What Benefits Should I Claim if too Ill to Work?

poppy12345

Maharishi wrote: »

Oh dear, this is looking bleak. I have £500 rainy day savings for vehicle repairs if they should arise etc BUT my wife has circa £30k in personal savings. Sounds like that will cause me an issue even though it's nothing to do with me - it's her money, obviously.

It's why we have never been able to claim reduced Council Tax despite my meagre earnings meaning that we would have qualified for approx £600 rebate.

I have no idea what ESA stands for but if, as I suspect, it is derived from NIC then that's also a cul-de-sac.

She's your wife, which makes you a couple. When you claim a means tested benefit, you claim as a couple and both your details/circumstances are taken into account.



As you both have over £16,000 savings then you won't be entitled to claim an UC.


ESA is Employment Support Allowance and If you haven't paid enough then you won't be able to claim New style ESA because it's based on your NI Contributions.


If you haven't paid many NIC what are you planning to do about your state pension?

calcotti

Maharishi wrote: »

I have no idea what ESA stands for but if, as I suspect, it is derived from NIC then that's also a cul-de-sac.

Employment and Support Allowance
OP. If you are registered as self employed you have an option to pay voluntary Class 2 NI contributions. If you contact HMRC NI you can ask about paying voluntary contributions for the years 2016-2017 and 2017-2018. I think the total cost is only about £300. If you do this and wait six weeks you will then be entitled to claim ‘new style’ ESA (which is not means tested).

Note if you put this off and get to within 6 weeks of the end of the year you need to pay the years 2017-2018 and 2018-2019 to support an ESA claim started after 5th January 2020.

ohreally

Seek an opinion regarding suitability for surgery.

borkid

Some pain clinics can provide acupuncture which maybe useful for reducing the pain, it helps my arthritis. They would also be able to give advice on exercise and if appropriate provide splints or some such support.



Have you thought about taking in private students? A few private students a week would earn you more than the £73 ESA.

calcotti

poppy12345 wrote: »

If you haven't paid many NIC what are you planning to do about your state pension?

OP. If you have less than 10 years of NI contributions you will get no state pension at all. If over 10 years you will get something but it will not be much if you do not have anything approaching 35 years.
Class 2 voluntary contributions are incredibly cheap (which is why the government stated an intention to abolish them - but this has been put on hold due to other parliamentary business).
At the moment it looks as if you will be dependent on your wife to support you. All means tested benefits are assessed on your circumstances as a couple.

Maharishi

poppy12345 wrote: »

If you haven't paid many NIC what are you planning to do about your state pension?

I have absolutely no idea. I have less than 9 years' contributions from employment during the 70s before I became self employed in 1982 ...

Starve probably, by the look of it

Maharishi

ohreally wrote: »

Seek an opinion regarding suitability for surgery.

Not an option.

Maharishi

borkid wrote: »

Some pain clinics can provide acupuncture which maybe useful for reducing the pain, it helps my arthritis. They would also be able to give advice on exercise and if appropriate provide splints or some such support.



Have you thought about taking in private students? A few private students a week would earn you more than the £73 ESA.

The lumbar injury site won't respond to manipulation and surgery is not possible either. Part of it is the way it has healed itself and part is, I'm afraid, age related.

I taught privately for 25 years and that dried up during the last recession. I have not had a student for nigh on 7 years now. Nice thought though, again, it would involve sitting for long periods which, of course, is not now possible.

Maharishi

calcotti wrote: »

OP. If you have less than 10 years of NI contributions you will get no state pension at all. If over 10 years you will get something but it will not be much if you do not have anything approaching 35 years.
Class 2 voluntary contributions are incredibly cheap (which is why the government stated an intention to abolish them - but this has been put on hold due to other parliamentary business).
At the moment it looks as if you will be dependent on your wife to support you. All means tested benefits are assessed on your circumstances as a couple.

Then it truly looks like my future is incredibly bleak. I find it hard to understand the means tested situation. We have been married since 1997 and in all that time we have simply split the running costs of the house right down the middle, to the penny. We have never shared money in a joint account or the such like.

That may seem odd to others but it's always been that way and we have been happy enough managing like that. We are both people that prefer to have individual control over our own finances.

On the State Pension situation, isn't there something called pension credit which acts as a "top up" specifically for people in my boat? I do not presume for one minute that I am the only individual who has fallen short in the contribution stakes.

Maharishi

Just an addendum regarding the NIC situation ...

For 37 of the 38 years that I have been self employed, I always used an Accountant to do my yearly returns. Initially, I tried to do it myself but, after having several face to face meetings, bordering on arguments, with the Tax Inspector, I sought professional assistance.

As I have stated above, my net profits have always been below the NIC threshold but, of course, I did have the option to "pay a stamp". Well, when you see the term "option" beside a payment, no matter how insignificant, one tends to lean towards the "no thanks" box. And, unfortunately, this is what I did. One can, of course, point out here that I have made my bed etc and I would not disagree with that.

When you are young, old age pension seems a life time away. Almost unreal. But the years fly by and now the chickens have come home to roost. I am proud that I have never had to go cap in hand to the state and believe you me, there have been many times that I have struggled to make ends meet. Being your own boss is not all that it is cracked up to be.

Anyway, the die is cast and I thank you all so far for your help and suggestions. I hope that you don't judge the actions of a foolish young man too harshly ...