Bank balance limits and benefits

Beenie

My mother has dementia. This means that she has an inability to plan, go shopping, withdraw cash from the bank, and so her current account balance is about £10,000.

She is in her mid-eighties, receives state pension, pension credit and housing benefit. Social services are involved and she has carers to oversee her medication and that she is eating.

Can anyone advise what will happen about her bank account? It will only grow as she is frugal with her spending, and we are worried that it will affect her pension entitlement. Or does it only affect JSA and people of working age? A bit confused on this

tomtom256

Anything over £10k in savings will affect pension credit, HB etc.

savings limits for pensioners starts at £10k, its only £6k for working age benefits.

xylophone

https://www.ageuk.org.uk/globalassets/age-uk/documents/factsheets/fs48_pension_credit_fcs.pdf

Does she have an indefinite assessed income period?

Beenie

Xylophone, I don't know what that phrase means, so I don't know if she has it or not. Is it something I need to ascertain?

pmlindyloo

To see if she has an assessed Income period look on her last Pension Credit award letter.

If she does then any increase in her savings does not need to be reported and will not affect her Guarantee Pension Credit.

If she doesn't then any savings over £10000 will reduce her PC by £1 for every £250 over the £10000.

As long as she continues to receive any amount of guarantee Pension Credit will entitle her to full HB as it is now.

Is she receiving Attendance Allowance?

Beenie

I don't have access to her benefit/pensions mail. I live over 200 miles away and go see her every 8 weeks or so. That used to be enough, but she has rapidly declined in the last couple of months. Each time I visit, her desk is clear of correspondence apart from utility bills (which I pay). There is no cheque book, bank letters or anything from DWP. The bank won't deal with me as I am not the customer, and I have no idea how to talk to DWP. Don't you need a NI number for one thing? I don't know hers.

Ames

The DWP won't be able to talk to you because of data protection laws. If she phoned them and then asked to hand the phone over to you then they would be able to.

pmlindyloo

Do you have power of attorney for her?

Beenie

No. And I can't get ot now due to her mental incapacity.

xylophone

Xylophone, I don't know what that phrase means,

Explained in link.

Beenie

Yes. I am told that I need an appointment with both myself and mother and a DWp visiting officer. That means making a train journey and booking a hotel room for an overnight stay. I can't do that a the drop of a hat, so we are looking at mid-March.