What benefits can my brother get please?

timeou

Please can anyone advise me what benefits my brother may be able to get please?

He is 62 and just been made redundant. He has received a lump sum of 32k which sounds great but he still has a mortgage to run for another 5 years. His wife has never worked and is Ill with anxiety, depression and alcoholism but doesn't claim anything at all. I'm trying to advise him to try and get DLA for her and JSA for him to help the situation a little.

Will the job centre help with DLA claims for his wife? Is there anything else that he could be entitled to?

Thanks for your help in advance

Torry_Quine

He should be entitled to six months contribution based JSA and after that its income based which he'll have too much savings to get.

DLA is based on care and mobility needs and is getting harder to get, its changing to PIP soon so get the application in quickly.

Mojisola

Wouldn't he be able to go onto Pension Credit after the JSA finished - https://www.direct.gov.uk/en/moneytaxandbenefits/benefitstaxcreditsandothersupport/on_a_low_income/dg_10018692

Torry_Quine

Mojisola wrote: »

Wouldn't he be able to go onto Pension Credit after the JSA finished - www.direct.gov.uk/en/moneytaxandbenefits/benefitstaxcreditsandothersupport/on_a_low_income/dg_10018692

He would but that's also means tested so don't know if it would be much.

seven-day-weekend

He may be entitled to Pension Credit for himself and his wife:

http://www.direct.gov.uk/en/moneytaxandbenefits/benefitstaxcreditsandothersupport/on_a_low_income/dg_10018692

It is means-tested, but the first £10k is ignored and then it is deemed as £1 of income for every £500 above that. So they may be entitled to some.

DLA is paid for any care and/or mobility needs arising from disability, see here:
http://www.direct.gov.uk/en/disabledpeople/financialsupport/dg_10011925

DLA is not means tested, nor treated as income for means-testing purposes.

I strongly advise seeing a Welfare Rights Advisor who will help them to claim according to their circumstances.

annie1975_2

Would he be able to pay his mortgage off?..Dont know if they would look at that as getting rid of savings to get benefits later..

timeou

Thank you all so much for your help. His wife hasn't wanted to claim anything at all up until now as she's terrified she'll have to go in front of a 'board' to get the benefit. She won't leave the house to see a doctor or indeed have one out to her. She has been prescribed medication buoy won't take it as then she can't drink whilst taking it. It's a horrible situatio for him but I do believe she should be able to claim something as she's so debilitated by her mental health.
Thanks again I'll encourage him to apply for dla a.s.a.p

timeou

If he paid his mortgage off then he'd have nothing left to live on, thanks

annie1975_2

Well that really depends how much mortgage he has got left. The OP never said did she?. Might only be a couple of grand.

pmlindyloo

Your brother can make a joint claim for pension Credit. He and his wife would be allowed £10000 in savings. The rest would be deducted form the pension credit at the rate of £1 for every £500 above the £10000.

The guarantee pension credit means that you are eligible for full Council Tax Benefit and housing costs (ie. they will pay the interest on the mortgage at a set rate) I believe there is a waiting period of 13 weeks for this but will try and find out for definite.

Your brother would also be entitled to contribution based JSA for 6 months. However, he would not be eligible for CTB or housing costs as his savings would be too high.

So, he should make a joint claim for Pension Credit.

See here:

http://www.direct.gov.uk/en/Pensionsandretirementplanning/PensionCredit/index.htm

I do not believe that he could pay off his mortgage as this would be seen as deprivation of capital.

timeou

Sorry I am the op, I think he has about 35k left on the mortgage, thanks