ve worked all my life – shelf-stacking, cleaning, receptionist, all sorts of jobs. I’ve paid my taxes and National Insurance. So the pension credit guarantee is something I’m entitled to.

“I’m still feeling really elated at how this happened. It was like a dream come true. The only thing that bothers me is that I could have claimed it earlier if I had known about it.

“I missed out on thousands of pounds. So that’s why I’m so keen now to get the message out to other people not to make the same mistake. You could have money sitting unclaimed right now, so get up and go for it.

“So the reason I’m speaking out today is to tell people: go to your CAB and ask them to check what you’re entitled to.

“If I hadn’t had a toothache last year, I’d still be sitting shivering in the cold, worried sick about how I was going to pay these big increases in energy bills. Or I’d be in debt – spiralling out of control, which is not a good place to be. The CAB has changed my life.”

New polling for Citizens Advice Scotland (CAS) by YouGov has found that, among those people who did not know how or if they were entitled to claim benefits, there has been a large drop in the numbers who feel too embarrassed to make a claim. The drop is from one in five (20 per cent) in 2020 to just over one in eight (12 per cent ) in 2022.

Last year, the Citizens Advice network in Scotland helped 171,000 people and unlocked £147 million for them through things like social security payments and employment entitlements. The average gain for those who saw a financial benefit was over £4,400.

Stephanie Millar, CAS social justice spokesperson, said: “The cost-of-living crisis is hitting people hard. Nobody should be going without heat or food while there’s a pile of cash they could be claiming.

“It’s really positive to see stigma around claiming social security falling but lots of people still aren’t claiming what they are entitled to. CAB advisers can check if you are entitled to anything and then help you claim it.

“We can’t promise everyone has a fortune in unclaimed money but it costs nothing to let us check for you. As with all CAB advice, this process is completely free, confidential and independent.

“If you prefer you can check yourself using our online tool, money map.scot

“If you don’t claim what you’re entitled to, it just sits there in the government vault. Contact us today and get it claimed!”