Pensioners with younger partners won't be able to claim pension credit under new rules - MSE News

Former_MSE_Naomi · 15 January 2019 at 6:57PM

Pensioners who live in a couple will only be able to make a new claim for pension credit when both partners are over the state pension age, under new rules to come into effect in May...

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'Pensioners with younger partners won't be able to claim pension credit under new rules'

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Pollycat · 16 January 2019 at 9:07AM

As pension credit is a benefit, would this be better on the 'Benefits and Tax Credits' board?
Or at least as a closed sticky or something on there to bring awareness to people looking at benefits?

It's a significant change.

SnowMan · 16 January 2019 at 10:19AM

This is a huge cut in benefits for mixed age couples (i.e. one above and one below State Pension Age) who aren't already getting pension credit. This is because working age benefits are much less generous than pensioner benefits.

So it doesn't just put a requirement on the younger partner to look for work if they are able, which some may argue is reasonable in some cases, but more importantly it means a massive reduction in financial help.

The sort of people this might affect are, for example, a couple aged 64 and 68, where the younger member has no real prospect of finding work due to a health condition, caring responsibilities or otherwise.

In some ways you can think of it as a 3 year increase in pension credit age (assuming the average age difference between couples is 3 years) as the couple can only claim pension credit when the younger member reaches SPA rather than the older member reaching SPA. Given that pension credit age has been increasing by 6 years because of the ongoing increases in State Pension Age, how reasonable is a further 3 year increase, i.e a 9 year increase over about a 10 year period?

It's a further attack on the most vulnerable in society.

What really stinks is the attempt by the government to hide the change by announcing it in the least visible way (written statement) while the brexit vote was going on.

skcollobcat10 · 16 January 2019 at 10:52AM

I feel the younger person should be working.

If disabled or carer, they would be getting the appropriate benefits e.g. Esa, PIP, carers allowance until they reach the age that they would normally retire.

Pension credit is a means tested benefit, for whatever reason these people did not bother through their working life to pay into, preferring to spend their money on other things.

Myself and husband are both disabled now, but, we worked full time throughout our working lives and will get our pensions separately at pension age. My own has been extended by 6 years and I have to accept that.

What I don't accept is that the younger person in a couple whether they are 64 or 34 years old to get a boost up of means tested pension that they really have not contributed to ahead of ordinary working people, myself included.

I also think the government are sly in bringing this to people's attention, does not give much time for people to make other arrangements.

[Deleted User] · 16 January 2019 at 11:02AM

I feel they should have specified a significant age gap if they are going to introduce this tbh ie one partner is 67 and one if 47 as it could be expected that the majority of 47yr olds are in work and can add to the family pot. 2 people age 60's could have many reasons for not being able to work, having said that retirement is not a surprise and people should put something aside for their later years, even if that meant not smoking or drinking, its all about financial priorities.

Personally I think welfare there are far too many people on benefits and they should be limited to the disabled only but that's another thread.

Nullboris · 16 January 2019 at 4:39PM

Triggered.
Same brush for twenty years.

marlot · 16 January 2019 at 5:24PM

SnowMan wrote: »

...The sort of people this might affect are, for example, a couple aged 64 and 68, where the younger member has no real prospect of finding work due to a health condition, caring responsibilities or otherwise...

Surely there will be other targetted benefits for those things - PIP, carers allowance, etc??

woolly_wombat · 16 January 2019 at 5:27PM

SnowMan wrote: »

The sort of people this might affect are, for example, a couple aged 64 and 68, where the younger member has no real prospect of finding work due to a health condition, caring responsibilities or otherwise.

Not just the stereotypical 68 year old with 48 year old wife then. Thank you for putting the scale of the change into context. I would not have understood the implication without your explanation.

A shoddy way to bury bad news.

woolly_wombat · 16 January 2019 at 5:28PM

Nullboris wrote: »

Triggered.
Same brush for twenty years.

I must confess to being completely baffled by this seemingly random comment.

Is there an explanation?
.

greenglide · 16 January 2019 at 5:33PM

Trigger and his brush in Only fools and horses.

LHW99 · 16 January 2019 at 10:37PM

I see the original plan was brought out in 2012 (from the end of the MSE article). So 7 years notice, which I thought was going to be 10 years for these sort of changes. Nothing can have been learned from the WASPE fiasco.