Unfair and discriminated State Pension

jigsawgirl69

I am a divorced woman 70 almost 71.
Last year my husband of 32 years divorced me, and moved on.
I am living temporarily with my son in a small flat.
I only receive the basic State Pension £664.00 per 4 weeks.
I have applied twice for pension credit and telephoned several times, but have had no response.
It seems so unfair, having always worked, that I receive such a small amount to live on.
Once my pension was available I retired 6 months later due to shoulder and neck problems, brought on by my job of 16 years at Sainsburys.
For the past 11 years, I have had an online jewellery business, which brought in extra cash. This has now dwindled as I cannot afford stock. I paid the appropriate tax on this.
I now find myself in a very difficult position. 
I was recently diagnosed with breast cancer, and have been receiving treatment.
I have had to take my husband to court to try to get money from the house we had together. My name wasn't on the deeds.
A year later and £8,000 (on my credit card) this is still not resolved.
I am at my wits end, and life is very bleak.
Why is the pension not the same for everyone?
I have friends who are comfortably well off and claim the full pension, and put into their savings.
I should not have to keep asking about pension credit, it is so degrading asking for charity.
We are the older generation now, and our vote is presumably still needed?
We should make a stand for equal pensions for all and do away with credit pension.

MX5huggy

Does your husband have pensions? These should be part of the divorce settlement. 

whizzywoo

Have you actually received a letter saying that you don't qualify for Pension Credit?

There are huge backlogs in dealing with applications at the moment, so if you've not heard anything yet that may be the cause.

The profit from your online jewellery business is possibility putting your income above the threshold. 

As you have neck and shoulder problems it may be possible for you to claim Attendance Allowance if you need personal care.   You don't have to be receiving care in order to claim.   Receiving Attendance Allowance would increase any Pension Credit entitlement. 

jimpwarsop

jigsawgirl69 said:

I am a divorced woman 70 almost 71.
Last year my husband of 32 years divorced me, and moved on.
I am living temporarily with my son in a small flat.
I only receive the basic State Pension £664.00 per 4 weeks.
I have applied twice for pension credit and telephoned several times, but have had no response.
It seems so unfair, having always worked, that I receive such a small amount to live on.
Once my pension was available I retired 6 months later due to shoulder and neck problems, brought on by my job of 16 years at Sainsburys.
For the past 11 years, I have had an online jewellery business, which brought in extra cash. This has now dwindled as I cannot afford stock. I paid the appropriate tax on this.
I now find myself in a very difficult position. 
I was recently diagnosed with breast cancer, and have been receiving treatment.
I have had to take my husband to court to try to get money from the house we had together. My name wasn't on the deeds.
A year later and £8,000 (on my credit card) this is still not resolved.
I am at my wits end, and life is very bleak.
Why is the pension not the same for everyone?
I have friends who are comfortably well off and claim the full pension, and put into their savings.
I should not have to keep asking about pension credit, it is so degrading asking for charity.
We are the older generation now, and our vote is presumably still needed?
We should make a stand for equal pensions for all and do away with credit pension.

How much would you like that "equal pension for all" to be ?   I agree we should do away with pension credit.

NedS

jimpwarsop said:

jigsawgirl69 said:

I am a divorced woman 70 almost 71.
Last year my husband of 32 years divorced me, and moved on.
I am living temporarily with my son in a small flat.
I only receive the basic State Pension £664.00 per 4 weeks.
I have applied twice for pension credit and telephoned several times, but have had no response.
It seems so unfair, having always worked, that I receive such a small amount to live on.
Once my pension was available I retired 6 months later due to shoulder and neck problems, brought on by my job of 16 years at Sainsburys.
For the past 11 years, I have had an online jewellery business, which brought in extra cash. This has now dwindled as I cannot afford stock. I paid the appropriate tax on this.
I now find myself in a very difficult position. 
I was recently diagnosed with breast cancer, and have been receiving treatment.
I have had to take my husband to court to try to get money from the house we had together. My name wasn't on the deeds.
A year later and £8,000 (on my credit card) this is still not resolved.
I am at my wits end, and life is very bleak.
Why is the pension not the same for everyone?
I have friends who are comfortably well off and claim the full pension, and put into their savings.
I should not have to keep asking about pension credit, it is so degrading asking for charity.
We are the older generation now, and our vote is presumably still needed?
We should make a stand for equal pensions for all and do away with credit pension.

How much would you like that "equal pension for all" to be ?   I agree we should do away with pension credit.

But isn't that exactly what Pension Credit does? - ensures that everyone (single) has a minimum of £182.60 per week, or £278.70 for a couple.

calcotti

jimpwarsop said:  I agree we should do away with pension credit.

The New State Pension is set at a level that means that people who receive the full amount will no longer qualify for PC unless they have an additional entitlement due to disability or caring responsibilities, PC will therefore be largely removed.however there is a lengthy period of transition between the new and old State Pension. 

The old State Pension provides different amounts because of earnings based additions over and above the basic amount. The basic starting amount depends on NI contributions.

The new State Pension will, once it is fully in place, provide everybody who has 35 years of NI contributions, the same amount.

Your SP is £168/week. If you have no other income and have no capital over £10,000 your PC entitlement is £14.80/week.

whizzywoo said:

Receiving Attendance Allowance would increase any Pension Credit entitlement. 

As OP lives with her son that would only be the case if the son receives a disability benefit.

whizzywoo

calcotti said:

whizzywoo said:

Receiving Attendance Allowance would increase any Pension Credit entitlement. 

As OP lives with her son that would only be the case if the son receives a disability benefit.  

Yes that's true Calcotti but the Opening Poster does say temporarily but I should have pointed it out.  

p00hsticks

jigsawgirl69 said:

Once my pension was available I retired 6 months later due to shoulder and neck problems, brought on by my job of 16 years at Sainsburys.

I'm sorry to hear that. 

Were you not paying into the company pension while at Sainsbury's ?

Pollycat

As asked above:

whizzywoo said:

Have you actually received a letter saying that you don't qualify for Pension Credit?

If you have, what was the reason you were refused?
If you haven't had a letter, when did you apply?
Why did you apply twice?

Where are you with the financial negotiations with your ex husband?
It sounded like you were close to an agreement in your earlier thread.

xylophone

I only receive the basic State Pension £664.00 per 4 weeks.

This is not only the BSP ( £141.85 a week/£567.40 every four weeks).

You are receiving BSP plus  Additional State Pension (from accrued SERPS/S2P).

Your statement of increase in benefits (you would have received this around mid March) should show the elements comprising your state pension.

With regard to having worked for Sainsbury's, there was a DB Pension Scheme in place until 2002 and a DC Pension Scheme after that date.

Were you a member of either scheme? If so, are you in receipt of the pension?

Regarding PC, have you read this comprehensive guide

https://www.ageuk.org.uk/bp-assets/globalassets/barnet/original-blocks/our-services/ia/fs48_pension_credit_fcs.pdf

xylophone

I have had to take my husband to court to try to get money from the house we had together. My name wasn't on the deeds.
A year later and £8,000 (on my credit card) this is still not resolved.

Is there a reason why the value of  the family home was not included in the divorce settlement?

https://www.divorce-online.co.uk/blog/what-happens-if-the-house-is-in-the-name-of-only-one-spouse/