75 year old, no savings, pension or housing

[BreezyPanda]

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

Exactly. So, why are we all busting out guts to make sure we get a state pension? We'll get it anyway.

@arethereanyleftatall to get pension credit you have to have very little savings and virtually no other income. Most people have some private pension at least.

Omg 😲 why would your dad assume that?! I'm not surprised your mum told him to leave! Your poor mum. You dad can apply for universal credit online, to see if he qualifies for pension credit guarantee.

How many private landlords will rent to an elderly man with almost no money?

Separately, I'm probably asking something stupid now that everyone knows the answer to but me, but why were the rules changed to allow people to cash in their pensions early? I always thought that was a bad idea. People would spend it or make ill advised investments (I understand unscrupulous individuals and organisations targeted some vulnerable people and lost them their pension savings) then they end up needing pension credit.

I understand exceptions. If someone's terminally ill or has a life shortening illness, might be reasonable to allow early pension cash in, but otherwise why was this change brought in?

So he’s never paid UK Tax, sponged off someone else, spent all his pension and now come back home to claim his “rightful” pension, UC, housing credit etc and we’re meant to be compassionate?

is this a joke?

OP, did he not buy a home for himself when he divorced? Are you saying they divorced but he continued living with your mum?

I know you said he took his pension out in a lump sum and pissed it up the wall spent it but surely that must be a private pension? Would any country allow people to take their state pension as a lump sum? Because wouldn't that mean people taking out their state pension, spending it and then claiming poverty a few years later and needing to apply for state benefits.
What country was he in OP and did he pay their equivalent of NI contributions or is it somewhere with no state pension??

To be honest, it sounds to me like one of these people who kind of float through life relying on scrounging off other people such as your mother, perhaps not paying state insurance contributions correctly (doing work cash in hand etc), pissing money up the wall safe in the knowledge that someone will pick them up and help them when the money runs out ie. your Mum or you or some other random person (friend, new girlfriend etc)

I'm not sure he would be entitled to social housing, even sheltered housing unless he has significant medical issues. The housing dept might be able to get him a private rental once his income/benefits are sorted.

@Turmerictolly it will depend where he lives and if he has any disabilities. He will be bottom of the list generally, but in some places warden aided places are not hard to get as there is a service charge on top of rent. And you need to require a warden aided place.

I'd suggest they stay in the country where they've lived most of their life and claim whatever they are entitled to there because if he paid tax etc there then you would think there would be some kind of state pension available to him.

Not a joke. People do this all the time. I work in benefits and we regularly have people enquire who are in this situation. I had a client return from years bumming around Australia and he was entitled to full pension credit, housing benefit etc on his return.

We need to start to learn how to say 'no' before it's too late.

That he carries on working in whatever capacity he is able to. But I am apparently really wicked for suggesting that!
I know people in their mid 70s who are perfectly capable of work, others are not.

“pension freedoms” have been in place since 2015, enabling cashing in of pension pots, starting withdrawals from 55 (soon to move to 57) and being able to drawdown your pension pot instead of having to buy an annuity, amongst other changes. A mixed bag of good news and increased trust placed on the financial responsibility of the population.

@Chewbecca no one has suggested you are wicked. Simply saying it is not always easy for a 75 year old to get a job, especially if they can not work in the field they have worked in before. I also said that someone who can not sort out their own benefit entitlement without help, does not sound like someone who is a good job candidate.

The government in UK allowed withdrawing of pension pots to boost the economy. Many experts pointed out at the time that it will mean more people reliant on state benefits in the future.

Not necessarily. If you are not a citizen of another country, they have no responsibility towards you.

@BreezyPanda what country did your dad move to?

Did he relinquish his U.K. citizenship and take citizenship of that country?

You will need to check that he has recourse to public funds as he has been out of the country so long and this would affect is entitlement to public housing etc.
Citizens Advice would be able to help you.

Why are you not sure?

sicial housing for pensioners is in more plentiful supply than for under 55s. Unfortunately due to the age of the occupants there are more often one bed flats in older peoples resident blocks becoming available.

why would significant medical issues make a difference?

if he’s entitled to housing benefit then he’d qualify for social housing, be able to go on the bidding list and start bidding

So he has spent all his life elsewhere, put nothing into to the UK coffers and expects the UK taxpayer to support him into old age.

Your poor mother sounds well shot of him 🤨

Can he return to the country he has loved and worked in for more than half of his life and get the state benefits there?

renting a room in a shared house is cheaper than renting a flat

Excuse my ignorance, but is that referring to private pensions or can people do that with their state pension too?

Not dissimilar to what happened with my dad. His relationship with partner ended and he went abroad for over a year, came back and needed somewhere to live. He applied for over 55s sheltered housing from the council, and it was the best decision. There's someone on site just incase, emergency alarm pulls in each flat, cheap rent etc. He's 81 now.

No, it suggests he hasn’t lived here for decades, nothing more.

We need to stop paying out to people who have never paid in. In answer to the “what will happen to them question” - they will have a life of destitution and within a few years people will think twice before doing the same.

Rather irresponsible to not make any provision for his retirement or not pay into a pension and then expect your mum to subsidise him. And now, after not having paid into the English system for at least 40 years, to expect to be housed and given a pension.