Can I claim benefits?

skeenie

Im 60 years old but thanks to the government I dont qualify for my State Pension til March 2017. My husband got early retirement from his work but his pension date is June 2016. Our income at present consists of my husbands occupational pension of just over £400 per month and my income from two part time jobs which we can manage on. We do not claim any benefits as my wages takes us over the threshold. If I gave up work because of health reasons (but not bad enough to be granted Ill Health Retirement) is there any benefits we could claim. The two jobs I have are quite challenging manually and I have just had pacemaker surgery and dont know if I will get back to full fitness to carry on these jobs. We are houseowners and have no mortgage just Council Tax. I have paid full National Insurance stamp contributions for over 30 years.

McKneff

I understand where you are coming from but cant just give up work due to ill health. To claim anything you would have to diagnosed by a doctor as being fit or unfit for work. Fit notes would have to be forwarded to the dWP, then you might be able to claim ESA.

What income does yor 2 part time jobs bring in. Do you pay NI on them. You should only pay NI if yu are earning over a certain amount which I think is £149 a week both jobs would be treated seperatley so you could in effect earn nearly 300 a week without paying it.

Put up an SOA and we will be able to help yo better.
Do you get any benefits at all, ie housing benefit, council tax benefit.

McKneff

Ill health retirement wouldn't make any difference, you would still have to wait till you pension age to get your state pension.

skeenie

I understand but I dont think I would qualify for Ill Health Retirement as such as they state you wouldnt be fit for any work but I probably would in work that was not so manual. Is there still such a thing as a guaranteed minimum (or something like that) that the law says couples should have. It used to be income support i think back in the good old days.
We do not need housing benefit as we own our home and pay full council tax. Would my husband be able to claim pension credit and me jobseekers allowance?

skeenie

Also my income from the two jobs is well over the threshold and I pay N.I contribuations on both jobs.Just dont think I can manage them for another 4 years.

pmlindyloo

How old is your husband?

skeenie

my husband is 62 and reaches state pension age in June 2016

Torry_Quine

skeenie wrote: »

I understand but I dont think I would qualify for Ill Health Retirement as such as they state you wouldnt be fit for any work but I probably would in work that was not so manual. Is there still such a thing as a guaranteed minimum (or something like that) that the law says couples should have. It used to be income support i think back in the good old days.
We do not need housing benefit as we own our home and pay full council tax. Would my husband be able to claim pension credit and me jobseekers allowance?

He is old enough to get pension credit so it may be worth looking at.

JSA will want to know why you left your last job and will check with your employer(s) and you could face a sanction. Also you would only get it for 6 months before being income based.

McKneff

Does your husband have a disability where you could get a discount on your council tax ie 'specially adapted bathroom, bigger doorways for wheelchair.

McKneff

It seems that you have a pretty good income then if you pay NI on both jobs and he has a works pension.

It will be a bit of a shock dropping your work income.

If you have no mortgage to pay, could you not just leave one of the jobs and keep the other, surely that would be better than going onto jSA.

pmlindyloo

You can check whether your husband is entitled to Pension Credit here:

https://www.gov.uk/pension-credit-calculator

It doesn't matter whether you are or not.