Pension Credit query (For my Dad)

NewTime

Hi everyone, my first post here. 

As my dad is 77 and I have pretty much become his carer I looked into carer's allowance. However, I saw that it could impact his and mine benefits, so gave it a miss until I know better. 

My dad currently gets high care and high mobility. However, he doesn't seem to get any soirt of severe disability payment on his pension credit and would like to know if he has potentially been out of that for many years. The Gov.uk calculator says "You could get a pension credit payment of £110.15". Does that mean on top? etc?

His current PC is made up of:

Basic Pension Credit: £141.85
Pre 97 additonal State Pension: £41.60
Post 97 Additional state pension: £16.89
Graduated Retirement Benefit: £3.29

Is this right? WOuld he still get the extra £110? Are some included and some not?

Many Thanks

calcotti

If he lives alone and nobody claims Carers Allowance or carer element of UC for looking after him he is entitled to a Severe Disability Premium in the Pension Credit calculation.

The SDP is currently £69.40 rising to £76.40 from April. It can be backdated for as long as he has been entitled if he has been getting PC. However are you sure the calculation you have posted is a Pension Credit calculation. It looks more like a State Pension calculation with the first line being Basic State Pension. If so he has probably never claimed Pension Credit.

If he lives with anybody else, who and do they get any disability benefits?

With SDP the PC entitlement for a single person would be (at todays rates) £252/week. A State Pension of £203.63 would reduce the PC to £48.27/week. Any other income would also be deducted and there would also be a reduction if there is capital over £10,000.

I can’t see where a figure of £110.15 comes from.

What benefits do you receive?

Note - if he is entitled to Pension Credit that would entitle him to Council Tax Reduction (and Housing Benefit if he rents) but he would need to make claims for them if he isn’t already claiming.

NewTime

calcotti said:

If he lives alone and nobody claims Carers Allowance or carer element of UC for looking after him he is entitled to a Severe Disability Premium in the Pension Credit calculation.

The SDP is currently £69.40 rising to £76.40 from April. It can be backdated for as long as he has been entitled if he has been getting PC. However are you sure the calculation you have posted is a Pension Credit calculation. It looks more like a State Pension calculation with the first line being Basic State Pension. If so he has probably never claimed Pension Credit.

If he lives with anybody else, who and do they get any disability benefits?

With SDP the PC entitlement for a single person would be (at todays rates) £252/week. A State Pension of £203.63 would reduce the PC to £48.27/week. Any other income would also be deducted and there would also be a reduction if there is capital over £10,000.

I can’t see where a figure of £110.15 comes from.

What benefits do you receive?

Note - if he is entitled to Pension Credit that would entitle him to Council Tax Reduction (and Housing Benefit if he rents) but he would need to make claims for them if he isn’t already claiming.

Hi there. Thanks so much for taking the time to reply! After much searching today it would seem that he does indeed get the correct amount for Pension Credit and I was looking at the wrong letter!

At the present moment I receive JSA (with premiums) and PIP (High Care, Low mobility) for Autism. I have pretty much become my carer and don't know how it works on being able to claim Carer's allowance and how it would effect mine or his benefit?

Would you be able to advise? Thanks!

calcotti

If he is getting SDP in his PC he would lose the SDP if you claimed CA.

(Am amazed you are still on income based JSA - there can’t be many left. Are you a job seeker or does your health prevent you working, in which case, why did you never switch to ESA?)

NewTime

calcotti said:

If he is getting SDP in his PC he would lose the SDP if you claimed CA.

(Am amazed you are still on income based JSA - there can’t be many left. Are you a job seeker or does your health prevent you working, in which case, why did you never switch to ESA?)

Aren't JSA and ESA the same? Same amount anyway?

They tried to move me to UC, but no guarantee of the premiums etc.

poppy123456

NewTime said:

calcotti said:

If he is getting SDP in his PC he would lose the SDP if you claimed CA.

(Am amazed you are still on income based JSA - there can’t be many left. Are you a job seeker or does your health prevent you working, in which case, why did you never switch to ESA?)

Aren't JSA and ESA the same? Same amount anyway

No. For JSA you’re classed as a job seeker. For ESA this doesn’t apply. 

The amounts are irrelevant now anyway because you can no longer claim Income Related ESA.

calcotti

poppy123456 said:

NewTime said:

calcotti said:

If he is getting SDP in his PC he would lose the SDP if you claimed CA.

