Telegraph today - state pension age will go out further

LindaMary

No! I have agoraphobia and depression but probably not bad enough to qualify for any help! Also have one parent in care and another in hospital so life not good at the moment. At least I managed to hold a job down for 30 years!!

xylophone

probably not bad enough to qualify for any help!

Have you applied for any/checked out the facts?

You have obtained a new state pension statement?

Does the parent currently in hospital receive any benefits which would qualify you for Carer's Allowance, assuming that you care for him for the requisite number of hours?

If you really qualify for no help and you are not in line for a full new state pension, you could look into voluntary Class 3 NI contributions.

Malthusian

There are millions of jobs which don't subject you to wide open spaces and the one thing guaranteed to exacerbate depression is to sit around all day doing nothing.

Sorry if you think I'm being unsympathetic but you're on an unsympathetic section of this site.

DominicH

Malthusian wrote: »

Sorry if you think I'm being unsympathetic but you're on an unsympathetic section of this site.

You mean there are sympathetic ones?

Acquinas

Very harsh Malthusian. The site is surely for objective comment and advice rather than judgement.

badmemory

Is there anything you can claim that although it won't actually pay money but will credit you with NI.

chiefie

badmemory wrote: »

Is there anything you can claim that although it won't actually pay money but will credit you with NI.

Acting as a carer

Also includes looking after grandchildren

Alice_Holt

LindaMary wrote: »

No! I have agoraphobia and depression but probably not bad enough to qualify for any help!

LindaMary -

PIP ?
https://www.citizensadvice.org.uk/benefits/sick-or-disabled-people-and-carers/pip/before-claiming/check-you-are-eligible/

Your local CAB may be able to help.

Alice_Holt

badmemory wrote: »

Is there anything you can claim that although it won't actually pay money but will credit you with NI.

ESA would be a possibility. Claimants can receive NI credits even if their income is too great to receive the means tested weekly assessment rate of £73 pw.

https://www.citizensadvice.org.uk/benefits/sick-or-disabled-people-and-carers/employment-and-support-allowance/

Malthusian

Acquinas wrote: »

Very harsh Malthusian. The site is surely for objective comment and advice rather than judgement.

It was the first one. "Get a job" would be judgement (and I would never say that even to a close friend, let alone to a stranger on the Internet). "Being long-term unemployed is unlikely to improve feelings of depression" is an objective comment.

The OP said she had no chance of working ever again but neither agoraphobia nor depression are necessarily permanent conditions.

Ensuring that she is claiming her full entitlement to benefits may help solve her NI problem but is unlikely to solve the underlying issue. Which is presumably that she wants a secure and happy retirement. A life on benefits fighting against the DWP and declining mental health is not my idea of that.