Widowed Basic State Pension pushed into paying tax

eskbanker

squirrelpie said:

WASPI is something of a trigger word around here, as you might have picked up. So attributing things to "WASPI" without any fact checking is perhaps what caused people to react poorly to your enquiry.

squirrelpie said:

FIREDreamer said:

You mean WASPE

Sorry, over my head. I have no idea what you mean. I'm referring to https://www.waspi.co.uk/

If you've seen some of the many other threads, you may have come across numerous (flippant) references to WASPE, reflecting the belief of many that the campaign is actually all about opposing equality, not inequality....

p00hsticks

squirrelpie said:

FIREDreamer said:

You mean WASPE

Sorry, over my head. I have no idea what you mean. I'm referring to https://www.waspi.co.uk/

WASPE = Women Against State Pension Equality 
(equality between the sexes being the purpose of the changes that they are complaining about ...)

squirrelpie

All of which rather reinforces my point to the OP

solidpro

Ok I'm never mentioning WASPE or WASPI again.

I was trying to remote work in the spare room and I overhear this conversation my wife is having with HMRC over the phone trying to ascertain whether either a letter or something with their branding on is real. This was the one and only letter we've seen regarding income tax to be paid. I didn't even realise she was getting more than the very base level of maximum state pension until now. It was during that phone call (on speakerphone) I overheard the guy from HMRC explaining that a not-insignificant portion of the bill was related to interest (circa £30-£40). Obviously I'm playing catch up here the whole time because I'm the only person in our house that seems to want to understand or manage personal finance. Another problem we have is that often a letter gets filed in a box which goes under another box in a cupboard protected by spider guards. And so when this one turns up, which is probably for last year, it probably isn't the 'first we've heard of it' but everything is a puzzle to be unpuzzled.

We will try and get her to point out, save and show us the fresh pension breakdown she is likely to get around springtime. We're paying the tax because the conversation about having to pay tax because you're getting more money is just one not worth having. Thanks for all the responses.

Sarahspangles

solidpro said:

Ok I'm never mentioning WASPE or WASPI again.

I was trying to remote work in the spare room and I overhear this conversation my wife is having with HMRC over the phone trying to ascertain whether either a letter or something with their branding on is real. This was the one and only letter we've seen regarding income tax to be paid. I didn't even realise she was getting more than the very base level of maximum state pension until now. It was during that phone call (on speakerphone) I overheard the guy from HMRC explaining that a not-insignificant portion of the bill was related to interest (circa £30-£40). Obviously I'm playing catch up here the whole time because I'm the only person in our house that seems to want to understand or manage personal finance. Another problem we have is that often a letter gets filed in a box which goes under another box in a cupboard protected by spider guards. And so when this one turns up, which is probably for last year, it probably isn't the 'first we've heard of it' but everything is a puzzle to be unpuzzled.

We will try and get her to point out, save and show us the fresh pension breakdown she is likely to get around springtime. We're paying the tax because the conversation about having to pay tax because you're getting more money is just one not worth having. Thanks for all the responses.

You should write a sitcom. Also I simultaneously want, and don’t want, to know what a spider guard is!

solidpro

There is a cupboard (which I wish didn't exist) where she puts letters rather than dealing with the contents and in there are lots of house spiders that would rather like it if I didn't go in there. Especially with a hoover. Those spiders are guarding their home which contains the letters that apprently never arrived. So they're spider guards.

FIREDreamer

solidpro said:

Ok I'm never mentioning WASPE or WASPI again.

I was trying to remote work in the spare room and I overhear this conversation my wife is having with HMRC over the phone trying to ascertain whether either a letter or something with their branding on is real. This was the one and only letter we've seen regarding income tax to be paid. I didn't even realise she was getting more than the very base level of maximum state pension until now. It was during that phone call (on speakerphone) I overheard the guy from HMRC explaining that a not-insignificant portion of the bill was related to interest (circa £30-£40). Obviously I'm playing catch up here the whole time because I'm the only person in our house that seems to want to understand or manage personal finance. Another problem we have is that often a letter gets filed in a box which goes under another box in a cupboard protected by spider guards. And so when this one turns up, which is probably for last year, it probably isn't the 'first we've heard of it' but everything is a puzzle to be unpuzzled.

We will try and get her to point out, save and show us the fresh pension breakdown she is likely to get around springtime. We're paying the tax because the conversation about having to pay tax because you're getting more money is just one not worth having. Thanks for all the responses.

Could she have earned £1,200 taxable interest in that tax year? The first £1,000 is not taxed (it has a tax free allowance) but there is 20% tax on the rest and £200 x 20% implies £40 tax due?

badmemory

Alright so your MIL is a couple of years older than me and on the basic state pension plus SERPS from her earnings & some inherited from her late husband.  I suspect that what she has there is a simple assessment letter.  Does it have the year 23-24 near the top & PA302 at the bottom?  Stating how much tax she needs to pay by 31 Jan 2025.  So not urgent at the moment.

Some will be items (as D&C said) that are taxable but currently at 0%, such as savings interest.

She/you should check the figures, especially the state pension figures as they seem to normally do 52 x the new rate rather than 51 x new rate plus 1 x old rate.

Silvertabby

squirrelpie said:

FIREDreamer said:

You mean WASPE

Sorry, over my head. I have no idea what you mean. I'm referring to https://www.waspi.co.uk/

WASPE = Women Against State Pension Equality.

LHW99

solidpro said:

There is a cupboard (which I wish didn't exist) where she puts letters rather than dealing with the contents and in there are lots of house spiders that would rather like it if I didn't go in there. Especially with a hoover. Those spiders are guarding their home which contains the letters that apprently never arrived. So they're spider guards.

Get her a nice bright green carrier bag to put them all in, and raid the bag from time to time (kept by her favourite chair). That's how I worked it wihth my late mum - anything she didn't recognise or understand went in.

I used to be able to get rid of at least 3/4 when I visited, and generally didn't miss anything too important.