Need Advice For My Father with ESA and State Pension

acharris

Hi all, need some help. My father is on CB ESA Support Group and gets £187 something as he claims for my mother too from the old IB system. Today a letter arrived saying he has been invited to claim his state pension.

Now I know his ESA will stop when he claims his state pension, but at the moment his miners pension is being paid and don't effect his ESA. I know that state pension will take into account his pension and reduce it pound for pound, and his savings will also be taken in account under state pension.

What I want to know is what happens with the £23 difference between his ESA and State Pension and also will he get Pension Credit or is this part of the State Pension. Also will he get more as he would be claiming as a married couple.

Thanks in advance for any advice.

Anthony

antrobus

acharris wrote: »

....
I know that state pension will take into account his pension and reduce it pound for pound, and his savings will also be taken in account under state pension.,,,

No. The state pension is not means tested in any way. It will not be reduced because of his miner's pension, and his savings will not be taken into account.

acharris wrote: »

....
What I want to know is what happens with the £23 difference between his ESA and State Pension and also will he get Pension Credit or is this part of the State Pension. Also will he get more as he would be claiming as a married couple.

Pension Credit is something different. It is an income-related benefit.

https://www.gov.uk/pension-credit

ESA stops when you hit state pension age.

xylophone

Has your father obtained a new state pension statement?

https://www.gov.uk/check-state-pension

Does his MPS have a GMP?

See https://www.mps-pension.org.uk/my-pension-is-in-payment/increases-and-bonuses


Pension Credit is means tested. See

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

KxMx

I think you need to forget about the £23 difference between ESA & State Pension.

Focus on his new entitlements once State Pension is payable (such as Pension Credit) and forget the rate of previous benefit.

That difference won't be payable or applicable once he gets a State Pension.

anmarj

You will also need to consider impact of the change to Pension Credit age for claiming as a couple, if he is turning SP age after May this year

acharris

Thanks all for the replies and advice. It is confusing lol. He had his invitation letter today, but online it said SP is available from 6th May (13 days before the 19th May changes to Pension Credits I think)

From reading around, am I right in assuming that with SP and Pension Credit he will be on £255 a week from the April changes? before any changes that happen with his MPS and the means tested Pension Credit?

Or have I mis-understood it, which is pretty possible lol. Thanks again for all the help, appreciated.

xylophone

Pension Credit is household income related.

You need to read the Age UK Pension Credit factsheet.

Mojisola

acharris wrote: »

Thanks all for the replies and advice. It is confusing lol. He had his invitation letter today, but online it said SP is available from 6th May (13 days before the 19th May changes to Pension Credits I think)

From reading around, am I right in assuming that with SP and Pension Credit he will be on £255 a week from the April changes? before any changes that happen with his MPS and the means tested Pension Credit?

Or have I mis-understood it, which is pretty possible lol. Thanks again for all the help, appreciated.

Pension Credit is a means tested benefit. If his State Pension and any other pension money is more than £248.80, they won't be entitled to Pension Credit.

https://www.gov.uk/pension-credit/what-youll-get

calcotti

Mojisola wrote: »

Pension Credit is a means tested benefit. If his State Pension and any other pension money is more than £248.80, they won't be entitled to Pension Credit.

https://www.gov.uk/pension-credit/what-youll-get

Unless there are disability or carer premiums to be added in which case the threshold will be higher.

OP. His miner's pension is obviously less than £85/week otherwise it would be affecting his ESA so if he gets the standard rate State Pension of £164.35 and this is their only income there is a strong chance that he will be below the PC threshold. If possible I recommend he contact the Pension Service to ask for a Pension forecast https://www.gov.uk/future-pension-centre and then he will have a clearer idea (as also suggested earlier by xylophone). If there is a chance he may qualify for Pension Credit I recommend he makes the application anyway - the worst that can happen is that he is told he doesn't qualify. If he leaves it he will no longer be able to apply. The last day he will be able to make a claim is 14th May, the new rules apply from 15th May.

Note that he doesn't have to wait to May to claim, he can start an application from 4 months before he reaches pension age.

margaretclare

What I want to know is what happens with the £23 difference between his ESA and State Pension and also will he get Pension Credit or is this part of the State Pension. Also will he get more as he would be claiming as a married couple.

Your Dad should probably find out a bit more i.e. what does the State pension include, how is it earned, how is it made up. What is Pension Credit. Just do a bit of reading!



Pension credit can be claimed as a couple, but State Pension is earned, and paid, as an individual. Your mum will have her own state pension when she reaches the qualifying age.

p00hsticks

margaretclare wrote: »

YYour mum will have her own state pension when she reaches the qualifying age.

Assuming that she has at least 10 years NI creditted to her.

It is worth getting a state pension forecast for her to check how much she is likely to receive.



https://www.gov.uk/check-state-pension