Not entitled to any benefits...but still have to sign on?

Pollycat

Saversue wrote: »

Same thing has happened to my friend's husband, who hasn't been able to get a job for many years.
His wife worked, so he wasn't entitled to any benefits in his own right, also not entilted to any form of income support, but made to sign on every two weeks to get NI cotributions.
His wife has now retired, but he still isn't entitled to a bean and she has to give him "Pocket Money" out of her pension. He is quite a bit younger than her and has many years to go before he will get his State Pension

How many years contributions does he have?

Can you really be 'made' to sign on to get NI credits?

If you don't have the full years contributions required, doesn't it just mean you won't get the full amount of state pension when you reach state pension age?

Nobody said anything to me about 'having' to sign on to get NI credits.
It was a choice I made not to sign on.

Dunroamin

Pollycat wrote: »

I think it was because he wasn't working.

He was made redundant in 2008.

Sorry - missed that!

bazza5070

It is not 'compulsory' for anyone to sign on, whether it be for benefits or NI credits only. Your uncle needs 30 years credits for his Full State Pension, as others have said he can send off for a Pension Forecast to check if he is fully paid up.

There is however another very good reason to continue signing for NI credits.....

If he should die before he reaches State Pension Age and is not making NI contributions his surviving partner would not be eligible for any Bereavement Benefits.

Many people of a certain age continue to sign for this very reason, it is something he should seriously think about before he decides to stop signing or paying voluntary contributions.

Pollycat

bazza5070 wrote: »

It is not 'compulsory' for anyone to sign on, whether it be for benefits or NI credits only. Your uncle needs 30 years credits for his Full State Pension, as others have said he can send off for a Pension Forecast to check if he is fully paid up.

There is however another very good reason to continue signing for NI credits.....

If he should die before he reaches State Pension Age and is not making NI contributions his surviving partner would not be eligible for any Bereavement Benefits.

Many people of a certain age continue to sign for this very reason, it is something he should seriously think about before he decides to stop signing or paying voluntary contributions.

That's a good point - but it still doesn't explain why the OP's uncle was told not signing on weekly would affect his state pension.

msnigella wrote: »

He accepts that he is not entitled to anything but is upset that he must now sign on weekly at the jobcentre despite not getting any benefits. He was told if he does not sign on weekly he will not get a state pension when he reaches retirement age.

bazza5070

Probably because his adviser doesn't know what he's talking about!

sammyjammy

Pollycat wrote: »

That's a good point - but it still doesn't explain why the OP's uncle was told not signing on weekly would affect his state pension.

Its very common for people to be asked to attend weekly as an intensive part of their claim, its usually for a short period of time only.

Pollycat

sammyjammy wrote: »

Its very common for people to be asked to attend weekly as an intensive part of their claim, its usually for a short period of time only.

Thanks for the clarification about weekly sign-on.
However, does someone have to sign on even if they are not entitled to any benefits?
It sounds to me like this guy may well have his full 30 years in.

bazza5070 wrote: »

Probably because his adviser doesn't know what he's talking about!

Ok, that's what I was getting at when I was asking if the OP's uncle must sign on to get his full state pension.

I know you work somewhere within the benefit system.
Do you know for sure that the advisor is wrong?

bazza5070

Polly cat, see previous post, no-one has to sign on, if he has his full 30 years he will get a full pension. He can choose to continue signing for eligibility into Bereavement Benefits.

Pollycat

bazza5070 wrote: »

Polly cat, see previous post, no-one has to sign on, if he has his full 30 years he will get a full pension. He can choose to continue signing for eligibility into Bereavement Benefits.

Then it's appalling that advisors at Job Centres are giving out incorrect information.

It's not the first time I've heard of it either.

Someone I know was told the waiting period before SMi (support for mortgage interest) kicks in was 26 weeks.

Wrong!
It was changed to 13 weeks in January 2009.

When I queried it and said that I'd looked it up on Directgov website, they said 'Ah, well, you're probably better at computers than I am. I don't really like using them'. :eek:

Are things changing too fast to expect advisors to keep up with up-to-date information?
Or are some making it up as they go along?

bazza5070

Well its like all professions, some are better at their jobs than others I guess.