Benefits and NI credits

1bumblebee
1bumblebee Online Community Member Posts: 6 Listener
edited January 27 in Benefits and income

Hi, my name is Gabby and I live in Cornwall.

Im sorry to say I have a cognitive problem and I would love to work with 1 person if that is possible. I have so much in my mind and I am very confused 🤔 I have written a few emails to different organisations and it has confused me more, I still don't understand most things in the replys I've had. But I do believe I have had contact from scope. I will try to explain simply of my plight.

I will be 67 in April. But in April 2023 I received a letter from DWP informing me that I was not entitled to a state pension, and must add I knew nothing about state pensions. It came as a shock. What's really thrown me is I have been on first DLA and then when it changed was put on PIP over the course of 20 years. I was on ESA for approx 2 years, around 2011-2013 and was put in a safe group because I was to sick to work. Then I received an inheritance and rang to tell them and came off of ESA. I didn't ask about my NI payments and wasn't told anything about NI. I've now found out no one payed my NI over the last 20 years. I am not entitled to pension credits because of my over the limit savings. I still am confused as to whom or anyone should have payed my NI contributions. When I first took sick pay I didn't realize the day I left work that I would never return to work but that is what happened, and it seems because my NI wasn't paid I'm now not entitled to a state pension. Can anyone tell me please if my NI contributions should have been paid by me or someone else over the last 20 years? It just seems so unfair. I only had 8 yrs of contributions due to a very traditional marriage to an older man,and never thought of things like pensions (wish I had thoe) and we wanted children. But had my stamp been paid over the last 20years I would have had 28 yes of N.I contributions which obviously would have made a lot of difference. I am still on pip. I wonder if there is any other direction I can try, as I only around £500 a month. I live in a house with my now x-husband, on a friendly basis not a relationship and he cares for me. He is 8years older than I am,he's coming up 75 with his own health problems and if anything happened to him I really don't know what would happen to me. It's a continuous strain on me (and him) and I don't know which way to turn. If someone could help me here I would be very grateful, thank you

Kind regards

Gabby

Comments

  • poppy123456
    poppy123456 Online Community Member Posts: 64,463 Championing

    Both DLA and PIP do not include NI credits. Benefits such as ESA, JSA, Income Support would include NI credits. When you claimed ESA for those years in 2011-13 then that should have included class 1 NI credits. Have you actually checked your NI contributions? You can check that here.

    https://www.gov.uk/check-national-insurance-record

    If you are 67 in April this year, I don't understand why you had a letter in April 2023 when you were 65 saying you're not entitled to state pension, I wouldn't expect you to be entitled to state pension at that age. State pension age is 66 do I don't know why you received a letter 1 year before you reached state pension age. Unless you applied for state pension a year before you should have. Please check your NI records above.

    You can apply for state pension 4 months before you reach age 66. Have you applied?

    For Pension Credit the capital (savings) limit is £10,000. There's no upper capital limit for this. For every £500 of capital over that amount your pension credit would reduce by £1/week. There's a PC calculator here that you could use.

    https://www.gov.uk/pension-credit-calculator

  • Mary_Scope
    Mary_Scope Posts: 1,146 Scope Online Community Children and Family Specialists

    A warm welcome to the community @1bumblebee!

    I see poppy123456 has given some wonderful advice above so I won't add anything else today but it's lovely to have you hear and please reach out if you would like more support/have more questions.

    We are a friendly bunch on the community who will do our best to support you!

  • 1bumblebee
    1bumblebee Online Community Member Posts: 6 Listener

    Thankyou so much Mary, I was thinking after that maybe it wouldn't be as confusing if it was more than one person because it's all here in one place where I can keep it together. I am I a bit of a state because I have a problem cognitive wise and there is some much info out there but I never seem to find an answer and go round in circles and then my problem gets worse because I get so anxious and stressed, it a vicious circle ⭕

    King regards, gabby

  • 1bumblebee
    1bumblebee Online Community Member Posts: 6 Listener
  • 1bumblebee
    1bumblebee Online Community Member Posts: 6 Listener

    Hello, it's me again. I don't know how I can talk to poppy ? I don't see any where on her reply that I can click on ? Or am I meant to use this space here?

    There must be lots,thousand of people in my position,that left work early because of I'll health. It just feels so unfair and I feel like it's a punishment for being ill. What are we meant to do ? I've been very ill over the course of 20 years, I was by no means rich and you don't get an opportunity to save money out of pip payments. If anything happened to my partner/carer I would not have enough money to keep myself let alone all the monthly bill's ect . With the way things are ,both f our health issues we would have loved to have moved, but we both feel so unwell, he is in pain from his knee and my problems it almost feels impossible for us to move.

    I forgot to ask,we do own our home, do the DWP count your house as saving's?

    It really does scare me,we are not managing well,what with the price of heating ect,ect. He is my carer and he is 8 years older than me. He is waiting for a knee replacement,doesn't have a consultation til march and his knee is so bad that it's been collapsing the last couple of months, I feel so bad for him. This is a disaster because when he does get it done I don't have a carer and all he has is me and I don't know what I'm going to do because I am not well enough to care for him. I am literally bed bound,the only thing I do is dentist,Dr,and hospital appointments and they are getting so difficult for me, and if I get to these appointments it literally knocks me down for weeks and I'm fit to do nothing.

    This is all so bad,it's gone 5am now and I haven't slept because everything goes round in my head,which makes my health suffer and it's just a vicious cycle, I can't work it all out. I'm just so confused..

    Thank you for listening to me.

    Kindest regards, gabby

  • Kimi87
    Kimi87 Online Community Member Posts: 4,629 Championing

    The DWP do not count the value of your home when calculating savings.

    I suggest you apply for a needs assessment to get help while your partner is recovering from his op

    https://www.nhs.uk/conditions/social-care-and-support-guide/help-from-social-services-and-charities/getting-a-needs-assessment/

    Your partner can also ask for a carers assessment, these can be done at the same time.

    https://www.nhs.uk/conditions/social-care-and-support-guide/support-and-benefits-for-carers/carer-assessments/

  • poppy123456
    poppy123456 Online Community Member Posts: 64,463 Championing

    As a new member you will not be able to message me but even if that was possible, I'm afraid I don't give advice through private message. You can post any questions you have on here, just like you did with your above comment.

    As kimmy advised the home you live in is not counted as capital so will have no affect on any pension credit claim. For pension credit the savings limit is £10,000 and there's a deduction of £1/week for every £500 or part thereof over that amount.

    I'd advise you to start a claim for Pension Credit but they may ask you for proof that you are not living together as a couple.

    https://www.gov.uk/pension-credit/how-to-claim

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