Sobering article on widows and state pensions

Marcon

See https://www.thisismoney.co.uk/money/pensions/article-12703235/Steve-Webb-DWP-widow-state-pension.html

Bostonerimus1

Marcon said:

See https://www.thisismoney.co.uk/money/pensions/article-12703235/Steve-Webb-DWP-widow-state-pension.html

IMO there has been a general trend towards added complexity in many Government services with the specific goal of making them difficult to understand and to claim and Departments are no longer pro-active in making people aware of their benefits entitlement. The woman in this story does take some small blame as she was not on top of her pension, but that's going to be difficult for many people and DWP could easily pay her retroactively if they wanted, but that might lead to many other claims for incorrect payments.

In the case of my SP I received notice from HMRC several years ago about the change to the "flat rate pension" and still receive annual voluntary Class 2 NI payment requests even though they won't increase my SP amount.

Marcon

Bostonerimus1 said:

Marcon said:

See https://www.thisismoney.co.uk/money/pensions/article-12703235/Steve-Webb-DWP-widow-state-pension.html

The woman in this story does take some small blame as she was not on top of her pension, 

To quote what Steve Webb had to say on the is matter (my emboldening of the text):

'As your husband reached pension age before the cut-off date of 17 March 2008, this uplift to a Category BL pension did not happen automatically. It only happened if you filled in a (second) claim form. And unfortunately you did not do so – presumably because you had no idea that a further claim was necessary.

'Moving forward to 2019 when your husband died, you notified DWP of his passing and they then assessed you for a Category B (widow's) pension.

'Amazingly, however, they say that widow's pensions are payable automatically *without a claim*. In their minds you had still not made a further state pension claim, so they did not assess you for a backdated married woman's pension because you had still not 'claimed' it.

In their minds, the only state pension claim you have ever made was the one you made when you turned 60.

'I think this is outrageous.'

How would the lady concerned have known a further claim was necessary?

xylophone

Amazingly, however, they say that widow's pensions are payable automatically *without a claim*. 

In a sense this is true because when a widow advised DWP of her late husband's death, her situation vis a vis inheritance of any entitlement was automatically assessed.

How would the lady concerned have known a further claim was necessary?

She had SP on her own contributions at age 60 but only enough qualifying years to achieve 50% of basic sp. She would have needed to know that there was the possibility of up to 60% of basic SP on her husband's  record when he reached age 65 and then to contact DWP to claim it.

Bostonerimus1

Marcon said:

Bostonerimus1 said:

Marcon said:

See https://www.thisismoney.co.uk/money/pensions/article-12703235/Steve-Webb-DWP-widow-state-pension.html

The woman in this story does take some small blame as she was not on top of her pension, 

To quote what Steve Webb had to say on the is matter (my emboldening of the text):

'As your husband reached pension age before the cut-off date of 17 March 2008, this uplift to a Category BL pension did not happen automatically. It only happened if you filled in a (second) claim form. And unfortunately you did not do so – presumably because you had no idea that a further claim was necessary.

'Moving forward to 2019 when your husband died, you notified DWP of his passing and they then assessed you for a Category B (widow's) pension.

'Amazingly, however, they say that widow's pensions are payable automatically *without a claim*. In their minds you had still not made a further state pension claim, so they did not assess you for a backdated married woman's pension because you had still not 'claimed' it.

In their minds, the only state pension claim you have ever made was the one you made when you turned 60.

'I think this is outrageous.'

How would the lady concerned have known a further claim was necessary?

Like I said, the system is set up to deny benefits where possible and not help people obtain them. The woman in question might have been able to get the bigger pension if she had kept up to date with things. Admittedly that would require her to be a pension/benefits nerd, but that's basically a necessity today if you are to correctly navigate the increasingly Orwellian system.

Marcon

xylophone said:

Amazingly, however, they say that widow's pensions are payable automatically *without a claim*. 

In a sense this is true because when a widow advised DWP of her late husband's death, her situation vis a vis inheritance of any entitlement was automatically assessed.

How would the lady concerned have known a further claim was necessary?

She had SP on her own contributions at age 60 but only enough qualifying years to achieve 50% of basic sp. She would have needed to know that there was the possibility of up to 60% of basic SP on her husband's  record when he reached age 65 and then to contact DWP to claim it.

Same question: how would she (or most 'normal') people know that? 

Bostonerimus1

Bostonerimus1 said:

Marcon said:

Bostonerimus1 said:

Marcon said:

See https://www.thisismoney.co.uk/money/pensions/article-12703235/Steve-Webb-DWP-widow-state-pension.html

The woman in this story does take some small blame as she was not on top of her pension, 

To quote what Steve Webb had to say on the is matter (my emboldening of the text):

'As your husband reached pension age before the cut-off date of 17 March 2008, this uplift to a Category BL pension did not happen automatically. It only happened if you filled in a (second) claim form. And unfortunately you did not do so – presumably because you had no idea that a further claim was necessary.

'Moving forward to 2019 when your husband died, you notified DWP of his passing and they then assessed you for a Category B (widow's) pension.

'Amazingly, however, they say that widow's pensions are payable automatically *without a claim*. In their minds you had still not made a further state pension claim, so they did not assess you for a backdated married woman's pension because you had still not 'claimed' it.

In their minds, the only state pension claim you have ever made was the one you made when you turned 60.

'I think this is outrageous.'

How would the lady concerned have known a further claim was necessary?

Like I said, the system is set up to deny benefits where possible and not help people obtain them. The woman in question might have been able to get the bigger pension if she had kept up to date with things. Admittedly that would require her to be a pension/benefits nerd, but that's basically a necessity today if you are to correctly navigate the increasingly Orwellian system.

Maybe that should be "Kafkaesque". It's interesting to observe where increased bureaucracy and regulation is seen as a good thing and were deregulation is thought of as good. My ex-wife and I were dissuaded from a move back to the UK by the fees and complex requirements for a non-EU spousal visa after immigration "reforms".

xylophone

Same question: how would she (or most 'normal') people know that? 

I suppose that some did and some didn't, in the same way that some women seemed  to understand the implications of paying the Married Woman's Stamp and others didn't and some women understood the implications of the 1995 pensions act and others didn't?.