State Pension - Sorry if this has already been asked, but I don't understand SP

jeannieblue

i have no advice - which is a good thing for you!

just wanna send you some *hugs*

Merlot

Hi Jeannieblue,

Thanks for the hugs, I've posted on your thread and PM'd you.

I'm only going to be doing what I should be doing as a daughter of two lovely parents who gave so much to me, its my turn now to show them that I care, its not going to be easy but I have sisters who can and are willing to help out when the time arrives, I just didn't expect it to be yet, but you just don't know what is around the corner!

Keep in touch.

Merlot

seven-day-weekend

If you are going to look after your mum and dad, you may be able to claim Careres' Allowance which will credit you your NI

margaretclare

Merlot wrote: »

Margaretclare, many thanks for your reply, I don't intend to return to work, I intend to move my mother and father in who are both suffering from ill health, my mother has had 2 strokes in the past year, and she's only 55, and my father is awaiting a knee replacement operation, which he can't have at this moment as he is considered too young.

At the moment they are just about managing ok, but this will not be the case in 5/6 years time, my mother is unlikely to return to full health again. I will move my parents in, and we will convert the double garage in to bedrooms for my children or my parents, if they need ground floor accommodation, and I if needed will care for my parents.

I will be calling the DWP shortly and ask them how I can make up my NI contributions, and how many years I need to make up, I don't believe it will be that much, possibly 8 years max NI contributions to make up to 30 years as needed in the 2010 amended pensions proposals.

Good luck to you. I know about strokes, both from my former career and from my first marriage. My first husband started having them in the mid-1980s and he died in 1992, although not from a stroke. The thing to remember is - it's the whole of the cardiovascular system which is affected, the heart, circulation, the whole thing. I also know about joint replacements - have had hip replacements and revisions of replacements over the years. I wasn't even 50 when I had the first hip replacement back in 1983. I had a second revision 2 years ago.

My second husband has had 4 knee replacements. No, he's not a horse!! He had one in 1998 and that one has been fine. The other one has been replaced 3 times in as many years. He's also an insulin-using Type 2 diabetic. Even with all this between us, we don't need someone to 'care' for us, we care for each other as and when necessary!

My first husband and I moved from a Pennine cottage to this Essex bungalow in 1990 because we could see that stairs would become a problem.

The point I'd like to make is - your heart is in the right place, but don't necessarily assume that your parents will need full-time care, especially not your Dad, who may well have his mobility restored to him with a successful knee replacement. I agree that ground-floor accommodation is the best idea, which is why we moved to a bungalow. Also think about a shower unit rather than a bath. DH and I had our bathroom converted a few years ago because climbing in and out of a bath to take a shower was getting a bit dangerous.

Sorry to have diverted, but if you stay at home to care for disabled people then the same provisions apply as for children, i.e. Home Responsibilities Protection. If you have as few as 8 years to make up then you'll find that the value of getting your own State Retirement Pension in your own right outweighs the cost. DH and I both get our own, and I'm in the 30% of retired women who at present get full SRP in their own right. This minority is such a disgrace to the pensions system, which is why there have been so many voices calling for change and for justice.

Margaret