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Universal or Pension credits

This post is on behalf of my wife .i had so much help and understanding on my shift from DLA to PIP . I wondered if anyone can help with this question . .....??
My wife missed the old age pension when she turned 60 ,( she missed it by a few weeks) so she never got it . Her pension calculator told her that she would receive pension in 6th January 2020 . She got a letter in about a month ago telling her that her pension was due to start on 6th of jan.2020 ...please do not leave it but claim it now . She went into the carers centre who told her to apply for pension credits . She went into the local jobcentre to apply for pension credits and the local jobcentre told her that she could not apply for pension credit but to apply for universal credit . Theyngave her a number to phone . The next day she phoned the number and they told her that she should apply through her local jobcentre . She went back in the following day only to be told she cannot claim pension credit as that has now stopped and she would need to claim universal credit ( she and i had our heads pickled by this time as i was also going through the change from dla to pip ) ...one person from DWP was telling us one thing and another person was telling us another thing . It ended up with the fella in the local jobcentre telling us to leave it until she was pension age ( she is at the moment my carer and she gets income support ) her income support and carers allowance will stop when she reaches 65 and six months on the 6th january . So we decided to leave it until she turned pension age . Tyreebdaysvago she got another letternfrom DWP telling her that her income support and carers allowance would stop on the 3rd january ....Please do not leave it until,them to claim pension credits ....then from the same day was another letter saying that she cannot claim pension credit but she might be able to claim universal credit 🙄she decided to go in to the CAB to see where she stood , they told her that she can claim pension credit but she should phone this number at DWP ...she came home and phoned that number to be told she cannot claim pension credit ( yet another change of rules) she then went into our lical jobcentre again and the girl said that " no wonder you are mixed up " and she phoned a number and waited onmthemphone for 40 minutes until she got through . The lady on the phone told her she cannot claim anything untilmshe is actually pension age until she is pension age ...so the girl in the local jobcentrebtold my wife to come back in when she reached pension age and hopefully by then we will know what she can claim ...oh the reason the lady on the phone told her that was because i was not pension age until january 2021 ....what a mix up . Can anyone advise if she can claim pension credit or universal credit when she turns pension age please . ?
I live in Scotland and Scotland is taking care of its own finances in benefits next year 2020 .., i think were just born at the wrong time(mid 1950's) 🤔☹
My wife missed the old age pension when she turned 60 ,( she missed it by a few weeks) so she never got it . Her pension calculator told her that she would receive pension in 6th January 2020 . She got a letter in about a month ago telling her that her pension was due to start on 6th of jan.2020 ...please do not leave it but claim it now . She went into the carers centre who told her to apply for pension credits . She went into the local jobcentre to apply for pension credits and the local jobcentre told her that she could not apply for pension credit but to apply for universal credit . Theyngave her a number to phone . The next day she phoned the number and they told her that she should apply through her local jobcentre . She went back in the following day only to be told she cannot claim pension credit as that has now stopped and she would need to claim universal credit ( she and i had our heads pickled by this time as i was also going through the change from dla to pip ) ...one person from DWP was telling us one thing and another person was telling us another thing . It ended up with the fella in the local jobcentre telling us to leave it until she was pension age ( she is at the moment my carer and she gets income support ) her income support and carers allowance will stop when she reaches 65 and six months on the 6th january . So we decided to leave it until she turned pension age . Tyreebdaysvago she got another letternfrom DWP telling her that her income support and carers allowance would stop on the 3rd january ....Please do not leave it until,them to claim pension credits ....then from the same day was another letter saying that she cannot claim pension credit but she might be able to claim universal credit 🙄she decided to go in to the CAB to see where she stood , they told her that she can claim pension credit but she should phone this number at DWP ...she came home and phoned that number to be told she cannot claim pension credit ( yet another change of rules) she then went into our lical jobcentre again and the girl said that " no wonder you are mixed up " and she phoned a number and waited onmthemphone for 40 minutes until she got through . The lady on the phone told her she cannot claim anything untilmshe is actually pension age until she is pension age ...so the girl in the local jobcentrebtold my wife to come back in when she reached pension age and hopefully by then we will know what she can claim ...oh the reason the lady on the phone told her that was because i was not pension age until january 2021 ....what a mix up . Can anyone advise if she can claim pension credit or universal credit when she turns pension age please . ?
I live in Scotland and Scotland is taking care of its own finances in benefits next year 2020 .., i think were just born at the wrong time(mid 1950's) 🤔☹
Replies
Unfortunately, as Poppy said the rules changed not too long ago meaning mixed-aged couples can't claim pension credit until both of them reached state pension age.
Poppy has given some other great advice and if you're able to answer her questions about what other benefits you claim we'll hopefully be able tot advise you more.
Scope
If you have a few minutes to spare, we'd appreciate your feedback on our online community.
I cannot remember ever asking about pension credits or universal Credit Poppy ....if i did i apologise . ..but to be honest , i might well have as we have spoke to at least 8 or 10 z( or more) people regarding our benefits in the last few months .
My benefits are DLA but i have been assessed by capita and the DWP awarded me enhanced benefits on PIP earlier this month. I am also on ESA ( which has been running since i was automatically tranfered from invalidity benefit to ESA in 2013 ...i have had no assessment for ESA in that time ( or ever had an assessment for ESA) The DWP has sent me a letter telling me i will be on enhanced benefit from PIP from 6th of November 2019 ) ...and my ESA will continue at the same rate . ( i am not of pension age until January 9th 2021 . ) so i believe things will change again then .
My wife claims income support and carers allowance and housing benefit , which of course her income support and cares benefit will cease on january when she reaches pension age . I know that the people of the DWP offices the jobcentre plus offices and the advisers in the carers centre and Citizens Advice are feeling their way in the dark . The lady from the carers centre said that she cannot help my wife as she will not be a carer from january ....of course she will still be my carer but not receiving carers allowance ...that lady in the carers told my the wrong advice and actually told her that she would be entitled to pension credit when she reaches pension age ( as did one advisor in the jobcentre ). We have indeed been told different things from various groups ( including DWP , CAB , Carers , jobcentre plus various DWP numbers we have phoned ) ....thanks for your time and advice .
I just wondered if anyone else had came through the same experience and how they got on ?
Thanks.
Thanks again poppy , our heads are pickled... and we will take our time going through your excellent (detailed)answers to our benefit problems
Thank you so much 👍
If there's anything you're still unclear on or you need more advice please don't hesitate to ask.
Scope
If you have a few minutes to spare, we'd appreciate your feedback on our online community.
Thanks to all at 'Scope' it was so good to talk to someone ( Poppy explained everything for PIP and also explained everything for UC and Pensions for my wife and i )... for that we are eternally grateful .🙂👍
Ps . No doubt we will have other things crop up between now and my wife,s pension in january ...but i know where to come .👍
I know she prefers to talk face to face with people about these things but of course thats happening less and less . I,m not saying my wife is has computerphobia ....but she watches programmes on tv like "Fake Britain" and will never trust computers . Her bank was wanting her to go on phone banking but of course watching various programmes has put her off that completely 🤔☹