Can I claim benefits?

Dunroamin

Also, if one of your jobs is for a minimum of 16 hours, you could drop the other one and claim working tax credit as you're 60 already.

Dunroamin

McKneff wrote: »

I don't understand. You say that you will struggle if you give up one of your jobs, but on benefits with no job you would be miles worse off financialy so struggle even more???
From what you have said you are getting Im presuming here around 1200/1500 a month and your struggling even with no mortgage to pay can you see why I at least am struggling to understand your reasoning.

All I can see that you have to pay for is utilities, food and insurance

I wouldn't want to live such a bare bones existence if I had a choice.

cte1111

Dunroamin wrote: »

Also, if one of your jobs is for a minimum of 16 hours, you could drop the other one and claim working tax credit as you're 60 already.

I was wondering about tax credits too. Here's a calculator, maybe put in the figures as if you were only doing one of the jobs and see what it comes up with:

http://www.hmrc.gov.uk/taxcredits/start/who-qualifies/quick-questionnaire.htm

cte1111

And here's a link for Pension Credit:
https://www.gov.uk/pension-credit/overview

Your husband would be able to claim this, if you gave up your jobs, and your joint income would be topped up to £225 per week, as other posters have said. This is the nearest equivalent of the Income Support you were mentioning earlier.

skeenie

McKneff wrote: »

I don't understand. You say that you will struggle if you give up one of your jobs, but on benefits with no job you would be miles worse off financialy so struggle even more???
From what you have said you are getting Im presuming here around 1200/1500 a month and your struggling even with no mortgage to pay can you see why I at least am struggling to understand your reasoning.

All I can see that you have to pay for is utilities, food and insurance

I do understand your reasoning and it does seem like we are comfortably off at the present time which, I suppose, we are. I was anxious that I would not be able to go back to my manual jobs after having my heart surgery and wondered what options are available to us. Please do not presume that I do not want to work and am looking for handouts from the government but there are limited options when you get to 60+. My husband and I have 80 working years between us and have never had to ask for help before so dont even know how to go about finding out. It will be another 3 years before my husband qualifies for his State Pension and 4 years for me and any savings we have will not see us through that period of time. Hopefully it wont come to that.

Dunroamin

skeenie wrote: »

I do understand your reasoning and it does seem like we are comfortably off at the present time which, I suppose, we are. I was anxious that I would not be able to go back to my manual jobs after having my heart surgery and wondered what options are available to us. Please do not presume that I do not want to work and am looking for handouts from the government but there are limited options when you get to 60+. My husband and I have 80 working years between us and have never had to ask for help before so dont even know how to go about finding out. It will be another 3 years before my husband qualifies for his State Pension and 4 years for me and any savings we have will not see us through that period of time. Hopefully it wont come to that.

But, if you had to give up work for health reasons and needed to claim pension credit, there would be no reason for you to touch your savings except for occasional luxury items like holidays or in an emergency. I think that was the point that was being made.

Bigmoney2

skeenie wrote: »

I do understand your reasoning and it does seem like we are comfortably off at the present time which, I suppose, we are. I was anxious that I would not be able to go back to my manual jobs after having my heart surgery and wondered what options are available to us. Please do not presume that I do not want to work and am looking for handouts from the government but there are limited options when you get to 60+. My husband and I have 80 working years between us and have never had to ask for help before so dont even know how to go about finding out. It will be another 3 years before my husband qualifies for his State Pension and 4 years for me and any savings we have will not see us through that period of time. Hopefully it wont come to that.

Once you've had surgery presumably you will be signed off sick untill you are deemed fit enough to return.

At this time you will be eligable for SSP and any company sick pay from your employers (if they have such a scheme). Are you an employee or self employed?
Once SSP runs out (after26wks) you will need to claim for ESA, unless in the mean time your are able to return to your jobs.

You may also be entitled to claim help with council tax, (see your local councils website for info) but may be effected by any savings you have.