No State Pension

Paulsky

Hi all. Complicated question so I'll try to be as plain and simple as I can be.
My wife reaches 66 next month, but has not enough qualifying years to have any state pension. I reach 66 in January and will have a full state pension. 
I was made redundant a couple of years ago and so we have been on Universal Credit for the past 12 months, once the redundancy ran out. Neither of us will have a private pension.
Question: Can my wife claim a pension using my NI contributions. (45 years worth)
Question: Will the UC stop once my wife hits her 66th birthday?
Any help appreciated.
I've tried the Gov. Pension Advice Line and struggled to get through, also tried Age UK, but they just give you the Pensions Advice Line number.

MX5huggy

Look at pension credit.

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

xylophone

My wife reaches 66 next month, but has not enough qualifying years to have any state pension.

She is quite certain of this having checked here?

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

See P 15 (or p 17 if relevant)

https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/181235/derived-inherited-entitlement.pdf

Otherwise see

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

p00hsticks

MX5huggy said:

Look at pension credit.

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

Pension Credit is no longer available for 'mixed age' couples, so I believe the UC will continue until the OP retires in January, although there will no longer be any requirement to seek work for the one over State Pension Age.

It might be worth re-posting over on the Benefits board to conffirm this and see if/how it is likely to affect the actual amount of money paid.

https://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/categories/benefits-tax-credits

Alice_Holt

p00hsticks said:

MX5huggy said:

Look at pension credit.

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

Pension Credit is no longer available for 'mixed age' couples, so I believe the UC will continue until the OP retires in January, although there will no longer be any requirement to seek work for the one over State Pension Age.

       Yes, that would be my understanding too.  

  https://www.ageuk.org.uk/globalassets/age-uk/documents/reports-and-publications/reports-and-briefings/money-matters/age_uk_-briefing_on_benefit_changes_for_mixed_age_couples_february2019.pdf


       The OP would be advised to urgently contact the Pension Service to get a formal confirmation of his wife's SP eligibility (or not).  
      Any SP for his wife would be deducted from their joint UC claim.
     Once the OP reaches SPA they should investigate eligibility for PC.   

   Because of well publicised delays paying SP, the OP should be pro-active.  He needs to know exactly what SP (or not) his wife may receive, as UC may assume a figure (and deduct that from their UC). He cannot assume that UC and the Pension Service will talk to each other, and get it right. 

  He can start his claim for SP 4 months in advance. So, he should do this now.
  He can also start the claim for PC in advance - this would be advisable.

  OP - has your wife contacted the DWP about her pension.   Has she requested a forecast / made a claim ? 
  
 

squirrelpie

Paulsky said:

My wife reaches 66 next month, but has not enough qualifying years to have any state pension.

One thing I have not seen mentioned so far is the possibility of paying voluntary national insurance contributions to bring your wife up to having ten qualifying years, when she would get some state pension. Whether this is possible or sensible depends on how many qualifying years she already has and whether she could claim any more for e.g. caring for children and whether you have funds to pay more contributions. Generally it's a good deal to get state pension if you can. More details of circumstances are required to be more specific.

jamesd

Paulsky said:

My wife reaches 66 next month, but has not enough qualifying years to have any state pension. I reach 66 in January and will have a full state pension. 

It seems that you think that her state pension age is her 66th birthday. If so, that means that her date of birth is in the range 6 October 1954 – 5 April 1960 because otherwise it would be younger or older than that birthday.

Given that date of birth it seems that this applies to her:

"You’re a man born after 5 April 1951 or a woman born after 5 April 1953

You have until 5 April 2023 to pay voluntary contributions to make up for gaps between April 2006 and April 2016 if you’re eligible."

This means that provided money is available and she's eligible it will be possible to buy enough years to get to ten.

Also, contributions towards the state pensions in EU and some other countries count towards the ten year minimum and can affect the pension a person is eligible to get. If this applies to her she may already have the required ten years, just not all showing in her UK record. So, if it may apply, first contact this team and investigate her situation with them before deciding whether to buy years.

"Question: Can my wife claim a pension using my NI contributions. (45 years worth)"

No. You both reached state pension age from 6 April 2016 onwards and for those after then that date ended the system where a person could get a state pension of 60% of their spouse's pension while both are alive. Exception: this can still be available if she paid the reduced married woman's NI contributions.

If you have a state pension that is higher than the maximum single tier state pension then she will be able to inherit 50% of the amount over it after your death.

Ibrahim5

I would have thought she would have expected to receive full state pension at 60 unless she had received a letter informing her otherwise.

xylophone

I would have thought she would have expected to receive full state pension at 60 unless she had received a letter informing her otherwise.

It seems that she was born in 1954.

Therefore she would not have been eligible to receiver state pension at age 60.

Marcon

Ibrahim5 said:

I would have thought she would have expected to receive full state pension at 60 unless she had received a letter informing her otherwise.

If she reaches 66 next month, she was born in 1955, so her SPA is 66. 

If she hasn't made sufficient NI contributions, why would she expect to receive a full state pension?

QrizB

Marcon said:

Ibrahim5 said:

I would have thought she would have expected to receive full state pension at 60 unless she had received a letter informing her otherwise.

If she reaches 66 next month, she was born in 1955, so her SPA is 66. 
If she hasn't made sufficient NI contributions, why would she expect to receive a full state pension?

S/he is referring to the WASPI claims. Whether seriously or in jest is impossible to say.