I had £3,000 debt & couldn’t afford rent before realising I was eligible for benefits – now I’m £5,000 a year better off

A GRANDMA could barely afford to pay her rent until she realised she was entitled to benefits that topped up her income by almost £5,000 a year. 

Paulette Marie Flash racked up over £3,000 worth of debt after the pandemic hit and her bills skyrocketed. 

The 59-year-old former childcare worker from Peckham realised she couldn’t afford to stay afloat shortly after the first lockdown in 2020.