(Am amazed you are still on income based JSA - there can’t be many left. Are you a job seeker or does your health prevent you working, in which case, why did you never switch to ESA?)

Aren't JSA and ESA the same? Same amount anyway

No. For JSA you’re classed as a job seeker. For ESA this doesn’t apply. 

The amounts are irrelevant now anyway because you can no longer claim Income Related ESA.

I’m just astonished that DWP have allowed OP to stay on JSA if they are not doing jobseeking activity.

poppy123456

calcotti said:

poppy123456 said:

NewTime said:

calcotti said:

If he is getting SDP in his PC he would lose the SDP if you claimed CA.

(Am amazed you are still on income based JSA - there can’t be many left. Are you a job seeker or does your health prevent you working, in which case, why did you never switch to ESA?)

Aren't JSA and ESA the same? Same amount anyway

No. For JSA you’re classed as a job seeker. For ESA this doesn’t apply. 

The amounts are irrelevant now anyway because you can no longer claim Income Related ESA.

I’m just astonished that DWP have allowed OP to stay on JSA if they are not doing jobseeking activity.

Agreed but they could be job seeking ( i realise you said if they're not)

NewTime

calcotti said:

poppy123456 said:

NewTime said:

calcotti said:

If he is getting SDP in his PC he would lose the SDP if you claimed CA.

(Am amazed you are still on income based JSA - there can’t be many left. Are you a job seeker or does your health prevent you working, in which case, why did you never switch to ESA?)

Aren't JSA and ESA the same? Same amount anyway

No. For JSA you’re classed as a job seeker. For ESA this doesn’t apply. 

The amounts are irrelevant now anyway because you can no longer claim Income Related ESA.

I’m just astonished that DWP have allowed OP to stay on JSA if they are not doing jobseeking activity.

Excuse me? WOuld you like to delete that comment?

poppy123456

NewTime said:

calcotti said:

poppy123456 said:

NewTime said:

calcotti said:

If he is getting SDP in his PC he would lose the SDP if you claimed CA.

(Am amazed you are still on income based JSA - there can’t be many left. Are you a job seeker or does your health prevent you working, in which case, why did you never switch to ESA?)

Aren't JSA and ESA the same? Same amount anyway

No. For JSA you’re classed as a job seeker. For ESA this doesn’t apply. 

The amounts are irrelevant now anyway because you can no longer claim Income Related ESA.

I’m just astonished that DWP have allowed OP to stay on JSA if they are not doing jobseeking activity.

Excuse me? WOuld you like to delete that comment?

I don't see anything wrong with calcotti's comment. They were just expressing their thoughts that when you claim JSA you usually need to look for work. (which is correct) Of course, if you're looking for work then claiming JSA is correct.

NewTime

Someone has just assumed I am not doing Job Seeking actively. 

calcotti

NewTime said:

calcotti said:

poppy123456 said:

NewTime said:

calcotti said:

If he is getting SDP in his PC he would lose the SDP if you claimed CA.

(Am amazed you are still on income based JSA - there can’t be many left. Are you a job seeker or does your health prevent you working, in which case, why did you never switch to ESA?)

Aren't JSA and ESA the same? Same amount anyway

No. For JSA you’re classed as a job seeker. For ESA this doesn’t apply. 

The amounts are irrelevant now anyway because you can no longer claim Income Related ESA.

I’m just astonished that DWP have allowed OP to stay on JSA if they are not doing jobseeking activity.

Excuse me? WOuld you like to delete that comment?

That wasn’t meant as any reflection on you so I’m sorry if it offended you. If you are doing job search that’s all well and good but given that you obviously some health issues and now have caring responsibilities it’s a big ask to be a jobseeker too. I don’t know how many income JSA claimants remain but the numbers will be relatively low. 

In February 2022 there were only 110,000 JSA claimants and this includes new style JSA claimants so you are among a  select group.
https://www.gov.uk/government/statistics/dwp-benefits-statistics-august-2022/dwp-benefits-statistics-august-2022#other-working-age-benefits

poppy123456

NewTime said:

Someone has just assumed I am not doing Job Seeking actively. 

I don't think they did, calcotti did say "if"

NewTime

I will let this go, but please don't assume that someone is not actively job seeking. Have a nice day.

calcotti

NewTime said:

I will let this go, but please don't assume that someone is not actively job seeking. Have a nice day.

As I said earlier, I apologise that my remark was insensitive, I am congratulate you on holding everything together.