Struggling pensioners in the UK, desperately looking for a boost in income, are increasingly thinking about renting out their spare rooms.
New research shows that nearly half of all pensioners in the UK, more than five million people, cannot afford to make ends meet.
The survey showed that pensioners receive an average weekly retirement income of £224.
The average pensioner has only £33 left over after spending approximately £190 on living costs.
One in seven pensioners around the country said they may be obliged to rent out spare rooms, but in London the figure rose to one in five.
The basic state pension is set to go up to £113.12 a week, a rise of £2.97 a week.
The price hikes for fruit and meat have slowed down recently, but gas, electricity and petrol prices are continuing to exert great pressure on fixed incomes.
More than five million UK households are in fuel poverty, spending more than 10% of their income on energy to keep warm. Recent figures showed that the UK is second only to Estonia for the number of people in real hardship to meet energy bills.
The survey, conducted by More Th>n Home Insurance, found that despite thinking about renting out rooms, more than half did not understand the responsibilities involved.
Many did not know they could run professional checks on prospective lodgers, while others would not guarantee a lodger signed a formal contract or lodger agreement.
