NI Contributions/benefits/Pension/Poorly Mother

vincent.lee

Hello.

I have a query which I'm hoping someone may be able to help me with. I live in England.

In the summer of last year, my father left the household leaving my Mother with myself and my brother. She was previously a housewife. They are now divorced.

My Mother has therefore been working since then, but due to not having any work experience for 20+ years and her non-fluency with English, she has not been able find any work other than physically taxing work.

The issue is, my Mother has always been rather physically poor. She has carpel tunnel syndrome in both arms to a rather severe degree. She has migraines every now and again. She also has issues with her joints. These are hereditary, I believe.

She is currently on housing benefit due to the few amount of hours she works, but those few amount of hours are still pushing her to quite a lot of pain and stress.

I want to have her stop working altogether. Will I be able to pay her National Insurance Contributions up to the 30 year mark in order for her to acquire her state pension? How much would I be contributing if I am able to do so? Also, how much would she be receiving? I think I remember reading somewhere that a housewife can get 60% of her partner's pension, but giving that she is now no longer a housewife, how much would she be getting at state pension if all national insurance contributions up to the 30 year mark is fulfilled?

What would happen with her benefits at the moment? Complete cut-off?

Also, during the time when she and my father were together and she was a housewife, were her NI contributions being contributed from my father's pay?


Thank you. A lot of questions. Thanks for taking the time to read this.

Torry_Quine

vincent.lee wrote: »

Hello.

I have a query which I'm hoping someone may be able to help me with. I live in England.

In the summer of last year, my father left the household leaving my Mother with myself and my brother. She was previously a housewife. They are now divorced.

My Mother has therefore been working since then, but due to not having any work experience for 20+ years and her non-fluency with English, she has not been able find any work other than physically taxing work.

The issue is, my Mother has always been rather physically poor. She has carpel tunnel syndrome in both arms to a rather severe degree. She has migraines every now and again. She also has issues with her joints. These are hereditary, I believe.

She is currently on housing benefit due to the few amount of hours she works, but those few amount of hours are still pushing her to quite a lot of pain and stress.

I want to have her stop working altogether. Will I be able to pay her National Insurance Contributions up to the 30 year mark in order for her to acquire her state pension? How much would I be contributing if I am able to do so? Also, how much would she be receiving? I think I remember reading somewhere that a housewife can get 60% of her partner's pension, but giving that she is now no longer a housewife, how much would she be getting at state pension if all national insurance contributions up to the 30 year mark is fulfilled?

What would happen with her benefits at the moment? Complete cut-off?

Also, during the time when she and my father were together and she was a housewife, were her NI contributions being contributed from my father's pay?


Thank you. A lot of questions. Thanks for taking the time to read this.

If she is unable to work then she would be able to get ESA and as she hasn't been working regularly recently then it would be income based. She would need fit-notes from her GP and after 13 weeks approx would be assessed to see if elegible to stay on it and which group. However from what you say I doubt she would pass the assesement which is very strict.

As to her pension she will have some contributions if she was in receipt of child benefit when you were young but as you say in itself that wouldn't be enough. At the moment she would be entitled to 60% of the pension based on your father's contributions but that may change when the new arrangements come in in 2016.

She should get a pension forecast and this site should help.
https://www.gov.uk/calculate-state-pension/y

vincent.lee

Torry_Quine wrote: »

If she is unable to work then she would be able to get ESA and as she hasn't been working regularly recently then it would be income based. She would need fit-notes from her GP and after 13 weeks approx would be assessed to see if elegible to stay on it and which group. However from what you say I doubt she would pass the assesement which is very strict.

As to her pension she will have some contributions if she was in receipt of child benefit when you were young but as you say in itself that wouldn't be enough. At the moment she would be entitled to 60% of the pension based on your father's contributions but that may change when the new arrangements come in in 2016.

She should get a pension forecast and this site should help.

Thanks for the reply.

I believe she is still capable of working at the moment, but I fear she will continue to deteriorate if she does so. I obviously don't want her to work until she breaks, then she stops working. As such, I'm not sure if she would get ESA, given that she is still capable of physical labour.

Is the 60% of my Father's contribution still valid given that they are now divorced and we have no contact with my father whatsoever? We don't know if he's still working, still in the country or even alive.

Doesn't that state pension calculator assume she has been working/NI contributing? I don't want her to reach 66 (which that calculator states is her pension age) and told she has to work another 10 years or fork over a few thousand pounds...

