Pension Credit Guarantee Credit & Universal Credit - Housing Benefit Help Needed PLEASE

[Cheddarcheeseandsodabread]

Really hoping there is someone on here with knowledge of the above depts, please.

Since 2009 my partner has claimed for us both under Pension Credit Guarantee Credit. He is pensionable age but I am not.

Last month we sold our house and moved into a 'Park Home' on a residential site. Through conversations with AgeUK we were told that as part of my partner's benefit, he would be able to claim for the ground rent/pitch fee for our new home (the home is paid for but there is a fee to be paid monthly for the land).

Since then we have had no luck finding out what to do. The Pension service advised us to visit our local council - they, in turn, said it was nothing to do with them and sent us to the jobcentre. Job centre advised that we should apply for universal credit, though we may then end up with less money than we have now (?)

Went back to pension service and was then advised to write to them giving them details of the rent / pitch fee and they would sort it. That was 3 weeks ago. We rang today and were told that we didn't qualify for it because the lease is ongoing and not for a 'set period of time'.

Bit worried about applying for UC if it is going to mean we are worse off.

We only moved as we were assured the ground rent would be paid.

Any help or advice welcome.

Thank you

According to the AgeUK leaflet, you have to have a lease of 21 years or more to get help with ground rent. Is yours?

I'd be very wary! If you can afford it, I'd avoid applying for UC, you might find yourself unable to go back on legacy benefits if you do, and sadly, the rules changed in May of this year - if you are already on Pension Credit with your partner or spouse who is the one of pensionable age you will not be made to change over (as of yet) but if not then it's UC and yes, you might well be worse off .

Thank you both.

AnchorDownDeepBreath - can you let me know what leaflet that is, please?

Thank you :)

If you have a pension credit claim already then it would be housi g benefit you claim for ground rent
However if you have substantial equity from the house sale you may no.longer be eligible for any means tested benefits.

And just to add if you apply for UC you would be expected to look for work.

Thank you Babyroobs

There was no significant equity from the house sale and we have already been in touch with the pension credit dept to let them know what we have.

We understood it would be housing benefit - but originally we were told that as we had pension credit guarantee credit it would be paid with no problems. We just cannot find out who we need to claim from, without losing any benefit we already have, which would be counter-productive.

Age UK fact sheet 48, updated April 2019, states that pension credit will only cover ground rent if the tenancy is for over 21 years.

The guide for assessors, a few links down the same page, confirms that ground rent is not payable unless the license has at least 21 years left in it.

I hope that helps - I can't get the app to let me link directly!

Thank you, AnchorDownDeepBreath you have been very kind and very helpful indeed. I have found the leaflet you mentioned and am going through it now.

www.mumsnet.com/Talk/legal_money_matters/3479693-Changes-to-Pension-Credit

Thank you HelenaDove

We are not making a new claim but changing an old one, so apparently the new rules don't apply. Trouble is, from everyone we have spoken to - 5 or 6 phone calls - everyone has a different take on it. We have had a letter from DWP asking for our ground rent/lease details and we have sent this to them with our fingers and toes crossed.

We are in a similar situation, hubby pension age, I'm under pension age. We were in receipt of his pension, my ESA, and DLA and Housing Benefit, and discovered last month that we should have been claiming Pension Credit (guarantee element), not much, but a few pounds, which would have in turn entitled us to other benefits.

Spoke to local advisors who advised us not to claim as we would have immediately been changed across to UC and been awarded less money. We were also told that if we moved and made a claim for Housing Benefit the same would happen.

Sorry to hear that SallyB392.

Luckily, we are already on the PCGC - all these problems have arisen since all benefits have been merged into one.

We have now sent the DWP some info on the lease for the pitch fee/ ground rent and also some information from AGEUK, which states we should be paid our housing benefit. We would not have moved if we thought our monthly spend was going to increase by over £100!

The housing benefit side of things will be treated as a new claim if you change address. We rent and were looking to move, we were told categorically that a different address would be treated as a NEW claim and would therefore lead to a UC claim which would be less. We decided to sit tight until I reach 67 (another 9 yrs by which time hubby will be close on 80 & unlikely to want a move)!

Also, if you have money left over after the move, or change your address for Pension Credit purposes you may lose your entitlement to Pension Credit......they don't make life easy!

SallyB392 what a bloody disgrace.

Luckily our change of address has not lost us our original claim. Yes, we had a small amount of money leftover and our pension credit has (rightly) been reduced to take that into account.

If they hadn't changed the pension age for women you would have been able to move or claim pension earlier. Really sorry you're going to be stuck.