Can anyone explain pension credit

happyfella

Hi, my sister has contacted me to tell me after getting turned down by attendance allowance twice, she has now been accepted. She has been told she can claim extra things, but she is cofused, and when I did some research for her, I was left with a headache.

Her situation is, she lives in a council house, and pays council tax, she also looks after her disabled partner.

She has been told the following:

She can apply for council tax reduction

She can apply for pension credit, but she is confused by this. She gets £221 state pension per week. I have tried to read this, but I always thought that if you get full pension then you cannot get pension credit. It says if you get less than £221, as a single person you can claim pension credit or if you £332.95 as a couple you can get it.

Her partner receives full PIP, he receives a car and he receives £101.75 per week daily living.

They also receive carers element of £271 per month

She has tried to get into to see CAB but there are no appointments where she lives.

it also says If you care for someone, you might get an extra amount known as Carer Addition, which is worth up to £45.60 a week.

Can anyone please shed some light on this, as she wants my help and it is really confusing me.

poppy123456

Is her partner under or over state pension age? You mention they claim carers element but this is part of Universal Credit and it's not £271/month. Carers element is now £189.31/month. 

If he's under state pension age then it sounds like they are claiming Universal Credit as a mixed aged couple and therefore they won't be able to claim Pension Credit. 

Carers addition (or carers premium) is what can be added to benefits such as Pension credit/Income Related ESA/JSA and Income Support if they are either claiming carers allowance or have an underlying entitlement to it. 

happyfella

poppy123456 said:

Is her partner under or over state pension age? You mention they claim carers element but this is part of Universal Credit and it's not £271/month. Carers element is now £189.31/month. 

If he's under state pension age then it sounds like they are claiming Universal Credit as a mixed aged couple and therefore they won't be able to claim Pension Credit. 

Carers addition (or carers premium) is what can be added to benefits such as Pension credit/Income Related ESA/JSA and Income Support if they are either claiming carers allowance or have an underlying entitlement to it. 

Thank you. Her partner is under state pension age. When they applied for Universal credit, she was working and he received full PIP. They took a small amount off her universal credit claim. But, when she then stopped working when she received pension age because it was too hard to carry on. They then took off her pension from her claim, and then they were left with the carers element of just £271, so that could be universal credit and carers element.

So should i tell her that there is nothing she can claim besides the attendance allowance she receives.

poppy123456

As a mixed aged couple the state pension is always deducted in full from any UC entitlement. Their UC maximum entitlement would not just include carers element. It would also include other elements too, such as standard couples allowance, housing element (if they rent) as well as LCWRA element. The reason their entitlement is less is due to the state pension deduction. 

Council Tax reduction can be claimed from their local Authority because it's not part of UC. 

happyfella said:

So should i tell her that there is nothing she can claim besides the attendance allowance she receives.

Yes because UC has replaced all other benefits and as a mixed aged couple they can not claim Pension Credit. Once her partner reaches state pension age then there maybe some entitlement to PC. 

happyfella

thank you. Great information as always. I will pass this on

poppy123456

happyfella said:

thank you. Great information as always. I will pass this on

You're very welcome. 

woodbine said:

I would also suggest a chat with AgeUK who can be brilliant with benefits for older people.

I'm a little shocked with this and it's almost like a kick in teeth for me. I don't know what other advice they could give that I haven't already. 

happyfella

poppy123456 said:

happyfella said:

thank you. Great information as always. I will pass this on

You're very welcome. 

woodbine said:

I would also suggest a chat with AgeUK who can be brilliant with benefits for older people.

I'm a little shocked with this and it's almost like a kick in teeth for me. I don't know what other advice they could give that I haven't already. 

You always give amazing advice. I feel it is strange that the system is unfair for  mixed aged couples. Maybe they should have that on the church wedding service for mixed age couples, do you take this man to be your husband, and by the way, because he is younger than you, the government will treat you unfairly lol.

Jimm_Alumni

I don't think woodbine meant it negatively at all Poppy. I'm sure they have no need to go to AgeUK for anymore information after your answers but it also doesn't hurt to suggest other possible places for help.