pension credit & housing benfit

daveyboy998

Pension Credit Guarantee is a 'passported' benefit like Income Support or Income Based Jobseekers Allowance.

As long as your father is in receipt of Pension Credit Guarantee (of any amount) he will be automatically 'passported' to full HB/CTB. The Council will not care about any of his other income, or any capital he may have.

Because he has a Social landlord (the Council) he will not have his rent restricted - his rent (and Council Tax) will be paid in full minus any inclusive charges for services, such as water rates.

The only possible thing that could stop him receiving full HB/CTB would be the presence of another adult in the household, other than his partner.

minimadtrix

daveyboy998 wrote: »

The only possible thing that could stop him receiving full HB/CTB would be the presence of another adult in the household, other than his partner.

If your dad is the only person named on the council tax/rent book and someone else moves in (this is not going into the ethics of declaring someone else living with someone without declaring them on the tenancy agreement!!!) then he will still be entitled to full benefits for the period he is on guaranteed pension.

daveyboy998

minimadtrix wrote: »

If your dad is the only person named on the council tax/rent book and someone else moves in (this is not going into the ethics of declaring someone else living with someone without declaring them on the tenancy agreement!!!) then he will still be entitled to full benefits for the period he is on guaranteed pension.

Not true, if another adult (called a non-dependent) lives in the property, other than the claimants partner, there will be a deduction from HB and CTB designed to represent the non-dependents contribution to the household. There are set deduction rates dependent on the non-dependents gross income.

However, if the claimant or partner receive DLA Care or Attendance Allowance there is no deduction regardless of the number of non-dependents or their income. (This are other exceptions but I wont detail them as theres been no mention of anyone else living in the house!)

minimadtrix

daveyboy998 wrote: »

Not true, if another adult (called a non-dependent) lives in the property, other than the claimants partner, there will be a deduction from HB and CTB designed to represent the non-dependents contribution to the household. There are set deduction rates dependent on the non-dependents gross income.

However, if the claimant or partner receive DLA Care or Attendance Allowance there is no deduction regardless of the number of non-dependents or their income. (This are other exceptions but I wont detail them as theres been no mention of anyone else living in the house!)

Well unless things have changed in the last 2 months then I am incorrect. People are of the opinion that this is the case, but technically you can also be a millionaire and still get full HB/CT benefits on guaranteed pension.

This is why we were doing a push on people on guaranteed pensions for the council I was working for.

daveyboy998

No, this has always been the case I'm afraid. Presence of a non-dependent = non-dependent deduction, on any claim. However, sometimes a deduction wont apply. The main reasons that stop a deduction applying is if the claimant/partner gets DLA(Care), Attendance Allowance, or is registered blind.

Pensioners do have special rules when a non-dependent joins an existing claim, when the deduction is delayed for 26 weeks. However, for a new claim the deduction applies right from the start.

You are right through that a millionaire can get full HB/CTB (minus any non-dep deductions) provided they get Pension Credit Guarantee, althrough how a millionaire could get Pension Credit Guarantee is beyond me? They may qualify for Pension Savings Credit, but then capital is taken into account when working out HB/CTB takaing them over the £16K thresehold for any entitlement.

I commend your Councils take up policy through, we do the same every year from data provided by DWP, althrough getting Pensioners to claim their entitlement is often an unfortunate struggle.

terryw

Mini and Davey,

Interesting posts but nothing that the OP might be concerned about.

The facts are old boy (like me!) and his missus want to know if the large (to the couple) amount of money being paid is correct. Answer is .........looks OK. Pension Credit cheers people up

I am sure they will come back if someone else moves in. However unlikely.

terryw

sadlybroke

hello
i,m getting my dad to apply for pension credit i was wondering can he back date it to when he was 60 (march)as if he can it looks like he can get at least £1000 back dated credit

dmg24

sadlybroke wrote: »

hello
i,m getting my dad to apply for pension credit i was wondering can he back date it to when he was 60 (march)as if he can it looks like he can get at least £1000 back dated credit

Pension Credit can be backdated, as long as the claimant can prove that their income was low enough at the relevant time.