  We develop a new perturbation method in Orlicz sequence spaces $\ell_M$ with
Orlicz function $M$ satisfying $\Delta_2$ condition at zero. This result allows
one to support from below any bounded below lower semicontinuous function with
bounded support, with a perturbation of the defining function $\sigma_M$.
  We give few examples how the method can be used for determining the type of
the smoothness of certain Orlicz spaces.
