SAHM - no pension

[GoodnightGrandma]

So I was a SAHM for years, supporting DH in his career.
He has a very good pension, and always said it was ‘our’ pension.
But I had a sudden realisation the other day, that if he needed care or a home, the council would take ‘his’ pension and I’d be left with nothing.
So what can I do ?
Can he put half in a pension for me ? I don’t for one minute think he would though.
If he needed care can I make a claim against it as I rely on his pension ?

Are you working now? Never too late to build up your own pension.

No idea about the going in to care home situation would be.
No way to give you some of the pension unless you divorce.

You can pay up to £2880 in to a pension yourself. So he may be able to reduce what he pays in to pension, taking more money home, then giving that money to you to pay in to a pension. May not be as tax efficient as him paying it in to pension but it puts money in your name.

Check your State Pension estimate. Make sure you have been getting NI credits towards that. That might mean that child benefit is claimed but repaid.

www.gov.uk/check-state-pension

I am getting a full old age pension, luckily I was somehow aware to claim for being a SAHM.

Agree with @nannynick that you can’t transfer a pension except in the case of a divorce - which allows you to request a Pension Sharing Order.

Good news for you though, I googled “pension spouse care home” and got this instantly.

www.carehome.co.uk/advice/how-moving-into-a-care-home-affects-your-pension

[quote Cocomarine]Agree with @nannynick that you can’t transfer a pension except in the case of a divorce - which allows you to request a Pension Sharing Order.

Good news for you though, I googled “pension spouse care home” and got this instantly.

www.carehome.co.uk/advice/how-moving-into-a-care-home-affects-your-pension[/quote]
Thanks for that, very reassuring.

If the private pension is from a company he worked for, check the terms to find out what happens if he pre-deceases you as many will continue paying the pension or (more typically, a % of it, say 50-60%) to the surviving spouse.