Transition from ESA(IR) Support Group - State Pension /Pension Credit

userinfo1
userinfo1 Online Community Member Posts: 63 Contributor
in Benefits and income
Could someone please advise I am helping a person with there Pension and Pension Credits.

The person has received a letter from the DWP to invite them to apply for there State Pension as will hit the age in a few months time.


However I am very confused on when to apply;

State Pension : - I understand can be applied up to 3 months prior to hitting retirement age.

Pension Credit:- This is the one I am confused about. Can you apply for Pension Credit up to 3 months prior to hitting Pension age or have to hit the age and then apply for it.

I am just concerned and you know what the DWP are like that before anything gets sorted that the current ESA(IR) Support Group payments get messed around with before the person hits pension age  or that they come back and decline Pension Credit as technically is not on State Pension until a few months time.

 When would you advise to apply for the State Pension and then apply for Pension Credit? The person can ill afford to be messed around with money?

Comments

  • calcotti
    calcotti Online Community Member Posts: 10,001 Championing
    edited November 2021
    Claim State Pension as soon as permissible which is up to four months before reaching pension age
    https://www.gov.uk/new-state-pension/how-to-claim

    You can also claim Pension Credit up to four months before reaching pension age 
    https://www.gov.uk/pension-credit/how-to-claim seem logical to Seems best to claim once the State Pension application has been made.

    Neither claim will affect ESA because neither are paid until pension age is reached.

    Just to check, you are dealing with a single claimant, not someone with a partner?
  • userinfo1
    userinfo1 Online Community Member Posts: 63 Contributor
    Yes its a single claim.... and assume can be done for them online?
  • calcotti
    calcotti Online Community Member Posts: 10,001 Championing
    edited November 2021
    userinfo1 said:
    Yes its a single claim.... and assume can be done for them online?
    Yes, online. Follow the links as included in my post.
  • Alex_Alumni
    Alex_Alumni Scope alumni Posts: 7,538 Championing
    Hi @userinfo1 and welcome to the community! I hope @calcotti was able to answer your queries, but do say if you do have any questions, or if would like to join in with other discussions then please feel free.

    Alex
  • wilko
    wilko Online Community Member Posts: 2,438 Championing
    Hello, yes get the pension and pension credit sorted out in advance as once the person reaches pension age the ESA stops and if the other financial issues are not in place they will have no income. The DWP are pretty good at sorting these thing out we only hear of the bad cases.
  • hawaii58
    hawaii58 Online Community Member Posts: 5 Listener

    ive just done the pension credit although they say you can do it early when trying to do it online myself it wouldn't let me but i phoned them and she said id have to do it on the 25th as thats the date my husbands birthday, when i tried it on the 25th. It still wouldnt let me do it so i phoned again and what he said my husbands name had to be first, don’t ask me what difference that made but it did, they were able to do it on the phone so if your doing it within the 4 months perhaps phone them they also said that id hear by 25th jan 2025

  • poppy123456
    poppy123456 Online Community Member Posts: 64,463 Championing
    https://forum.scope.org.uk/discussion/comment/931788#Comment_931788

    This thread is 3 years old so I would hope the member has everything sorted by now.

  • hawaii58
    hawaii58 Online Community Member Posts: 5 Listener

    so sorry I’m new, will bear in mind next time to look at the date lollll

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