Desperate for help - mum and dad.

redge44

Hello all!

My mum and dad have found themselves in a sticky situation.

My dad is as stubborn as they come and you cant talk to him about anything like this, I have now got their financial circumstances out of my Mum and am finding it very hard to determine what benefits or tax credits they are entitled to.

They have both worked all their life and paid in to a system that is not paying anything in return in their time of need.

No tax credits no JSA nothing at all!

I was hoping someone could please look through the following circumstances and tell me I am not in the wrong that they are entitled to something as apparently my Dad has been told they get nothing.

Own their own home outright

Dad
Born May 1953
Self employed electrician for past 30+ years.
Hasnt worked for last 4 years
Gets no JSA or anything not a penny

Mum
Born May 1953
Employed for last 30+ years as elderly care night worker
Earns £800 per month after tax. approx £12k per year before
Now in hospital due to cancerous polip in bowell.
Gets 6 months full pay 3 months half pay then on statutory sick pay.
Gets nothing no working tax credits or anything.

They say they cant retire until they are both 65 so now as my mother is ill and is increasing looking likely she wont be able to return to work the worry is how they will survive for the next 5 years.

If anyone can help point me in the right direction or offer some much needed advice to ease the pressure on them at this very troubling time it would be greatly appreciated.

If I can provide any more information to help please let me know

Thanks all

Andrew

benefitbaby

Whilst your mum remains employed (and if she previosuly worked 30 or more hours a week) she counts as being in full-time employment for working tax credit purposes, so you could complete the tax credit calculator to see if any entitlement arises.
http://taxcredits.hmrc.gov.uk/Qualify/DIQHousehold.aspx

The issue you will find is that means tested benefit entitlement is based on your (or Mum + Dad's) applicable amount. This is the amount of money the law says they need to live on. For a couple this is £112.55 per week. If their income is above this amount (which at present it is) then no entitlement to means-tested benefits will exist.

When Mum's contractual sick pay/statutory sick pay ends then potentially she can claim contribution based Employment and Support Allowance, this is not means tested.

I am not clear whether your Mum has care or mobility difficulties that would give rise to a Disability Living Allowance claim (and likewise you don't mention if Dad has any difficulties). However to qualify for DLA you have to have care and/or mobility difficulties for 3 months and be likely that you will continue to have them for a further 6 months. So this may not be an option.

Your parents may qualify for State Pension Credit early than 65 (I estimate July 2016) however this too does not help now.

Have a look at http://www.adviceguide.org.uk/england/benefits_e.htm for more info on the above mentioned (and other) benefits.

Torry_Quine

redge44 wrote: »

Hello all!

My mum and dad have found themselves in a sticky situation.

My dad is as stubborn as they come and you cant talk to him about anything like this, I have now got their financial circumstances out of my Mum and am finding it very hard to determine what benefits or tax credits they are entitled to.

They have both worked all their life and paid in to a system that is not paying anything in return in their time of need.

No tax credits no JSA nothing at all!

I was hoping someone could please look through the following circumstances and tell me I am not in the wrong that they are entitled to something as apparently my Dad has been told they get nothing.

Own their own home outright

Dad
Born May 1953
Self employed electrician for past 30+ years.
Hasnt worked for last 4 years
Gets no JSA or anything not a penny

Mum
Born May 1953
Employed for last 30+ years as elderly care night worker
Earns £800 per month after tax. approx £12k per year before
Now in hospital due to cancerous polip in bowell.
Gets 6 months full pay 3 months half pay then on statutory sick pay.
Gets nothing no working tax credits or anything.

They say they cant retire until they are both 65 so now as my mother is ill and is increasing looking likely she wont be able to return to work the worry is how they will survive for the next 5 years.

If anyone can help point me in the right direction or offer some much needed advice to ease the pressure on them at this very troubling time it would be greatly appreciated.

If I can provide any more information to help please let me know

Thanks all

Andrew

Your mother will be getting her entitlement to SSP just now although as she is getting full pay this isn't obvious. After six months she would then be entitled to ESA and after approx 13 weeks will be assessed for this by completing an ESA 50 form and may need a medical to determine her eligibility.

As she has cancer she is entitled to free prescriptions.

Also she will get her state pension from when she is about 63 and a few months.

pmlindyloo

Just to break this down a little further.

Whilst your mother is on Sick pay (full pay) then she can put in a claim for working tax credits.

Whilst she is on half pay if awarded WTC she will need to advise Tax Credits of her change in circumstances (i.e. lower income)but she will still have an entitlement.

When she is on half pay she will be entitled to working tax credits, maybe some income support (not sure about this but worth enquiring) and possibly some council tax support.

When on Statutory Sick Pay then she may be eligible for Income Support, working tax credit and council tax support.

If still unwell at the end of SSP then she can put in a claim for ESA. (contribution based.)

Is your dad not able to work?

Also look at Disability Living Allowance (not means tested) for mum/dad but google for criteria.

marty92

Is your dad a member or former member of the IET (formally the IEE)

They offer free support to their members and former members

IEE - Institute of Electrical Engineers

IET - Institute of Engineering & Technology

gemini12

If your Mums birthday is May 1953 she can retire just before her 64th birthday. Mine is July 53 and my retirement date is the day before my 64th birthday. There is an online calculater somewhere although I am not sure where.

benefitbaby

gemini12 wrote: »

If your Mums birthday is May 1953 she can retire just before her 64th birthday. Mine is July 53 and my retirement date is the day before my 64th birthday. There is an online calculater somewhere although I am not sure where.

Here https://www.gov.uk/calculate-state-pension it provides both the qualifying age for state retirement pension and also the qualifying age for state pension credit.

gemini12

Thanks for that benefit baby. I hoped someone would know.

Dunroamin

Is there a reason why your father hasn't worked for 4 years?

princessdon

Can they not claim Pension Credits? worth an investigation

Torry_Quine

princessdon wrote: »

Can they not claim Pension Credits? worth an investigation

Not old enough yet as it's by the female retirement age.