75 year old, no savings, pension or housing

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Hi everyone,r

My dad moved abroad a long time ago for work. He ended up moving there permanently and starting his company. His company went bankrupt and he spent all his savings.

He moved in with my mum (his ex wife) but the situation didn't suit them anymore so he moved out. He's back in the UK now, where I am, but he doesn't have any permanent housing and no money.

Is there any solution? He has no pension.

Thank you

A few starter questions:

Is your Dad a UK citizen or somebody with leave to remain?
How long has he been back in the UK?
Does he have a national insurance number and did he ever pay NI in the UK?
Is there any pension payable from the country he was working in?
Where is he living/sleeping now eg with you or 'sofa surfing'?

Thank you for your reply.

He's a UK citizen
He's only been back less than a month
He's staying with me
He has no NI number

Did he never work in the UK? Just wondering about not having a NINO.

On the face of it he should be eligible for Pension Credit and help with housing though he may need to jump through some hoops to show he is habitually resident. See below re Pension Credit and Habitual Residence:

https://www.citizensadvice.org.uk/benefits/help-if-on-a-low-income/pension-credit/

https://www.citizensadvice.org.uk/benefits/getting-benefits-if-youve-recently-moved-to-the-UK/

If he was in the UK when he hit 16 then he should have an NI number. If it's been lost DWP should be able to help.

If you/he are not confident to just get on with it try contacting as advice agency such as Citizens Advice - see above - or Age UK.

He needs to find a job.

Bollox, he's 75.

The person in question is 75.

Some 75 year olds work? Shop work for example.

There are a lot of (especially) fellas who move to e.g. Spain to work cash in hand, pay no tax or NI in either UK or Spain, then expect the British taxpayer to fund a retirement and cover their healthcare costs. You think that's ok?

We had a similar situation with an Irish national living over here for 10years before becoming essentially homeless as my mum died and he had to leave her former council house.
He was 65, on benefits and became eligible for pension credit and was housed in sheltered housing.
Contact your local council to get ball rolling, but you may have to be strong with them regarding him staying with you is not long term.

I am not an expert; this was just my experience

He will definitely have a NI number

He is entitled to a pension

He will probably get a flat - easier in certain parts of the country. If you are on London for example then no chance but other places have building blocks especially for the over 55s

Councils often have access to schemes where you can get second hand furniture for cheap etc

Go online and google ‘how to find my insurance number’

then google apply for pension

then go to your local housing office

Are you sure he isn’t entitled to any pension from the country he has been living in for all these years?

He is not entitled to a pension - he may be entitled to pension credit which is for those who have made no provision for a pension or paid anything in to the UK system.
He may get NI credits - dependent on which countries he worked in. Some countries have reciprocal agreements.

Some choose to work. As long as body and brain keep in synch I meet do so but in my current profession not shop work.

There's no evidence at all that the OP's father falls into the category of people who moved to Spain and dodged the tax etc bullet.

They clearly say he had a business which went bankrupt. Unfortunately, that happens.

What is it people say about comments:

Is it necessary;
Is it true; and
Is it kind.

Yours fall at all three hurdles.

When did he leave the UK? did he ever pay any NI?

I disagree @Bromptotoo , working IS an option that needs to be considered.
If he ran an above board business, it is pretty likely he paid tax somewhere too - that's where he should be looking for his pension.

has he never worked in the Uk?

how long was he abroad?
what age did he start work, what age did he leave U.K.?

he could apply for over 55 housing with council, shelter apartments type accommodation- but he will have to have the funds to pay if he is awarded a property

go online and put in application for pension credit, better to apply and see what happens

What would he have been living off had he not come back - does he have a pension payable from the country he was living in ? Some have reciprocal agreements with the Uk.
I have come across a few people in this situation in my line of work and they usually end up getting pension credit, housing benefit etc if a British national.

I didn't say he shouldn't work but after pension age one should not be compelled to.

As he's a UK citizen and will, sooner or later, be seen as habitually resident then, whatever you think, he can claim Pension Credit.

The creases over whether he paid into NI before going abroad or whether he has a pension from the country he worked in need to be ironed out but the principle is as in the para above.

This was exactly my aunt’s position. She had a NINO and we sorted out pension credits which were a gateway benefit so she qualified for housing benefit. There is almost no local authority housing stock where my cousin lives so he paid the deposit on a private rental and then stood guarantor on the tenancy and then she claimed housing benefit too. She has a nice little bungalow and a lovely life and works part time at Homebase.

I would start by getting his NI number. Sounds like he should have one even if he doesn't actually have it/ know it, if he's a U.K. citizen.

Thank you
Was it hard for her to find somewhere to rent without proof of income/pension? thank you

Thank you everyone for your replies

He can obtain his national insurance number here. https://www.gov.uk/find-national-insurance-number

He lived rent free with my mum, she also paid for food and what he needed

Behave.

OP he will have an NINO. Once he finds out what it is you can look into pension credit and then housing. There's a lot more over 55s housing than there is other types so he may get lucky.