Additional Credit Card Holder Can I become main Card Holder?

Auramystic

Hi new to this site but need to ask a couple of questions and not sure if anyone can help.
My husband is very ill and likely to pass away in the near future.  We have been married for 48 years and always had a joint bank account (I also have my own) but have had Barclaycard for 45 years and also a Santander Credit Card.  It suddenly hit me that my husband is the main Credit Card holder on both and I am the additional card holder and so when he dies I will probably be left without a credit card?  I tweeted Barclaycard who told me this would be the case and I need to apply for one in my own right.  I am 67 with an income of basically my pension.  We use Barclaycard (we do not bank with them) but always pay off the balance within the agreed time and also the same with Santander.  The Barclaycard has a really high credit amount on it which we would never use but I am now concerned as I probably have no credit rating of my own?  Can anyone advise as it is so hard to get anyone on the phone these days.  Does anyone know if I could with my husbands permission change it so that I am the main card holder and allowing me to keep hold of it when the inevitable happens or would I have to start again with very low credit rating?  It is something that I need to get sorted as I do not want to leave it until I am facing a lot of stuff to sort out emotionally.  I really do not need this as this is so difficult for us but if I have to apply in my own right I will for both.  I just wondered if anyone on here had any advice. Thank you. 

[Deleted User]

No. You'd need to apply for your own account.

ceremony

Credit cards are offered to individuals, and the second card holder is not jointly liable, they just get a card with their name on it.

You'd have to take out a credit card of your own. Your own bank and the bank you have the joint account with are good starting points, because you're known to them. It may well be that if you ask one of them for a card they'd be happy to offer something with a useful limit and decent rates.

Otherwise, you may have to start with a credit builder card, but building a credit history isn't a difficult process. The interest rates on the credit builder cards are not good at all, but if all you do put day-to-day shopping on it and pay it off in full every month then you'll establish a pattern of good financial management quite quickly and since you're paying them off in full you won't have to worry about the interest.

cymruchris

Sorry to hear about the situation with your husband - as has been pointed out - you'll need your own account - and make your own application. When the time comes and your husband's account is closed, the additional cardholder will go with it. 

You mention that you're going to only have the pension income, but without revealing actual amounts - will there be a reasonable amount of savings/investments available to you?  Is your pension the state pension, or do you also have a supplemental pension as well? When applying for a new card you'll have to be truthful in terms of income, but only certain things are classed as income (pensions included). 

I would likely start with Barclaycard, and although they won't be easy to get through to on the phone, that might be your best bet - so you can talk to a human as you make the application. One of the challenges will be your reduced income, so you might not get the credit limit you currently have - but is that a bad thing? If it's just for short term emergency use now, a lower limit might actually be more appropriate?

Fingers crossed you've still got a reasonable time left with your husband - but you're right to try and address some of these challenges now if you can. 

luvchocolate

I applied for a M and S credit card..with just pension income I was given £3,000 credit limit which is fine for me. 
I'm sure if you pay regularly and wanted limit increased they will look at that.