Pension Credit

margaretclare

Yes, the generations over age 60 are well-known to be reluctant to claim what they're entitled to. There are many billions going unclaimed. That's why, when pension credit started a few years ago, the advertising campaign said 'Pick it up, it's yours'.

My DH was written to a few times asking why he hadn't claimed pension credit. In fact the reason was that we'd done the sums and found out that we weren't entitled to this means-tested benefit - income a little too high. Eventually he got a letter saying that someone would be coming out to see him. We thought 'Well, OK. Big waste of time, but if that's what they want to do...' A nice lady arrived, DH handed her a piece of paper, her bottom barely hit the chair before she agreed that we weren't entitled. And she hadn't even looked at mine! However, she did say that they were trying to visit everyone who, at that time, hadn't claimed, with the object of going through all income and outgoings and seeing how they could help.

Anyway, back to you and your OH. It seems to me that he has been unfairly dismissed and there are various points regarding that which need clearing up before he even gets on to claiming means-tested benefits. Was he given notice, has he been paid any holiday entitlement, has he been paid redundancy pay - a week and a half for every year he's worked there - was he offered a more suitable job. He needs an employment law specialist, probably through the CAB if no union representative.

He needs to sign on at the JobCentrePlus to make sure he gets his national insurance contributions credited for his eventual retirement pension.

All these things need going into before thinking about pension credit.

HTH

Oldernotwiser

margaretclare wrote: »

He needs to sign on at the JobCentrePlus to make sure he gets his national insurance contributions credited for his eventual retirement pension.

Men over 60 don't need to do this.

margaretclare

Further to what I wrote earlier, 16 years at one job entitles your OH to 1.5 weeks redundancy pay per year worked there, so: 52 x 1.5 = 228 weeks x 16 = 3648 weeks' redundancy pay. Plus any accrued holiday entitlement.

He should have had a letter giving him notice and stating that he was being made redundant because of reorganisation and no suitable job. You can't just sack somebody nowadays - there is a body of employment law! ACAS is one starting point.

HTH

sleepless_saver

margaretclare wrote: »

Further to what I wrote earlier, 16 years at one job entitles your OH to 1.5 weeks redundancy pay per year worked there, so: 52 x 1.5 = 228 weeks x 16 = 3648 weeks' redundancy pay. Plus any accrued holiday entitlement.

Unfortunately not correct. (If it were, he would be getting over 4 times his total pay over the 16 years as redundancy pay!)

He would only be entitled to 24 weeks redundancy pay. (He gets 1.5 weeks pay for each year he has worked there so he gets 24 weeks pay as he has been there for 16 years.) He should also get pay in lieu of notice, holiday pay.

nilla

The holidays go from Jan to Jan so do next years holidays count? My head is whirring with all this and hubby is just sat in a depressed state the stress if playing havoc with hi blood sugars

sleepless_saver

nilla wrote: »

The holidays go from Jan to Jan so do next years holidays count? My head is whirring with all this and hubby is just sat in a depressed state the stress if playing havoc with hi blood sugars

No, it's only holiday he has accrued (but not taken) while employed that's counted.

nilla

Ah right so he waont have any to come nor any pay as he didnt work a week in hand