Benefits/retirement question

Superdad

Hello all,

I hope this is the right place to post this.

I am 62 and due to retire in 3 years time
my wife is 60 but because the government have moved the retirement goalposts she cannot retire now but has to wait another 15-16 months.

I currently work 30 hours a week for £210.00 gross (I bring home about £188)
My wife has been working 20 hours a week and been bringing home about £140.00 per week.

We have no savings to speak of and live in a Council house. We currently receive about £8.00 a week rent rebate.

However, my wife is currently on sick having suffered a heart attack at work last week. The doctors have told her she will need about 6 weeks off work to recuperate.

However, we don't want her to go back to work, especially where she was working, although they are keen to have her back ASAP.

I understand that if she were to just pack in her job she would not be entitled to any benefits. However, would I be able to claim for her if she was not working, given that she had stopped working voluntarily?

She is not wanting to just go on benefits because she is lazy like many people we know, it's just that she is worn out. The doctors will see no clinical reason for her not to go back to work, so in six weeks time she will probably not get another sick note.

If I claimed more housing benefit and/or tax credits, would they penalize me because my wife stopped working voluntarily or would they simply not ask? I could really do with finding out our options so any help would be very much appreciated.

regards

Whiteknight

You could claim Pension Credit, as long as your combined income was less than £209.70 a week. So if your only income would be your wages of about £188 a week then you could claim and they would make your money up to the minimum amount (so about £30 a week) they would not penalise you or your wife for leaving work voluntarily - you could also get additional help with your rent and council tax.