State Pension claim form - marital status

sebadoh

Hello. I hope you can help with a query about my State Pension claim. I'm applying online and would like some advice on the 'marital status' section on the form.

I am male and have lived with the same woman for 40 years but we are not married and not in an official civil partnership. Should I still put 'single' on the application form?

And secondly, my partner started getting her State Pension ten years ago. Does it affect her pension status at all if I apply?

Thanks for any help.

greenglide

You are not married, never been married, not in a civil partnership and never been in a civil partnership so you are single.

The fact that you live with someone who is in receipt of state pension makes no difference if you arent married and would mostly make no difference even if you were.

Keep_pedalling

Have you guys considered the financial consequences of not being married in regard to things like inheritance tax?

Also make sure you both have professionally drawn up wills in place. Lasting powers of attorney should be high on your priority list as well.

sebadoh

Thanks very much for your help Greenglide. And Keep pedalling I'll certainly keep your advice in mind.

One quick final thing: later on the form it asks "Have you or your partner received Child Benefit or Family Allowance at any time since 1978."

My 'partner' did get Family Allowance for our son in the 80s but do I tick yes or no here? I didn't personally receive it, she did.

AnotherJoe

sebadoh wrote: »

Thanks very much for your help Greenglide. And Keep pedalling I'll certainly keep your advice in mind.

One quick final thing: later on the form it asks "Have you or your partner received Child Benefit or Family Allowance at any time since 1978."

My 'partner' did get Family Allowance for our son in the 80s but do I tick yes or no here? I didn't personally receive it, she did.

Do they define what a "partner' is?

sebadoh

AnotherJoe wrote: »

Do they define what a "partner' is?

No I don't think so.

I can't access the online form at the moment for some reason (locked out :mad:) but there's a pdf version on the gov.uk site. It's in part 8: About other benefits or entitlements. On the pdf version the section starts by mentioning 'you, your husband, wife or civil partner' but from memory it just said 'partner' on the online question.

greenglide

The bit about child benefit on the BR1NSP pdf form says "have you ever received child benefit at any time .......".

This question will be in case they need to check if you were awarded the credits from HRP while getting ChB - it looks as if HMRC have lost some of the records so this would only ever be for the claimant.

The other questions are only for claimant, spouse (past or present) or civil partner (past or present).

The BR1 (both the old one and the new nSP version) aren't the world's best thought out form.

I have the code for activating the State Pension Online system for myself now so I can try it myself!