Pension credit guaranteed credit

andyscott

When a 63 year old is claiming Pension credit guaranteed credit because he has been on ESA a year does he get National Insurance Credits?

If yes does he get them automatically or has he got to do something to get them?

sammyjammy

What would he want them for?

anmarj

the ESA is the qualifying benefit for credits and it will be done automatically as long as he qualifies for ESA

andyscott

anmarj wrote: »

the ESA is the qualifying benefit for credits and it will be done automatically as long as he qualifies for ESA

He was on ESA for a year but they said he could not stay on longer than the year.

he wants to make sure he gets full state pension when due it.

Horseunderwater

I assume he will be 65 when he gets his State pension so that will be in 2015? If so he will only need 30 years of NI contributions at that point to get the Full whack. It is only those who retire in 2017 or later that will need 35 years. So his ESA can stop and he can get PC to make up his income.

Mojisola

He can get a pension forecast to make sure that he has got 30 years paid up.

bigboybrother

Horseunderwater wrote: »

I assume he will be 65 when he gets his State pension so that will be in 2015? If so he will only need 30 years of NI contributions at that point to get the Full whack. It is only those who retire in 2017 or later that will need 35 years. So his ESA can stop and he can get PC to make up his income.

The op's ESA has already stopped and is now claiming GPC instead.

Word of warning! For those on Contribution Based ESA (in any group) and eligible for GPC, you cannot just cancel your ESA and claim the top with GPC. You will be treated as giving up a benefit to claim another one which is deprivation. You will still be assessed as receiving it even if you don't. You should claim the top up via Income Based ESA instead
The ESA payments will cease on your 65th birthday when you can then claim GPC.

andyscott

bigboybrother wrote: »

The op's ESA has already stopped and is now claiming GPC instead.

Word of warning! For those on Contribution Based ESA (in any group) and eligible for GPC, you cannot just cancel your ESA and claim the top with GPC. You will be treated as giving up a benefit to claim another one which is deprivation. You will still be assessed as receiving it even if you don't. You should claim the top up via Income Based ESA instead
The ESA payments will cease on your 65th birthday when you can then claim GPC.

Are you saying once his year of ESA was up then he should have decided to claim Income Based ESA instead.

With him been in his 60s and not one for computers he is a bit confused about what he should have done. He tried to get advice at JC+ but they were not very helpful.

The first he had heard about been able to claim Income based ESA was when he received a letter 2 weeks after going onto the Pension Credit.

Will it affect him much been on the Pension Credit?

Thanks

bigboybrother

andyscott wrote: »

Are you saying once his year of ESA was up then he should have decided to claim Income Based ESA instead.

With him been in his 60s and not one for computers he is a bit confused about what he should have done. He tried to get advice at JC+ but they were not very helpful.

The first he had heard about been able to claim Income based ESA was when he received a letter 2 weeks after going onto the Pension Credit.

Will it affect him much been on the Pension Credit?

Thanks

No not at all. There is something to be said to remain on ESA even though nothing is being paid - if his health deteriorated he could go back onto ESA but in the Support Group.

No he is OK on GPC, I was only warning those that want to give up their contribution based ESA in favour of GPC. You haven't given up anything as nothing was being paid.