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dad just died at 59 mom is 60 with pension of £20 per week!!! please help

my father died a few weeks ago at the age of 59 after 40+ years of paying full national insurance contributions and working 10hrs a day

my mom turned 60 in july and because she has looked after the kids has hardly worked and only gets a pension of £20 per week

he had small personal pension wish they have just cashed in a small insurance payout the total value is around £40k (wish has to last the rest of her life and house needs about £10k spent on it)

Is my mom entitled to my dads pension contribrutions or will she have to wait until his 65th birthday (5 years) as someone at the pensions office told me

I know about pension credits but this will be zero because of the insurance payout (£1 knocked off for every £500 in savings) - can she get an increase in normal pension through my dads contributions thats not means tested

please help Im very worried
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Comments

  • tanith
    tanith Posts: 8,091 Forumite
    Part of the Furniture Combo Breaker
    So sorry to hear about your Dad.. its a difficult time to be dealing with other finacial stuff...


    She also has the income from the interest on the 40k presumably? I was going to suggest the Pension Credit but you obviously have taken that into account... would she not consider down-sizing the house? might be a way of getting more income...
    I am sure someone will come along with more helpful suggestions...
    #6 of the SKI-ers Club :j

    "All that is necessary for evil to triumph is for good men to do nothing" Edmund Burke
  • thanks for you kind words

    dont really want to think about downsizing the house yet (its not worth a fortune anyway) after my mom and dad have only ever lived there so I dont think she could cope with the idea of selling

    what I really what to know are my dads contributions transferrable to my mom as she is 60 and he died at 59 (pension wouldnt normally start until 65)

    I know she has the insurance payout but she has live off this forever and she has lot of home improvements due

    she could have git bereavement benefit of £100 per week but because she turned 60 a month before my dad died she is not eligible!

    can anyone help re state pension???
  • Smiley_Mum
    Smiley_Mum Posts: 3,836 Forumite
    I've been Money Tipped!
    So sorry about your dad's death. :grouphug:

    I've come across this link which has info which may prove useful. Please check it out...

    http://www.thisismoney.co.uk/ask-an-expert/pensions/article.html?in_article_id=421099&in_page_id=138

    http://www.dwp.gov.uk/asd/asd1/bb/bb_statistics_mar03.asp
    If a woman is widowed after the age of 60 she can receive State Retirement Pension based on her own and/or her late husband's contributions or she may be able to receive Widow's Benefit instead.

    Taken from here...

    http://www.dsdni.gov.uk/index/ssa/benefit_information/a-z_of_benefits/ssa_retirement_pension.htm

    Info on Winter Fuel Payments, apply asap.

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

    Contact the local Council and ensure that you get all the reductions in your Council Tax bill for single occupancy, etc

    http://www.dwp.gov.uk/publications/dwp/2006/d49_april06.pdf

    Good Luck, got my fingers crossed some good will come.

    In the future, your mam may be entitled to grants to do up the house, repair it etc, again she could contact the local Council to see if there is anything available, or perhaps the local library may have information. There should be info on MSE too.

    http://www.helptheaged.org.uk/en-gb/AdviceSupport/FinancialAdvice/HelpClaimingBenefits/Health/
    “Ordinary riches can be stolen, real riches cannot. In your soul are infinitely precious things that cannot be taken from you.” - Oscar Wilde
  • detroy
    detroy Posts: 21 Forumite
    Coolaking
    Sorry to hear of your loss. What you were told by the pension service was wrong and I apologise as I actually work for them myself. Your mum will be entitled to a bereavement payment of £2000 see attached link.

    http://www.jobcentreplus.gov.uk/JCP/Customers/WorkingAgeBenefits/dev_008411.xml.html
    After this has been paid by jobcentre plus they should refer her claim to the pension service so that her pension can be increased she should receive full basic pension of £87.30 if her husband has worked all his life. It may be worth her claiming pension credit while all this is sorted out. IF you need any more info PM me
  • Smiley_Mum
    Smiley_Mum Posts: 3,836 Forumite
    I've been Money Tipped!
    detroy wrote: »
    Coolaking
    Sorry to hear of your loss. What you were told by the pension service was wrong and I apologise as I actually work for them myself. Your mum will be entitled to a bereavement payment of £2000 see attached link.

    http://www.jobcentreplus.gov.uk/JCP/Customers/WorkingAgeBenefits/dev_008411.xml.html
    After this has been paid by jobcentre plus they should refer her claim to the pension service so that her pension can be increased she should receive full basic pension of £87.30 if her husband has worked all his life. It may be worth her claiming pension credit while all this is sorted out. IF you need any more info PM me

    From what I read, the links etc state no entitlement to Bereavement Benefit but there is entitlement to a one off Bereavement payment of £2,000 like you state. Hopefully, her pension can be increased through her late husbands contributions.
    “Ordinary riches can be stolen, real riches cannot. In your soul are infinitely precious things that cannot be taken from you.” - Oscar Wilde
  • beingjdc
    beingjdc Posts: 1,680 Forumite
    coolaking wrote: »
    he had small personal pension wish they have just cashed in a small insurance payout the total value is around £40k (wish has to last the rest of her life and house needs about £10k spent on it)

    I know about pension credits but this will be zero because of the insurance payout (£1 knocked off for every £500 in savings)

    I'm not an expert on this, but once the situation's clear if I were her I'd check the pension credit rules, then spend the £40k as quickly as possible down to the savings limit, sorting out the house etc, so that she can start getting the full weekly payment.

    Alternatively I presume (as I say, not an expert) that if you buy an annuity, it's no longer savings?
    Hurrah, now I have more thankings than postings, cheers everyone!
  • It is illegal to reduce your capital unneccessarily in order to claim benefits.
    (AKA HRH_MUngo)
    Member #10 of £2 savers club
    Imagine someone holding forth on biology whose only knowledge of the subject is the Book of British Birds, and you have a rough idea of what it feels like to read Richard Dawkins on theology: Terry Eagleton
  • hartcjhart
    hartcjhart Posts: 9,463 Forumite
    Part of the Furniture 1,000 Posts Combo Breaker
    your mum will be entitlted to the basic rate of pension although it may be made up of other benefits,

    As SHE OWES YOU £30k from various loans made to her and your Dad she only now has savings of £10k,if you see what I mean
    I :love: MOJACAR
  • CIS
    CIS Posts: 12,260 Forumite
    Part of the Furniture 10,000 Posts Name Dropper
    I no longer work in Council Tax Recovery but instead work as a specialist Council Tax paralegal assisting landlords and Council Tax payers with council tax disputes and valuation tribunals. My views are my own reading of the law and you should always check with the local authority in question.
  • beingjdc
    beingjdc Posts: 1,680 Forumite
    It is illegal to reduce your capital unneccessarily in order to claim benefits.

    Yes I know, but define 'unneccessarily'. If the house needs fixing, it needs fixing. If a round the world cruise would help her get over her bereavement, then, umm. If it really was completely illegal then a lot of people with flash cars and designer trainers round here would be getting their benefits confiscated.

    Certainly what she can't do is just give it to her son for Christmas, of course!
    Hurrah, now I have more thankings than postings, cheers everyone!
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