Pension Credit and Council Tax Reduction Eligibility Inquiry

EmpireKicking

Hello,

I'm reaching out on behalf of my grandparents regarding their eligibility for Pension Credit, Council Tax Reduction, and any other available financial support. Given their circumstances, I want to ensure they are receiving all the help they are entitled to.

Background Information:

• My grandparents are 75 and 81 years old. They are not married but live together in the same household.
• They both receive UK state pensions and Australian pensions.
• They lived in Australia for over 30 years before moving back to the UK in 2016, at which point they started receiving their UK state pensions.
• One grandparent receives a higher Australian pension, while the other receives a higher UK state pension.

Income Details:

• Their UK state pension totals approximately £86 per week single (though I do not have the exact breakdown for each).
• Their Australian pension fluctuates due to exchange rate variations and is adjusted downward whenever the UK state pension increases (e.g., when the UK pension increased by £2.56 per week, their Australian pension was reduced).
• They do not receive a full UK state pension due to their time spent living abroad and they get an Australian pension.
• They have limited savings, likely under the Pension Credit savings threshold, but I can provide more details if needed.
• Without the Australian pension, it would be VERY hard to live...

Housing and Expenses:

• They own their home (not renting).
• I do not know their council tax band or the exact amount they pay, but I assume it is a standard rate for homeowners in their area.
• They struggle with increasing living costs, particularly with energy bills and other essentials, and they receive little to no additional winter fuel support.

Health and Additional Considerations:

• One or both of them may have age-related health conditions, but they do not currently receive Attendance Allowance or any disability-related benefits.
• They have no other significant sources of income, and they rely solely on their pensions.

Previous Inquiry & Concerns:

• In 2016, they inquired about Pension Credit but were told they were not eligible. However, they did not receive a clear explanation as to why.
• Given their financial situation, I would like to confirm whether they should now be eligible for Pension Credit, Council Tax Reduction, or any other financial assistance without negatively impacting their existing pensions.
• If they were incorrectly denied in the past, is there a process to challenge that decision or reapply?

Would you be able to confirm whether they are entitled to Pension Credit, Council Tax Reduction, or any other support without affecting their existing pensions?

I appreciate any guidance or next steps you can provide.

DRS1

Would this do better on the Benefits board?

p00hsticks

Without knowing both how much they have in savings and how much they get from that Australian pension it's not going to be possible to answer. There's a pension credit eligibiilty checker here if you know their details and can plug in the numbers
Pension Credit calculator - GOV.UK