benefits for pensioners

GlasweJen

My gran and granda were in today and granda talking about getting new specs, long story short turns out it they've not been claiming anything other than state pension and their own wee pensions for years.

Did a quick calculation for them and just want to check i'm right because benefits for the elderly is not my thing at all.

Granda - state pension £104, industrial pension £90 per week
Granny - state pension £54 and industrial pension £12 per week
Council tax is 1094 per year, factor is £54 per quarter, savings are £7000 fund to bury them as they don't have insurance (don't ask). Granda gets DLA middle care, lower mobility on an indefinate award. The house is bought outright, no mortgage.

I worked out that gran should be getting carers allowance because she does look after granda all hours of the day and night. I worked out that they could get something off the council tax (£19 per week ish, it was a very rough calculation) but I'm stumped with pension credits. Entitled to says £0 guarantee credit and £2.41 per week on savings credit but direct gov site says £14 per week but doesn't say which components. I filled in both calculators as if there was no carers allowance because gran doesn't get this yet and the net is giving conflicting info on wether people over 65 can claim carers allowance.

Can anyone with more knowledge advise please?

sleepless_saver

It used to be the case that you could not claim carers allowance and a state pension at the same time. This has changed. She can claim carers allowance, but it is an overlapping benefit with her state pension, so would not increase her income. In fact it would be worth getting specialist benefits advice before claiming as carers allowance is a tricky benefit and claiming it can sometimes make matters more difficult for the person being claimed for.

The pension credit is a no-brainer though. They should apply right away as it sounds like they will at least get savings pension credit. They can find the number for their area here. Helps to have NI numbers and details of income and savings to hand as the application is usually taken over the phone. And they should apply for council tax benefit as well once they have the pension credit sorted.

Just out of interest, I put your figures into entitledto and came up with £4 per week savings pension credit and £13 for council tax benefit. So who knows, but it looks like they're entitled to something.

The directgov calculator doesn't claim to be very precise and it doesn't take account of disability.

GlasweJen

There's an assistance scheme called money matters in their area but trying to get them to go is like pulling teeth! I filled in and printed off as much of the pension credit form as I could and wrote them a list of what they need to fill in and what they should send off with the form.

Granda doesn't get any means tested help so gran claiming carers shouldn't affect him, they're definately not on income support or anything like that.

[Deleted User]

I think it would be worth them chatting with a benefits advisor from age concern.

MyRubyRed

woodbine wrote: »

I think it would be worth them chatting with a benefits advisor from age concern.

Agree. Age Concern will be able to work out what they could claim and will help complete forms. They are wonderful. One other thing...was your grandad ever in the Armed Forces as British Legion also offer support and grants to ex service men.

sleepless_saver

GlasweJen wrote: »

Granda doesn't get any means tested help so gran claiming carers shouldn't affect him, they're definately not on income support or anything like that.

It doesn't work like that. Their entitlement to council tax benefit and pension credit would be affected because any carers allowance would stop him getting his severe disability premium which he has because of his middle rate DLA award. This premium increases their council tax benefit and pension credit entitlement so it would be a mistake to lose it. Any carers allowance entitlement would not, in their specific circumstances, compensate for this loss.

(At least that is my reading of the rules, but it is horrendously complicated)

leemack

he'd only be getting a severe disability premium if he were living on his own. No actual carers entitlement but an underlying entitlement. What this means is that claiming carers allowance would mean an increase in savings credit.
Claim: Pension credit
carers allowance
council tax benefit

GlasweJen

Thanks Leemack, like i say there is an organisation near them that do this sort of thing but they are an absolute nightmare and feel as if they're sponging when the reality is that they're in their 70s, granda only has 1 kidney and a dodgy heart and gran also has heart problems but they just think they should plod on.

I don't think granda ever spent time in the armed forces, he was a ship builder and worked as an engineer for the merchant navy but hasn't ever mentioned even doing national service.

leemack

If your Gran's poorly, maybe she should get some advice on attendance allowance - like DLA but for over 65's no mobility component or low rate care component. If she qualified it would mean a large increase in income, qualify them for guarantee pension credit if no one else lives with them and full council tax benefit. Would depend on your grans health and care needs.

GlasweJen

Her health isn't great but she's got minimal care needs so I don't think attendance allowance is suitable tbh.

krisskross

leemack wrote: »

If your Gran's poorly, maybe she should get some advice on attendance allowance - like DLA but for over 65's no mobility component or low rate care component. If she qualified it would mean a large increase in income, qualify them for guarantee pension credit if no one else lives with them and full council tax benefit. Would depend on your grans health and care needs.

I don't think AA on it's own will qualify anyone for pension credit. It won't be counted as income but surely if you didn't qualify for pension credit before then you wouldn't because you get AA