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State pension rates for very elderly parents

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I wonder if anyone knows about the old rules regarding married couples and their state pension?  My Dad is 101 and Mum is 97.  She gets a higher rate state pension than he does.  They both paid their NI/stamps all their lives.  I think it is because on an old rule about married couples.  Can anyone shed any light on this please?
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  • p00hsticks
    p00hsticks Posts: 14,461 Forumite
    Part of the Furniture 10,000 Posts Name Dropper Photogenic
    They should each receive a letter from DWP early in the year (before 6th April) to explain how their pension is made up. What does that say for each for them ?

    As an aside, given theirages, hopefully they are claiming Marrried Couples Allowance to reduce their tax
    Married Couple's Allowance: Overview - GOV.UK  
  • Billxx
    Billxx Posts: 299 Forumite
    Sixth Anniversary 100 Posts Name Dropper Photogenic
    Could be one or the other was contracted out or in SERPS. 

    Kind Regards,

    Bill
  • LHW99
    LHW99 Posts: 5,253 Forumite
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    Did mum have a higher paid job than dad?
    It would be unusual (though not impossible) and that way she could have had S2P on top of the normal amount and dad not.
  • Marcon
    Marcon Posts: 14,549 Forumite
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    Are they receiving any income from private pensions? If not, has anyone checked to see if there's an unclaimed pension lurking around somewhere?
    Googling on your question might have been both quicker and easier, if you're only after simple facts rather than opinions!  
  • Linton
    Linton Posts: 18,187 Forumite
    Part of the Furniture 10,000 Posts Name Dropper Hung up my suit!
    If they were both working for most of their lives, perhaps the OPs father had a job with a pension eg civil service whereas Mother did not.  Then Mother would have received a higher State Pension because of SERPS/S2P whereas Father would have been conttracted out.
  • TwoGuitars
    TwoGuitars Posts: 11 Forumite
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    Hmm, yes that might be it.  My mum was a deputy head teacher, dad was a gardener.  I think she was contracted out for a while.. Thank you for your helpful comments.
  • BlackKnightMonty
    BlackKnightMonty Posts: 370 Forumite
    100 Posts First Anniversary Name Dropper
    I wonder if anyone knows about the old rules regarding married couples and their state pension?  My Dad is 101 and Mum is 97.  She gets a higher rate state pension than he does.  They both paid their NI/stamps all their lives.  I think it is because on an old rule about married couples.  Can anyone shed any light on this please?
    When did they retire; how many decades of state pension have they claimed?
  • german_keeper
    german_keeper Posts: 481 Forumite
    Seventh Anniversary 100 Posts Name Dropper
    I wonder if anyone knows about the old rules regarding married couples and their state pension?  My Dad is 101 and Mum is 97.  She gets a higher rate state pension than he does.  They both paid their NI/stamps all their lives.  I think it is because on an old rule about married couples.  Can anyone shed any light on this please?
    When did they retire; how many decades of state pension have they claimed?
    I don't understand why that's relevant to the question. When they retired is certainly irrelevant and I don't think when they claimed state pension is relevant given at their age it is clearly before 2016. Or is there another even older version of the state pension rules that you think applies to them. Even if so with the information about their ages you can work it out near as dammit.
  • GrumpyDil
    GrumpyDil Posts: 2,060 Forumite
    Eighth Anniversary 1,000 Posts Name Dropper Combo Breaker
    edited 8 August at 8:01PM
    Hmm, yes that might be it.  My mum was a deputy head teacher, dad was a gardener.  I think she was contracted out for a while.. Thank you for your helpful comments.
    Your answer is opposite to Linton's suggestion. Was your father self employed as a gardener as I'm wondering if the answer is he didn't pay all his NI contributions whereas your mother probably did. Does your mother also get a teacher's pension? 
  • BlackKnightMonty
    BlackKnightMonty Posts: 370 Forumite
    100 Posts First Anniversary Name Dropper
    I wonder if anyone knows about the old rules regarding married couples and their state pension?  My Dad is 101 and Mum is 97.  She gets a higher rate state pension than he does.  They both paid their NI/stamps all their lives.  I think it is because on an old rule about married couples.  Can anyone shed any light on this please?
    When did they retire; how many decades of state pension have they claimed?
    I don't understand why that's relevant to the question. When they retired is certainly irrelevant and I don't think when they claimed state pension is relevant given at their age it is clearly before 2016. Or is there another even older version of the state pension rules that you think applies to them. Even if so with the information about their ages you can work it out near as dammit.
    Your statement “ They both paid their NI/stamps all their lives.” suggests they only retired very recently.
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