What happens to someone at retirement age and renting

swingaloo

As Universal credit cant be claimed after retirement and a persons income including pension credits a around 220 per week how does someone afford to rent when a small place is 800 a month? Is there anything apart from pension credits that can be claimed?

tacpot12

Housing Benefit.

swingaloo

Thanks for the reply. I was thinking housing benefit had changed and now came under the UC umbrella.

Time2count

There are a few circumstances where housing benefit is still able to be claimed and being above state pension age is one of those.

Newly_retired

HB is administered through the local authority, not DWP. Probably also entitled to Council Tax reduction too. Also various other advantages come with Pension Credit.

Jude57

swingaloo said:

Thanks for the reply. I was thinking housing benefit had changed and now came under the UC umbrella.

It would be worth the person having a full benefits check. Try putting their information into one of the free online benefits checkers such as:

https://www.entitledto.co.uk/

@Newly_retired says, Pension Credit is a gateway benefit that brings automatic entitlement to other benefits but the individual still has to claim them. Also, don't forget the Warm Home Discount for which the Guarantee element of Pension Credit is a qualifying benefit. That's currently worth £150 per year:

https://www.gov.uk/the-warm-home-discount-scheme

LightFlare

swingaloo said:

As Universal credit cant be claimed after retirement and a persons income including pension credits a around 220 per week how does someone afford to rent when a small place is 800 a month? Is there anything apart from pension credits that can be claimed?

what financial plans did said person put in place for this eventuality ?

did they factor this into the decision to retire ?

[Deleted User]

Pension credit think they might be helped with rent, council tax but not a high amount like that enough to get by.

Newly_retired

I'm not sure exactly what your last comment means, but apply to the lcoal authority, not the Pension Credit or DWP for help with Council Tax, Housing Benefit etc

swingaloo

LightFlare said:

swingaloo said:

As Universal credit cant be claimed after retirement and a persons income including pension credits a around 220 per week how does someone afford to rent when a small place is 800 a month? Is there anything apart from pension credits that can be claimed?

what financial plans did said person put in place for this eventuality ?

did they factor this into the decision to retire ?

Not quite sure about the  point of your questions but as you asked-

Said person had been making plans for retirement and has been paying into a private pension. However said person did not expect that their husband would die suddenly at 61. She has not yet made the decision to retire and intends to keep on working for some time but was just concerned about her future now she is alone. 

But thanks for the help you presumably thought you were giving

Flugelhorn

I think it is pretty hard for people who are renting in retirement - particularly if it is private rental