Pension Credit stopped due to working part time

marie43read

Hi Quick question please
Bumped into friend of mine who is in terrible state. She was getting Pension Guarantee Credit and working part time in shop ( earning less than £100 per week). She thought she could ( I believe her hence this post) Pension Guarantee Credit & help towards her mortgage has stopped and they are investigating. If she packs up her job straight away can she reclaim this these benefits or is she not able to reapply until investigations are completed. Where might she go for help in dealing with this? She is in mortgage arrears and worried she will lose her home if her Building Society do not receive any money whilst this investigation is going on

thank you

SailorSam

Pension credit

Pension credit is means-tested and tops up your income to a guaranteed amount

If you're less well off, there is help available to you to boost the state pension you receive. This comes in the form of 'pension credit'.
Pension credit is awarded to your based on your earnings - known as a 'means-tested' benefit - and tops-up your basic state pension. If you earn less than £145.40 for a single person (or £222.05 for a couple), you could qualify for pension credit.



That says your friend could earn up to £145 and still be entitled.
But i think what it means is your income will be topped up to that so rather than recieving the full £145 if your friend is earning £100 she'll only get £45.

allen35

Adding up the state pension and earned income would probably give no entitlement to Pension Credit Guarantee.

Is your friend claiming Working Tax Credits if working 16 hours per week.

pmlindyloo

That says your friend could earn up to £145 and still be entitled.
But i think what it means is your income will be topped up to that so rather than recieving the full £145 if your friend is earning £100 she'll only get £45.

This isn't quite true.

£145.40 a week includes any pensions. This is the total income that you can have per week. So her earnings could have taken her over the amount where she would be eligible for Pension Credit if she also was receiving any pensions.

So the question is - is she receiving any pensions?

seven-day-weekend

If her total income from all sources is less than £145 pw, Pension Credit will top it up to that level. Any amount of PC will mean she gets her rent/mortgage assistance and CT paid.

If she does not qualify on this basis, she may qualify (afaik) because of low income.

pmlindyloo

seven-day-weekend wrote: »

If her total income from all sources is less than £145 pw, Pension Credit will top it up to that level. Any amount of PC will mean she gets her rent/mortgage assistance and CT paid.

If she does not qualify on this basis, she may qualify (afaik) because of low income.

She may qualify for council tax reduction based on low income but to be eligible for Support for Mortgage Interest you have to be on a means tested benefit.

marie43read

Thank you all for your answers - will pass on

sleepless_saver

If it turns out that she's been overpaid because she didn't tell DWP about her paid work then she will, at the very least, have to pay back the overpayment. The worst scenario is that depending on the amount involved and whether DWP believe she was deliberately trying to defraud, she could be prosecuted.

She can go to CAB for advice on this, and on her benefit entitlement.

McKneff

Why would she give her job up, if she is capable of working and it enables her not to rely on state benefits then she should keep on working.

Nada666

McKneff wrote: »

Why would she give her job up, if she is capable of working and it enables her not to rely on state benefits then she should keep on working.

But that is not how it works - there are whole swathes of additional benefits that are denied to pensioners who work.

Clueless nutters whinge about one or twenty members of the Lords and industry bosses receiving benefits and then restrict them which ends up with millions being penalised.

Withdraw perks if you like - but only if they are also withdrawn from those who claim means-tested provisions.

seven-day-weekend

Nada666 wrote: »

But that is not how it works - there are whole swathes of additional benefits that are denied to pensioners who work.

Clueless nutters whinge about one or twenty members of the Lords and industry bosses receiving benefits and then restrict them which ends up with millions being penalised.

Withdraw perks if you like - but only if they are also withdrawn from those who claim means-tested provisions.

Such as? .