Advice re moms pension

kazzer101

Hi there

hope you dont mind me picking your brains about this....

My dad died 22 years ago, my mom hasnt worked since 1973 and claimed widows pension for all these years. She is 60 next year and has received a letter today saying she will have an old age pension of £20 odd per week (her widows pension is currently about £70. She is worried sick how she is going to manage with £50 less per week. Could she stick to still receiving widows pension instead?

She had a pension forecast done when my dad died and it said she would be able to claim against some of his NI conts, but had nothing recently.

How is ANYONE meant to live on £20 a week for EVERYTHING!!?

I am really hoping to give her some good news, as it is she has got a guy from pension forecast phoning her a week wednesday once someone has assessed her file!? This gives poor mom 9 days of fretting and worrying.

Thanks in anticipation of any help.

Karen

EdInvestor

She can apply for pension credit which will top up her state pension to 114 quid a week and also give her free council tax and housing benefit if required.

So 50 quid extra rather than 50 quid less.:)

CIS

She can choose which one to keep , as her widows pension is higher then she gets to keep that.

If you look at the letter she received showing £20, the small print will tell you that it doesn't take in to account anything they get as a widow / divorcee / married women. I used to get widows telephoning in in tears because they had read the bit about their own pension, got upset and not read further down the page.

With pension credit she will always get a guaranteed minimum figure, whether her pension is £20 or £70.

kazzer101

I havent read her letter yet, but thanks so much for putting our minds at rest. She was so upset. After spending her entire life caring for people (us as kids, my grandparents when they got old and now the grandkids) She hasnt the opportunity to return to work and panicked!

Thank you so much again!!

Karen xxx

anniewoo

Hi,

I have just read this thread and this is something that I have been wondering about too.My husband died 8 years ago and I have been receiving a widows pension,part of which is based on his NI contributions,because I had never worked during our married life.

I now work part time and I will be 60 next year.I would really like to give up work if I can afford to,but I wasn't sure whether I carried on with the widow's pension or changed to the state pension.