pension credit help

[juless77]

Is there anyone, aside from Citizens Advice, who could help my elderly parents fill out the Pension Credit forms? They’re both in their 80s and really struggling financially. They receive the state pension and only about £400 a year from a private pension. They do get a small reduction in rent and council tax, but they've been told they don't qualify for Pension Credit.
They completed the application online themselves, but I suspect something may have gone wrong in the process. Unfortunately, they won’t let me assist or look into it for them—they’re a bit old-fashioned in that way—but they would be willing to speak to a professional.
My mum has several health issues and receives Disability Living Allowance. Her mobility is poor, and she recently had to finance a mobility scooter. My dad is recovering from cancer, which he was diagnosed with two years ago, and thankfully seems to be doing better now.
Any advice or direction on who could support them with this would be really appreciated.

That’s true but if you apply and are awarded attendance allowance you might be entitled to pension credit even if you were previously not entitled to it.

Also if someone really can't manage to do it themselves by phone then a DWP visiting officer will come and do it but there has to be a good reason why they can't do it by other means - online or by phone.

@juless77 - you mention that your mum had to finance a mobility scooter. Do you know if your mum gets any mobility component in her DLA?

Independent Age have specialist advisors who can make sure they are getting all the benefits they should be https://www.independentage.org/

Op it may not be a mistake that they have been turned down. The couples threshold is £346 a week, so even if your mum's state pension is only £90 a week , your dad 's state pension could take them over that threshold. Many older men have very good state pensions because they have all those added SERPS contributions. I know my dad gets around £260 a week state pension. However as I said previously if your dad provide care care for your mum for 35 hours a week and she is on middle rate or above care component of DLA then he can apply to have a carers premium added which would raise the £346 threshold by another £46.40, meaning if their income is less than £392 per week they may qualify. Qualifying for a carer premium could also increase their council tax support.
If they are awarded even £1 of guaranteed pension credit they would get all rent and council tax paid. so definitely worth checking. If your dad also gets a disability benefit then this would increase pension credit threshold hugely as well with the addition of two severe disability premiums.

Carer's Allowance is not available to people over State Pension age. It is classed as an 'in work' benefit and is stopped once you reach State Pension age and start drawing State Pension.

I don't think carers' allowance is paid to retired people. It's there to help people in work who may have to reduce their hours or combine work with caring.

My sister is a carer to my mum but is retired and can't claim any allowance.

The full state pension for anyone with max NI contributions is now £230 a week.

No carers allowance is not paid to people of retirement age, I said that in my first post. However a person of state retirement age who is caring for someone for 35 hours a week can retain what is called an underlying entitlement to carers allowance which will gain them a carers premium on the Pension credit calculation, currently worth an extra £46.40 per week. If both of a couple are in receipt of a qualifying disability benefit then they can both potentially claim a carers element if caring for each other.
If your sister is eligible to claim Pension credit herself then she too could get a carer premium, but people need to be aware that claiming the carer premium could affect the cared for person's benefits if they live alone and get the severe disability premium on their own pension credit claim. It is all a bit complex which is why it is best to speak to somewhere like CAB or Age UK or use their factsheets.

Sister has a very good pension from her job- but thanks, anyway.

See my post above. carers allowance is not payable to people of state pension age but they can still get a carer premium on means tested benefits like Pension credit, and coucnil tax support if they qualify for these benefits. The carers premium factored into calculations means some will become eligible if they become a carer wheras they weren't previously as the threshold becomes £46.40 per week higher.

Some people get more than the maximum because of SERPS.

Yes exactly. I do multiple benefit checks a week for older people and loads get more than basic state pension, I've seen ( mostly older men) get up to £360 a week ! It's quite an eye opener. A very common scenario is the man getting a very decent state pension and the wife getting a pittance, I suppose as women didn't used to work as much or left work when they had kids.

What do you call very poor, they are renting and getting help with a that.

their combined pensions are unlikely to be less than £2k, plus Attendance Allowance, it would not be DLA, £400 a month.

perhaps it’s their spending, to they have standing orders to a number of charities? Still paying insurances?

It maybe that because your dad gets full state pension she doesn’t qualify - wrong I know!

the DWP can help them complete forms

Op says her mum gets £90 a week state pension, so wouldn't be anywhere near 2k a month unless the dad's was much higher than average. Also many older people are still on DLA because they claimed it before it changed to Attendance Allowance. The numbers are dwindling but many are still on it some on both care component and mobility component wheras there is no mobility component with AA.

Yes she does she gets the mobility part as well

They get around 1200 for both state pensions mum gets DLA dad does not

On those figures if your mum gets middle rate care component of DLA and your dad provides care to her for 35 hours a week it may be worth him applying for carers allowance to get the carer element included in the pension credit claim. It's straightforward to do online. If they have savings over 10k then that will make a difference though. Like I said previously even if only awarded a very small amount of pension credit they will get all their rent and council tax paid, free optical and dental care, winter fuel payment restored so would be significantly better off.

Is that per month?

I doubt they are eligible for PC on that.

The pension credit threshold for a couple is £346 a week , then if dad qualifies for a carer premium added in it will be £392 per week. Private pension will also countas income but that is minimal in this case. .So if their income is less than £392 a week this they will qualify unless they have savings over 10k in which case they are considered to have some income ( £1 a week I think ) for each £500 above 10k. A rough calculation indicates they may well qualify with carer premium included.

Please phone Age UK they have people who will visit your parents and help them with any forms that need filling in, they also can help advise on any benefits that they may be eligible for, it’s all free

Not true. PIP doesn’t guarantee you pension credit. If you have a private pension you probably won’t get pension credit. Be careful posting untrue information.

Macmillan benefits team may be an option for benefits advice for now. However they have just announced that from next may they will be scrapping all their benefit services which operate through local partnerships like CAB. the only benefits advice they will offer will be through their national helpline which will be basic advice not casework or help with appeals etc. This is going to be a massive blow to cancer sufferers especially at a time when all these changes with LCWRA and PIP could be starting to happen from next year.

If you dad is recovering from cancer does he have care needs if so he can also claim AA

it is worth getting a check - £346 threshold add disability premium £82.90 plus carers £46.40 gives you new threshold. Dad would have to claim carers allowance and get the underlying entitlement so the carers could be paid with Pension credit. It will depend on their other income whether they are eligible. Getting pension credit ( guarantee credit) will also give full housing benefit.
if both mum and dad get a disability benefit then you add both those payments again to up the threshold.