State pension : pensioner supporting younger wife

Sterlingtimes · 11 February 2008 at 3:57PM

Is it the case that where a pensioner has a much younger wife in good health who is not pensionable in her own right that the male pensioner receives nothing from the state as a contribution for her support?

Is the rationale that the male pensioner should send his non-pensionable wife out to work until she reaches state pensionable age?

Primrose · 11 February 2008 at 5:13PM

I believe that in the past before Gordon Brown abolished it for most married couples under a certain age, an older male pensionier could claim a married couples allowance but this no longer applies for many married couples. I assume that if there is a much younger wife in a relationship she might still be working after her husband has retired and will therefore be contributing towards her own State and personal pension. So I guess the answer to your question is "Yes" and the wife should be contributing herself. There will always be certain cases where this is not possible, i.e. if the much older male pensioner needs constant care and attention, but in that case, he would probably be receiving Attendance Allowance.

Sterlingtimes · 11 February 2008 at 6:00PM

Primrose wrote: »

I believe that in the past before Gordon Brown abolished it for most married couples under a certain age, an older male pensioner could claim a married couples allowance but this no longer applies for many married couples.

Thank you, Primrose, for confirming what I had presumed to be the case. It wasn't so easy to find the answer on the Internet.

I'm only 52 but I think it's wise to consider matters now. The pension age deferment makes matters worse, so I'll be 78 before my wife receives her pension.

Presumably, old men will end up working much longer to support the whims of their younger wives.

bryanb · 11 February 2008 at 6:17PM

I am in exactly this position. My state pension is increased by about £54 pw. All I had to do was certify that my wife had no earnings, and send marriage cert & birth cert. You need to ask Pensions dept for a claim for a dependent adult relative. I had to insist on them sending the form as the adviser had never heard of it!!! She told me 3 times no and superviser said same. Insist they send form!!!

EdInvestor · 11 February 2008 at 8:27PM

That´s correct, you get the equivalent of 60% of your state pension for the dependant.It converts when she reaches pensionable age to a state pension in her own name.

jennifernil · 12 February 2008 at 12:48AM

I don't work, I am only 6 years younger than my husband however. He receives the extra 60% on his pension for me. When I am 60 (soon) it will become my pension.

I think there may be a limit on how young the spouse can be, I know there is in some company pensions.

bryanb · 12 February 2008 at 10:44AM

Mine was 53yrs at time of claim. Go for it!!

seven-day-weekend · 12 February 2008 at 12:11PM

Yes Margaret, I was wondering why, unless there were extenuating family circumstances, the 'younger' wife couldn't work, at least part-time.

Having said that, I was 54 when we came to Spain and we live at the moment on my husband's Teacher's Pension. (He gets no extra for me).

However, if we'd have remained in the UK, I'd have stayed at work, working three days, even when my husband took early retirement.

Sterlingtimes · 12 February 2008 at 12:50PM

margaretclare wrote: »

I thought that the whole idea of wives being 'supported' by their husbands had gone out of the window years ago?

I think that the idea lives on albeit that it's probably fragmented on across society.

It's probably more prevalent where the husband is a higher earner and the wife is potentially a low earner.

There's precious little incremental income to realise for a wife working at the minimum wage when some of the following are taken into account: tax, National Insurance, child care, the cost of work (clothing and transport), and the lost opportunity of doing things at home. The incremental benefit offered to the household above the husband's income may be quite small.

The government also sanctions the practice until children are 12 years old through Home Responsibility Protection.

However, I do agree that the government will probably decide (if it has not already done so) that the concept of men supporting wives is archaic. I still can't find a definitive answer through an internet search.

seven-day-weekend · 12 February 2008 at 12:55PM

margaretclare wrote: »

It's a bit different for you and your husband, living from choice in a foreign country. But for someone in her own country, where she speaks the language, I just can't understand it.

Margaret

Also, I would just like to point out that no State Benefits from either country are paid to me or for me.

seven-day-weekend · 12 February 2008 at 12:58PM

Sterlingtimes wrote: »

I think that the idea lives on albeit that it's probably fragmented on across society.

It's probably more prevalent where the husband is a higher earner and the wife is potentially a low earner.

There's precious little incremental income to realise for a wife working at the minimum wage when some of the following are taken into account: tax, National Insurance, child care, the cost of work (clothing and transport), and the lost opportunity of doing things at home. The incremental benefit offered to the household above the husband's income may be quite small.

The government also sanctions the practice until children are 12 years old through Home Responsibility Protection.

However, I do agree that the government will probably decide (if it has not already done so) that the concept of men supporting wives is archaic. I still can't find a definitive answer through an internet search.

National Insurance is worth paying as it entitles you to a full pension (maybe topped up with HRP) as well as other benefits. HRP is credited because the person is looking after children or perhaps an elderly relative at home. It is not given to people who are not in receipt of Child Benefit or Carer's Allowance. I myself have some HRP to count towards my pension.

Child care - if her husband is retired why can't he look after the children?

Extra income, even if small, is earned rather than relying on a State Benefit. It shouldn't matter that it is not much more.

Don't get me wrong, everyone has the choice not to work if they don't wish to. But I do not see why they should receive State Funding for not doing so unless they are unable to work for a valid reason, or seeking work.

State pension : pensioner supporting younger wife

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