Couple in 80s

MissMoneypenny

Indie_Kid wrote: »

This makes no sense. Peoples situation change. Especially if it was something written some years ago.

Situations change, but history doesn't.

Pollycat

Indie_Kid wrote: »

This makes no sense. Peoples situation change. Especially if it was something written some years ago.

I agree with Indie Kid.

MissMoneypenny wrote: »

Situations change, but history doesn't.

History is the past.

How long ago did margaretclare post about her grand-daughter claiming benefits?

And just how much do you think someone can "learn" from a young person claiming JSA (or whatever the benefit was)?

bloolagoon

There is no way any of my elderly relatives would know about benefits. They would see them as a social security type as it once was and never think of top ups or being paid to care for a spouse. I can't see why they don't send a leaflet to every new pensioner other than the fact they don't want them claiming.

margaretclare

Indie_Kid wrote: »

This makes no sense. Peoples situation change. Especially if it was something written some years ago.

Yes, things do change. Remembering what someone wrote years ago and dragging it up to throw at them in a forum such as this is not very nice. The inference was that I learned about benefits from eldest GD just because she was forced to claim contribution-based JSA for a while. This is simply not true.

There's nothing wrong with my memory, but I don't recall every scrap of irrelevant information that someone may have written in a forum like this one. I remember things which are important to me and I let other people get on with their own lives. Especially people I've never met and know only as a username.

ampersand

...anyway, after the usual sort of side-issue argy-bargy between 2 posters, back to op and your sensible, necessary quest to help.
re:
'Pension Credit automatically passports them to housing benefit and council tax benefit.'#9 pmlindyloo -

This also passports them to nhs dentistry and free sight tests. My optician has good budget frames @ £19, price unchanged in >10years.

Good luck. I'd say the Age UK route is better than risking any possible Clare In The Community via Council or similar..

margaretclare

bloolagoon wrote: »

There is no way any of my elderly relatives would know about benefits. They would see them as a social security type as it once was and never think of top ups or being paid to care for a spouse. I can't see why they don't send a leaflet to every new pensioner other than the fact they don't want them claiming.

As I said, I learned about them way back when working for the Ministry of Labour and National Service in the 1950s. I learned that I should pay full stamp and not the reduced married woman's contribution if I wanted to claim a full retirement pension. I learned about invalidity benefits in the 70s-80s when I had a sick husband and was working full-time to keep a roof above our heads. We had a family friend who was a professional financial adviser in the 90s and he kept us up to speed about personal pensions. About 10 years ago I was a volunteer adviser for CAB for a few years. So, for Miss Moneypenny to keep in her memory bank about my personal affairs, I have never had to ask any younger person about benefits. When Pension Credit first came out DH and I did the sums and established that we were not eligible because we each have too much income from our working lives. Satisfied? Want to know anything else?

bloolagoon

margaretclare wrote: »

As I said, I learned about them way back when working for the Ministry of Labour and National Service in the 1950s. I learned that I should pay full stamp and not the reduced married woman's contribution if I wanted to claim a full retirement pension. I learned about invalidity benefits in the 70s-80s when I had a sick husband and was working full-time to keep a roof above our heads. We had a family friend who was a professional financial adviser in the 90s and he kept us up to speed about personal pensions. About 10 years ago I was a volunteer adviser for CAB for a few years. So, for Miss Moneypenny to keep in her memory bank about my personal affairs, I have never had to ask any younger person about benefits. When Pension Credit first came out DH and I did the sums and established that we were not eligible because we each have too much income from our working lives. Satisfied? Want to know anything else?

I'm just saying that I think a lot of elderly won't have a clue. When I had this discussion with pappy a year or so ago he thought it was income support that pensioners who didn't have a full pension claimed and he's not even retired. I don't see why we can't put a leaflet in the letter they get for their pension explaining what may be available. I think a lot of pensioners are probably not claiming what they are entitled to if they weren't on benefits prior to retirement.

margaretclare

bloolagoon wrote: »

I'm just saying that I think a lot of elderly won't have a clue. When I had this discussion with pappy a year or so ago he thought it was income support that pensioners who didn't have a full pension claimed and he's not even retired. I don't see why we can't put a leaflet in the letter they get for their pension explaining what may be available. I think a lot of pensioners are probably not claiming what they are entitled to if they weren't on benefits prior to retirement.

You're probably right. We used to get a lot of this when I was with CAB and that was almost a decade ago now. What was useful was that there was a dedicated session one morning a week run by Pensions Service Staff, a drop-in where anyone could ask any questions they might have. This was at the time of the change to direct payment and that, again, was something that many people hadn't a clue about.

ampersand

Why don't you start another Thread for this discussion.

I hope op comes back and updates us. It was her Thread.

Pollycat

bloolagoon wrote: »

I'm just saying that I think a lot of elderly won't have a clue. When I had this discussion with pappy a year or so ago he thought it was income support that pensioners who didn't have a full pension claimed and he's not even retired. I don't see why we can't put a leaflet in the letter they get for their pension explaining what may be available. I think a lot of pensioners are probably not claiming what they are entitled to if they weren't on benefits prior to retirement.

I agree with you.

Which is why I think it's so good that the OP is trying to make sure these people do claim what they are entitled to.