Are you a woman over 60 who doesn’t get a state pension? Get £1000s back

EdInvestor

keaskin wrote: »

I also asked dwp if I could claim two extra home responsibilities years as my son stayed on at school two years after his sixteenth birthday

IIRC the right to claim pension for these two years would accrue to the child himself rather than to the parent.

Taffyscot

Hi I am reading this post and I am a little confused. What if you are nearly 60 in March 2008 and not going to get full pension? I lived in Canada for many years but did work from the time I was 17 until the time that I had my first child at 26 in Britain. Where could I find out what pension I will get? Someone on here said the pension is NOT means tested. Is that right? I thought it was means tested. I get a bit confused about pensions not having lived here for a while. Are there 2 pensions or just 1? I was told I could pay up my pension by the pension forecast people but then they said my partner is on pension credit as he has parkinson's and will only be on state pension in December at age 65. They said I would get my pension but he would have that amount taken off his pension credit. If this is not means tested then why would they take that amount off my partner's pension. Sorry I am so confused and not very with it regarding british pensions. Anyone with any advice for me would be gratefully received and if anyone wants to pm me with instructions if there is anything that I can do or anywhere I can look into to help me with my pension. Thanks all for everything in this site. Taffy

seven-day-weekend

The basic State pension (about £87) is not means-tested, but pension credit is a State benefit which IS means-tested. It is to bring your income up to certain level. (See the link below).

http://www.thepensionservice.gov.uk/pensioncredit/

There is a basic State Pension and also some people will be entitled to a second State Pension which is earnings related. This also is not means-tested. You will not get this if you have opted out in favour of a personal or occupational pension, but will claim these instead. See the link below.

http://www.thepensionservice.gov.uk/atoz/atozdetailed/addstatepen.asp

This link tells you how to get a State Pension forecast, but I don't think they are being provided at the moment.

http://www.direct.gov.uk/en/MoneyTaxAndBenefits/PensionsAndRetirement/StatePension/DG_10014008


Think this is right (someone will correct me if I am wrong). Hope it helps.

EdInvestor

Taffyscot wrote: »

Hi I am reading this post and I am a little confused. What if you are nearly 60 in March 2008 and not going to get full pension?

Contact www.thepensionservice.gov.uk to get a forecast and also to discuss your entitlement.

I lived in Canada for many years

You may be entitled for credits from that time, overseas pension contributions can be transferable, ask

but did work from the time I was 17 until the time that I had my first child at 26 in Britain.

That would give you nine years, only one short of the minimum, plus you would get HRP credits for every year looking after kids from 1978 on up to a max of 15 years.

Where could I find out what pension I will get?

See above link

Someone on here said the pension is NOT means tested. Is that right?

It's correct.

Are there 2 pensions or just 1?

There are actually 4! Basic State Pension, Graduated pension, Serps and S2P (son of Serps)latter 2 are earnings related topups.

I was told I could pay up my pension by the pension forecast people

This is right.You can pay 10 back years and then have your HRP credited on top.

... but then they said my partner is on pension credit as he has parkinson's and will only be on state pension in December at age 65. They said I would get my pension but he would have that amount taken off his pension credit. If this is not means tested then why would they take that amount off my partner's pension.

It could happen like that, as both incomes are taken into account for the pension credit topup (which is a means tested benefit.)But if the amounts are the same it would still be better to get them as state pensions rather than pension credit, as state pension can't be taken away. Get all the figures from the link above and then ask at your local CAB for advice on the way to go as you'll need to check that you are still eleigible for things like ousing benefit and free council tax.

Taffyscot

thanks both of you. Yes I get it now the pension is not means tested but the pension credit is yes I get it now. I will try and find out the rest but haven't bothered with the Canada side as I do not get a pension until I am 65 with them and that is a long way to go.As for CAB every time I call them they check with one person then another and then agree with whatever I ask them not seeming to really know but taking my expertise (NOT) in the matter as the gospel. If I say is such and such right or I have heard this they say yes that's right and quite often it is not. Taffy

Wonderwoman_2

jem16 wrote: »

Unless you get a reduction for paying early, I would put it into a high interest savings account and pay it in 2009.

Do you need to buy those years?

I suppose that is part of the question. Spoke to them on the phone and they said I am short of 30 years, that is why I got the letter in 04. Think I will hang on and see what happens???

seven-day-weekend

Yes, I would wait until 2009 like they say in their letter.

I have oone more year of voluntary contributions (a bit less than £400) which I have to pay before 5 April 2009 and I'm leaving it till around February/March of that year I'm still on 39 years as my retirement date is January 2010. May as well get some interest on my savings!

lo_bush

Just spent Approx 2 hours on the phone trying to sort this out for Mum.
As per Martins Email I phoned NI Deficiency Helpline yesterday to get details of outstanding NI. Then I called Pension service who confirmed that if mum 'offered' to pay the outstanding NI,that the Pension would be backdated to when she was 60 (She's 62 now) and that she would not have to pay 'upfront' as the amount she owed would be 'offset'. They gave me the weekly pension amounts she would be entitled to if she 'paid' 3,4,5,6,7,8 years contribution. but would not advise me of what would be best to do. So I went away and did my sums and phoned them back today. Today I was told, by someone who didn't seem to have a clue and had to keep 'checking with his colleague' that a new set of guidelines are in force today (yeah right) and that as she was 60 after Oct 25th 2004 she would have to pay her contributions upfront , directly to HMCR and to phone them to sort it out.
I phoned them and they said yes, payments for NI should be made to them but very abruptly informed me that any pension would NOT be backdated and would only be paid from date NI payment was recieved :mad:
Then I rang The pension advisory service who told me I was being given the runaround but to persevere and that they were not aware of any new guidelines coming into force.
So I've just phoned the pension service AGAIN who are now saying that they'll get someone to call me back tomorrow, though I shan't hold my breath.
Any advice, anybody, please I am getting increasingly confused and frustrated

EdInvestor

lo_bush wrote: »

Then I called Pension service who confirmed that if mum 'offered' to pay the outstanding NI,that the Pension would be backdated to when she was 60 (She's 62 now) and that she would not have to pay 'upfront' as the amount she owed would be 'offset'. They gave me the weekly pension amounts she would be entitled to if she 'paid' 3,4,5,6,7,8 years contribution.

I suggest you outline the above in a letter to the Pensions Service to confirm the arrangement in writing.Get your mother to sign the letter.

lo_bush

Thank you EdInvestor, I'll probably do that if I don't get any joy from the call I'm supposed to be getting tomorrow. Any advice as to how to approach this call? I don't even to begin to understand it all but mum understands it even less and I don't want them to bamboozle her out of something she's able to claim. Do they deliberately make it complicated to deter people from claiming?