Tina marie

Tina_marie

Approx 7/8 years ago,whilst unemployed I cashed in a small pension.This pension pays me £192 per year,the DWP take this money off me saying it’s an income,but I can legally earn £120 per week without it affecting my benefit......I am now on pip/jsa ........can they take my £192 yearly? It does seem double standards if they can.thank you

Marcon

I think you might fare better with a benefits specialist. Try https://www.turn2us.org.uk (excellent free helpline).

AnotherJoe

.... and for future posts note that "Title" when making a new post isn't your name, its what you want to call the post, eg "DWP deducting my small pension" or something like that

lisyloo

Tina_marie wrote: »

Approx 7/8 years ago,whilst unemployed I cashed in a small pension.This pension pays me £192 per year,the DWP take this money off me saying it’s an income,but I can legally earn £120 per week without it affecting my benefit......I am now on pip/jsa ........can they take my £192 yearly? It does seem double standards if they can.thank you

Pip is not means tested so your PIP should not be affected by your income.
jSA can be means tested so it could be affected.
What do you mean by double standards?
Why would you expect that money from the tax payer if you already have it?

AnotherJoe

The problem is, what incentive is it to people to save for pensions if even £192/year is being penalised?

lisyloo

AnotherJoe wrote: »

The problem is, what incentive is it to people to save for pensions if even £192/year is being penalised?

Pensions are intended to provide an income in retirement.
This person is a job seeker, so the pension is not being used as intended.

But I agree that there is no incentive for any single person who’s guaranteed £167 plus change per week in benefits, in putting towards a pension if they cannot exceed that figure.

I think most taxpayers are happy to help those in need but don’t want to fund those who are already (partially) self-funding.
Is there a clever way round it that those is power haven’t thought of that doesn’t penalise either savers or tax payers.

I’d say there is a moral duty to try to fund yourself if you can even if you’re no better off and most tax payers would take that view that tax payers money should be there for those who can’t provide for themselves.

Pun

OP, you've asked a perfectly reasonable question and must wonder, looking at the finger-wagging and huffing and puffing which has resulted,why on earth you bothered! Suggest you follow Marcon's advice and get some informed, non-judgemental information, which is what you asked for the first place.

Tina_marie

Just to update you all,I requested a reassessment of my condition,which you are told you must do if there is any change,I along with my other medical conditions,have been diagnosed with osteoarthritis. I was on PIP and esa.
After my reassessment,I was put onto JSA and lower rate PIP,and a loss of £400 per month.

To answer my double standards comment,if I was able to I could earn £120 per week without it affecting my benefits. So it seems rather strange that they take back my pension payout,which I think is £3.32 per week.
I am not a scrounger,I worked bloody hard upto becoming disabled,and if it was possible for anyone to step in my shoes,and I can go back to work,believe you me I would.

Tina_marie

AnotherJoe wrote: »

.... and for future posts note that "Title" when making a new post isn't your name, its what you want to call the post, eg "DWP deducting my small pension" or something like that

I wouldn’t be so rude to criticise anyone’s spelling or typing,mine is worse,it was excellent up to me having a stroke,but the old brain is shook up abit now!

lisyloo

Tina_marie wrote: »

I am not a scrounger,I worked bloody hard upto becoming disabled,and if it was possible for anyone to step in my shoes,and I can go back to work,believe you me I would.

No one called you a scrounger or said you aren’t doing as much as you could.
I did not judge you but answered a general point.
There is no judgement about you in my reply or huffing and puffing (really weird how people make stuff up on here).

They have said you can EARN £120.
You haven’t earnt the £3.32.

I would suggest you ask why your £3.32 is being taken off you when you are allowed £120 in earnings.

My expectation is that they’ll say unearned income is not earnings, but that’s a guess, better to ask.

If they are saying there’s a difference between earned income and unearned then it’s not a double standard.
I could make a general point about policy being set to motivate people, but I’d probably be (wrongly) accused of judging you so I won’t bother.

I do wish you the best.

Tina_marie

They have said my weekly £3.32 is an income.
Thank you for your wishes