state pension looming, but my wife is younger and disabled

nosscar

hi, i am due my state pension next year at 66 yrs old, but my wife will be 59, i am currently in a joint esa claim with her, she gets the support group package and disability benefit from ESA, also she claims enhanced care from PIP. I will get full state pension as i have 35 yrs of stamps, currently we also get housing benefit and full council tax reduction, we have no assets or savings. I have no other work pension either.
If and when i claim my pension, what happens to her ESA claim, can we claim separately as i get a pension, or will she lose her claim, or am i better not claiming my pension if possible and keeping the joint claim in my wife's name.. thank you for any advice.

whizzywoo

nosscar said:

hi, i am due my state pension next year at 66 yrs old, but my wife will be 59, i am currently in a joint esa claim with her, she gets the support group package and disability benefit from ESA, also she claims enhanced care from PIP. I will get full state pension as i have 35 yrs of stamps, currently we also get housing benefit and full council tax reduction, we have no assets or savings. I have no other work pension either.
If and when i claim my pension, what happens to her ESA claim, can we claim separately as i get a pension, or will she lose her claim, or am i better not claiming my pension if possible and keeping the joint claim in my wife's name.. thank you for any advice.

Your questions regarding your Wife's ESA claim would be best asked on the Benefits Board here:
https://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/post/discussion/benefits-tax-credits
It is quite complicated I believe but there are many knowledgeable people on there who will be able to help you.

The question of you receiving a full State Pension is not as straight forward as you seem to think.  Just because you have 35 years' worth of stamps will not necessarily mean that you qualify for the full pension.  Have you got a State Pension forecast?  If yes then post ALL of the info on here and people more knowledgeable than I will be able to help you.

If you haven't got a forecast then you need to get one ASAP using your Government Gateway Account.

nosscar

thank you, i have done now

TadleyBaggie

Just because you have 35 years of "stamps" does not necessarily mean you will get a full state pension, if you were contracted out, you may need more than 35. Have you got a state pension forecast?

nosscar

yes, i got a forecast a few years ago, i will have full pension before i get my pension

NottinghamKnight

nosscar said:

yes, i got a forecast a few years ago, i will have full pension before i get my pension

If the forecast was a few years ago it will probably be wrong now.

nosscar

don't think so, as i was told i only needed 2 more years to qualify, and it has been more than that now on benefits with contributions credited.

NottinghamKnight

nosscar said:

don't think so, as i was told i only needed 2 more years to qualify, and it has been more than that now on benefits with contributions credited.

Yes, but the system has changed.

LHW99

NottinghamKnight said:

nosscar said:

yes, i got a forecast a few years ago, i will have full pension before i get my pension

If the forecast was a few years ago it will probably be wrong now.

don't think so, as i was told i only needed 2 more years to qualify, and it has been more than that now on benefits with contributions credited.

I think what was being suggested was that if the forcast was pre-April 2016 it could be wrong because the rules for calculating pension changed at that date.

nosscar

no, my forecast was after 2016, and was based on the new system,so hopefully be accurate 

badmemory

Please check again.  It would be unusual to get to state pension age now with only new state pension & no other pension provision at all.  Unless of course a lot of your NI was based on credits only.