General Advice for My mother

Dunroamin

Tugboat wrote: »

Sorry my mistake she is 60 (61 in December). She was claiming bereavement allowance but this has now ended.

But you can't claim bereavement allowance unless you've been married or civil partners.

Tugboat

Dunroamin wrote: »

But you can't claim bereavement allowance unless you've been married or civil partners.

She was married her partner died June 2011.

pmlindyloo

I believe that your mother can claim Pension Credit.

Check here:

http://pensions-service.direct.gov.uk/en/state-pension-age-calculator/home.asp

For all those over 60 years of age the lower capital/savings limit is £10000. (This also applies for claiming CTB and HB/Housing costs)

If your mother is eligible for PC then her private pension will probably be taken into account.

However, she will still receive some Guarantee Pension Credit.

This means she will be entitled to Council Tax Benefit and Housing costs ( pays the interest on the mortgage , at a prescribed rate).

There is no waiting time for the housing costs if you are over 6o years old.

sleepless_saver

pmlindyloo wrote: »

I believe that your mother can claim Pension Credit.

Check here:

http://pensions-service.direct.gov.uk/en/state-pension-age-calculator/home.asp

She can't be eligible for pension credit until she reaches her state pension age in 2013. There are still one or two out of date websites out there which have the old age which was 60 but this no longer applies.

The OP's mother's only options to increase income are to find work or claim JSA. Some of the pension she gets will be disregarded for JSA but she would only get a few pounds a week. And as she will probably be relying on pension credit when she reaches pension age assuming she has no pension provision of her own, it's not worth signing on just to get the NI contributions. But I don't know if she would get help with mortgage interest after 13 weeks if she claimed JSA - that definitely would be worth having. A job would be better still though.

She could do a benefit check to see how the figures look http://www.turn2us.org.uk/benefits_search.aspx .

Can she negotiate a mortgage holiday, or change to interest only if repayment?

Dunroamin

Tugboat wrote: »

She was married her partner died June 2011.

It might have been better if you'd referred to him as her husband then.

In any case, if she's selling her property, any equity in it will affect her ability to claim means tested benefits.

pmlindyloo

sleepless_saver wrote: »

She can't be eligible for pension credit until she reaches her state pension age in 2013. There are still one or two out of date websites out there which have the old age which was 60 but this no longer applies.

The OP's mother's only options to increase income are to find work or claim JSA. Some of the pension she gets will be disregarded for JSA but she would only get a few pounds a week. And as she will probably be relying on pension credit when she reaches pension age assuming she has no pension provision of her own, it's not worth signing on just to get the NI contributions. But I don't know if she would get help with mortgage interest after 13 weeks if she claimed JSA - that definitely would be worth having. A job would be better still though.

She could do a benefit check to see how the figures look http://www.turn2us.org.uk/benefits_search.aspx .

Can she negotiate a mortgage holiday, or change to interest only if repayment?

My apologies, I had forgotten about the changes in Pension credit age. Bit of a bu**er

Yes, so it's income based JSA.

As you say she won't get much because of her pension but still worth applying for because of the CTB and housing costs.

They're trying to sell the house so fingers crossed this will be successful and hopefully will give her some leeway with her finances.