Dreaded Married womens stamp....

evie451

jamesd wrote: »

Who signed the loan agreement?

Debts are individual, not personal. They aren't inherited. His estate would have to settle the debt but if its value is low enough it may not be possible to pay it all.

The Green Deal may help with insulation and heating. Once she's in a better state to deal with it she might consider getting a Green Deal survey. The basic principle of this scheme is that the money is paid via the electricity bill but the insulation and more efficient heating has to be saving at least as much as the extra charge. So it's a way of getting a more comfortable place with little or no up front cost. If she decides that downsizing is a good idea it can also be used to help to improve the new place.

well I think that my MIL has taken out a 0% credit card and put the cost of the windows on that...........Is the Green deal available in Scotland? off to the internet!! :cool:

mumps

margaretclare wrote: »

As for the suggestion about getting divorced before age 60 and then remarrying after age 65, well, divorce does cost money.

She didn't have to wait till 65, in fact I think it was a few months but anyway once she was over 60 and had her pension it was treated exactly as if she had paid her full stamps and it was hers to keep.
The point was, I never wanted my long-term income in retirement to come from any bloke's contributions. When I reached age 60 I was offered the choice of claiming SRP against my late husband's contributions or against my own. I chose my own because that was the better deal. When I remarried a few years later I believe I would have had to claim against my new husband's contributions rather than my previous husband's. In fact, because my claim is based on my own contributions it just carried on seamlessly.
Hers carried on seamlessly as well, as it happened she married the same man but apparently that was irrelevant, the pension was now considered hers in her own right.
I also have some SERPS which DH could inherit if I predecease him.

Well she wouldn't have SERPS but did have a good LGPS pension so he would get a share of that.

As I said I don't know if this is still a loophole but I was amazed when I heard about it. I have always paid the full stamp but it makes you wonder if its all worth it, the OPs mother in law is now entitled to the full pension as is the lady I worked with, might not seem right but it is MSE isn't it.

I am currently trying to work out what my pension is going to be, it has changed so often in recent years it is hard to keep up and I think that is why some people just think its not worth worrying about.