retirement and benefits — Scope | Disability forum
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retirement and benefits

robertconnor
robertconnor Community member Posts: 11 Listener
I have just retired to look after my disabled wife, I am 66, questions is, does my wife's pip get taking into account when applying for housing benefits also our old age pension which the both of us get 

Comments

  • calcotti
    calcotti Community member Posts: 10,010 Disability Gamechanger
    edited May 2022
    The pension income will be taken into account but the PIP is ignored.

    You can also apply for Council Tax Reduction to help with Council Tax.

    If the Housing Benefit and CTR will not cover all of the rent or Council Tax you can, if your wife gets Daily Living PIP, increase your entitlement by applying for Carers Allowance. You will not be paid any CA but will establish an ‘underlying entitlement’ which increases HB and CTR.
    Information I post is for England unless otherwise stated. Rules may be different in other parts of UK.
  • ShirleyW
    ShirleyW Community member Posts: 355 Pioneering
    It may be possible to get Pension Credit, depending on the amount of your State pensions.

    If you apply for Carer's Allowance this would help any entitlement to Benefits.  Whilst you do not receive the Carer's Allowance (unless your pension is very low) you would have the Carer's Premium. 

    If you are eligible for Pension Credit even if only £1 per week, you would automatically be entitled to full Council tax reduction and full housing benefit. 

  • robertconnor
    robertconnor Community member Posts: 11 Listener
    I get the full pension and my wife has the reduced pension, if I apply for pension will that effect my wife's pip???
  • poppy123456
    poppy123456 Community member Posts: 53,333 Disability Gamechanger
    edited May 2022
    I get the full pension and my wife has the reduced pension, if I apply for pension will that effect my wife's pip???

    Not if you apply for pension credit because PIP isn't means tested. You can apply for carers allowance too. You won't be paid it but as advised you will have the carers premium included in your pension credit calculation because of the underlying entitlement to Carers allowance.
    I would appreciate it if members wouldn't tag me please. I have all notifcations turned off and wouldn't want a member thinking i'm being rude by not replying.
    If i see a question that i know the answer to i will try my best to help.
  • robertconnor
    robertconnor Community member Posts: 11 Listener
    Poppy you are a diamond thank you for your help, I will try to apply for pension credit, and carers allowance, again thank you so much 
  • robertconnor
    robertconnor Community member Posts: 11 Listener
    I have just been told what they take into account when making a decision how my housing benefit is worked out is this correct, state pension, private pension, wife's state pension, PIp care allowence, pip mobility allowence, I do know that any private pension is taking into account but is the rest, thank you for your help 
  • poppy123456
    poppy123456 Community member Posts: 53,333 Disability Gamechanger
    No, that's not correct. State pension and PIP are not taken into consideration. Regarding my previous advice here..
    I get the full pension and my wife has the reduced pension, if I apply for pension will that effect my wife's pip???

    You won't be paid it but as advised you will have the carers premium included in your pension credit calculation because of the underlying entitlement to Carers allowance.
    Whether there's any entitlement to pension will totally depend on how much your prviate pension is because you didn't mention this previously.

    I would appreciate it if members wouldn't tag me please. I have all notifcations turned off and wouldn't want a member thinking i'm being rude by not replying.
    If i see a question that i know the answer to i will try my best to help.
  • robertconnor
    robertconnor Community member Posts: 11 Listener
    The benefit people sent me an email when I questioned them about this and they sent me the breakdown hence why I know what they have done , they also said they would send out a letter to confirm why they came to their decision, so now waiting on this letter, have contacted citizen advice as well but still waiting on there reply, is there anything else I can do  
  • calcotti
    calcotti Community member Posts: 10,010 Disability Gamechanger
    I have just been told what they take into account when making a decision how my housing benefit is worked out is this correct, state pension, private pension, wife's state pension, PIp care allowence, pip mobility allowence, I do know that any private pension is taking into account but is the rest, thank you for your help 
    No, that's not correct. State pension and PIP are not taken into consideration. Regarding my previous advice here..
    In this post OP appears to be asking about how Housing Benefit will be calculated in which case State Pension will be taken into account. OP, the PIP will be ignored. All the other income will be taken into account.
    Information I post is for England unless otherwise stated. Rules may be different in other parts of UK.
  • robertconnor
    robertconnor Community member Posts: 11 Listener
    sorry I am getting a bit confused, poppy states state pension and pip do not get taken into account when applying for housing benefits, and calcotti states the state pensions do get taken into account can this be confirmed please, I live in scotland I don't know if this makes a lot of difference but thought i better add this 
  • L_Volunteer
    L_Volunteer Community Volunteer Adviser, Scope Member Posts: 7,979 Disability Gamechanger
    edited June 2022
    Thanks for clarifying that information for us @robertconnor. I can hear some confusion and understandably so, it sounds like a confusing situation.

    We appreciate you reaching out to us and being honest about the confusion you are currently experiencing.

    Unfortunately, this is not an area of my expertise. This means I can only hope @poppy123456 and @calcotti will be able to clarify this further for you soon.

    Please don't hesitate to let us know if we can do anything else to support you. We are all here for you and listening to you  :)
    Community Volunteer Adviser with professional knowledge of education, special educational needs and disabilities and EHCP's. Pronouns: She/her. 

    Please note: if I use the online community outside of its hours of administration, I am doing so in a personal capacity only.
  • poppy123456
    poppy123456 Community member Posts: 53,333 Disability Gamechanger
    Apologies for giving incorect information, not sure where my head was early today. Calcotti is correct and State pension and your private pension is taken into consideration when calculating housing benefit. PIP isn't.
    I would appreciate it if members wouldn't tag me please. I have all notifcations turned off and wouldn't want a member thinking i'm being rude by not replying.
    If i see a question that i know the answer to i will try my best to help.
  • robertconnor
    robertconnor Community member Posts: 11 Listener
    thank you very much for getting back to me Poppy, and for confirming pip is not taken into account but pensions are, your advice and help is very much appreciated and gives me something to work with, again thank you.

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