Pension credits or UC

Seanchai · September 2019

Hi guys...first of all let me thankyou for your advice in the past .
This post is on behalf of my wife but it will affect both of us.
My wife ( and my carer ) got a letter in from DWP telling her how much old age pension she would get . The letter ended by telling my wife to apply as soon as possible and not to leave it until it due . My wife missed the pension at 60 years old and had to wait until she was 65 before she could claim her pension . She does not get her pension until january 2020 ( when i turn 65 ) that will make her 65 and 7 months old. She decided to go into the carers centre for advice on how to claim Pension credit . The lady in the carers centre told her just to give the DWP a phone as she should claim pension credit . She came back home and phoned the DWP , she was told by them that she is not entitled to pension credit but may be able to claim Universal credit , the lady on the phone gave her a number to phone ...she waited nearly two hours to get an answer ...but no answer i,m afraid . The next day she went into the jobcentre and the fella in the jobcentre told her she would be able to claim pension credit and gave her yet a different number to phone .(DWP). ...and said that if she had any problems claiming pension credit , she was to just phone him .My wife got home , phoned the number the fella in the jobcentre gave her . A lady ( DWP)told her that she cannot claim pension credit but might be able to claim Universal Credit ...oh dear sorry about the length of this saga .. my wife then phoned the fella in the local jobcentre ( the fella she had spoke to earlier ) ...he told her just to leave it until january ....of course that was over the phone but the letter told us to get it sorted out as soon as possible and not leave it until january . Our head is spinning wondering what to do next ...but she phoned the carers centre and wanted to make an appointment to see the lady who told her ( first of all)she is entitled to claim pension credit . The receptionist in the carers centre said, the lady who deals with claims was not in today...but she would leave a message to get her to phone my wife . ( not the first time we have waited all day on a call )?☹
If the DWP cannot agree on claims then what chance have we got ??
Thanks for reading guys .
Nobody can tell us why my wife could not claim pension at 65 years of age ( but have to wait until she is 65 and 7 months ...the only thing i can think is that my 65th birthday is in january has something to do with it ??)...we were told " thats the rules " ..so anyone approaching pension age , i would suggest not leaving it to the last moment to get things sorted as the DWP cannot seem to get it right at all .
PS . We were also told that we would have to claim her pension over the phone or online ...no paperwork involved nowadays seemingly ?

Seanchai · September 2019

I apologise if this is a double post as it took a wee while to " submit" ...Thank you .

Seanchai · September 2019

I had my face to face ( in my house) assessment for the move from DLA to PIP three weeks ago . The lady who assessed me was very nice , she said it could take up to 8 weeks for an answer to my claim for PIP . With the wait on this and the carry on with my wife's pension and what she can or cannot claim , is taking its toll on both of us i,m afraid ???

poppy123456 · September 2019

Hi,

The new rules that came out for pension credit in May of this year means that a couple can no longer claim pension credit until both of you have reached state pension age. https://www.gov.uk/pension-credit/eligibility

As your wife doesn't claim her state pension until January 2020 what benefits are you both claiming in the mean time?

Seanchai · September 2019

Hi Poppy ....my wife is on carers allowance ( i know that stops when her pension starts ) she also claims income support ( which also stops when she hits pension age ).
I am on DLA ( waiting the answer from PIP about my assessment( 3 weeks ago)..i,m also,on ESA .

Seanchai · September 2019

Thank you for your link Poppy ....i,m surprised the people who make these decisions are not up to date with the latest rules. Although i know the rules are changing all the time .

poppy123456 · September 2019

Your existing benefits will continue until you start receiving your state pension.

Seanchai · September 2019

Thanks Poppy ....my wife was told to get everything in place just now ( in a letter from the DWP) and not leave it until her pension is due....alas nobody seems sure what to do ....but it looks like we will continue with what we have up until january ....the link you sent me says that we cannot claim pension credit until we are both pension age ... I am not 66 until january 2021. Nobody could tell us wht mynwife has to wait until she is 65 and 7 months before she can claim her pension .That seven months seems to be plucked out the air as nobody can tell,us why she never got her pension when she was 65 .
Thank you for the link Poppy ?

poppy123456 · September 2019

You're welcome. State pension age is different for everyone and reaching 65 doesn't mean you can receive it at this age. It will depend on when she was born.

Pension credit rules changed in May this year and will cause issues for those with partners that are younger than state pension age. As you're claiming ESA and she's claiming Income Support then your ESA must be contributions based.

I would advise you to get some face to face advice for a benefits check once she does start claiming her state pension because i'm unsure whether or not you'll be able to claim Universal Credit to top up your Income.

Seanchai · September 2019

Thats the carers benefits adviser and three different people from DWP giving my wife conflicting advice. Hopefully by January the DWP will have sorted it all out . It was fine getting a letter to tell her to get it fixed as soon as possible ...but nobody from DWP can advise her what to do. She had face to face advice yesterday from the benefits adviser in the jobcentre and he told her that she should claim pension credits ...obviously that's the wrong advice she got from the adviser in the jobcentre ....and when she phoned him back he said just to leave it until January ....yet the letter from DWP telling my wife how much her pension would be, advised her to get it fixed out as soon as possible and not leave it until January ?? It just shows how much mess this government are in ( in my humble opinion)and the various DWP secretaries ( and various cabinet MP's ) that have come and gone .
Thank you for your time Poppy ...very much appreciated . ?

poppy123456 · September 2019

You're welcome. Pension credit is different to her state pension. She can apply for her state pension before January but not the pension credit. It seems like you're confusing them both. They are different benefits. https://www.ageuk.org.uk/information-advice/money-legal/pensions/state-pension/new-state-pension/

Seanchai · September 2019

Ah...we thought it was an add on to the state pension .
Can you tell me if my wife will have to apply for state pension just now , or will she get it automatically ?
I realise other benefits she is getting just now will stop automatically . (Income support and carers allowance ) . Thanks Poppy ?

poppy123456 · September 2019

It is an add on but claiming it for a lot of people depends on household income because pension credit is means tested and she can't claim it until you reach state pension age because of the new rules.

For her state pension she'll receive a letter a couple of months before she reaches that age.

Seanchai · September 2019

Yes Poppy , she got the letter telling her how much sh would be on weekly £146 a week ...of course paying our rent and council tax will leave us with nothing to live on...all of course depends on how my assessment went for pip ☹? Thanks again Poppy ?

poppy123456 · September 2019

As you are the younger partner then you would be able to claim UC to top up your Income but if you're claiming housing benefit to help with your rent then this will be transferred to UC.

As you're claiming contributions based ESA you will remain on this but your ESA will be deducted £1 for £1 from your UC payments. As you're in the support group this will be honoured in UC and you'll receive the LCWRA element added onto your claim. A benefits calculator maybe useful at this stage, otherwise i'd advise you to speak to an agency near you for face to face advice and for a full benefits check, once your partner's Income Support stops and state pension starts.

Seanchai · September 2019

Oh my head !
Thanks for your advice and your time Poppy . I think they make it aķward just to **** us off .Ye would have to be a philedelphia lawyer to understand the ins and out of DWP and theiŕ rules . I don,t think many of the staff will be lawyer quality to be honest ....a bit like boris and the attorney general , they are in a different world from us mere moŕtals i,m afraid ??☹
Thanks Poppy ?

poppy123456 · September 2019

You're welcome. I agree, it's a minefield. In my opinion the worst place to go for advice about benefits, is DWP because they mostly read from a screen.

Seanchai · September 2019

I believe you are spot on about advice from DWP.
Once again , thank you for your help Poppy, it has put things in a different light now ?

Pension credits or UC

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