Torry_Quine

vincent.lee wrote: »

Thanks for the reply.

I believe she is still capable of working at the moment, but I fear she will continue to deteriorate if she does so. I obviously don't want her to work until she breaks, then she stops working. As such, I'm not sure if she would get ESA, given that she is still capable of physical labour.

Is the 60% of my Father's contribution still valid given that they are now divorced and we have no contact with my father whatsoever? We don't know if he's still working, still in the country or even alive.

Doesn't that state pension calculator assume she has been working/NI contributing? I don't want her to reach 66 (which that calculator states is her pension age) and told she has to work another 10 years or fork over a few thousand pounds...

It will also tell you how much pension you are entitled to and she would probably be entitled to pension credit at pension age. How old is she now?

midnight_express

She needs to get a pension forecast from the DWP.

anmarj

vincent.lee wrote: »

Is the 60% of my Father's contribution still valid given that they are now divorced and we have no contact with my father whatsoever? We don't know if he's still working, still in the country or even alive.
.

that only applies if she were still married to him, if they are divorced then they can look at her contributions and look at his and see if any substitution can be applied, not sure how this carries over under the new flat rate. But she will need to get a forecast to see how it stands at present

vincent.lee

Torry_Quine wrote: »

It will also tell you how much pension you are entitled to and she would probably be entitled to pension credit at pension age. How old is she now?

She is 50 at the moment.

But she spent 20+ years as a housewife and now she's divorced. If she stops working altogether and doesn't claim ESA, what will happen to her contributions & pension?

vincent.lee

anmarj wrote: »

that only applies if she were still married to him, if they are divorced then they can look at her contributions and look at his and see if any substitution can be applied, not sure how this carries over under the new flat rate. But she will need to get a forecast to see how it stands at present

midnight_express wrote: »

She needs to get a pension forecast from the DWP.

How easy would it be to get a pension forecast?

I don't want to make a big deal out of something which might not even happen... What information will they ask for?

cattie

If her carpel tunnel syndrome is so severe, you should really talk her into discussing having her wrists operated on with her GP. I had both mine operated on some years ago & it made a huge difference to my life & living without the pain I'd suffered for years was bliss.

Perhaps you could also talk to her about taking some English classes so she could become more fluent in the language & it would help her get out & meet some other people, perhaps even some in a similar situation to her. It would be better than being stuck at home alone all day, which will happen if she gives up work. At 50 she is still young, so deserves to make a bit of a life for herself outside the home.

Torry_Quine

vincent.lee wrote: »

How easy would it be to get a pension forecast?

I don't want to make a big deal out of something which might not even happen... What information will they ask for?

Use the link I gave you, it will tell you how to get a pension forecast.

MissMoneypenny

vincent.lee wrote: »

She is 50 at the moment.

She has 15/16 working years before she reaches retirement age and all of these working years can be added to the 35 years she needs for a full state pension. Unless the pension age rises again. It will be about 2029 when your mother can claim a pension and pension credit, according to this calculator. https://www.gov.uk/calculate-state-pension/y

Did your mother claim Child Benefit for you and your brother or was she subject to immigration control? If she did claim, those years can be added to her 15/16 working years, towards a state pension when she is 66.

When she reaches 66, she can ask for state pension to be worked out on her contributions or on her ex husband's contributions for the years they were married, to see which one will be higher pension. She will need his national insurance number. If your mother remarries, she cannot use your father's NI contributions.

Are you or you brother still at school? If yes, she should be using the CSA to get maintenance from your father.

There are free English courses around as the govenmnent are now making all people pass an English test before they get citizenship; mainly to help woman who might find themselves in your mother's senario. See if you can find one of these for her.

Or look at adverts in the paper for English courses at a womens refuge. I use to give computer lessons at a womens refuge and any spare places on the courses, were offered to other women (who weren't housed at a refuge). I had some woman on my courses who were sent from local firms for the free lessons but I only know that as they told me. No questions are asked. Your mother will need some English for computer classes.

Low income may also mean she can be given free courses at a local college. Phone around.

Can you and your brother help her with learning English? Learning about Word etc? She will need English and some skills, if she doesn't want to do manual work.

vincent.lee wrote: »

If she stops working altogether and doesn't claim ESA, what will happen to her contributions & pension?

Nothing. Her state pension will be worked out based on her total contributions/ home responsibilities (her claiming Child Benefit) OR on the contributions of her ex husband while they were married: whichever gives a higher pension.