Author Topic: Lost Pension Credit, Now Worse Off.  (Read 6183 times)

mick607

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Lost Pension Credit, Now Worse Off.
« on: Dec 28, 2017, 10:17:24 AM »
Was receiving PC until last August when I reached age 65. Went on to state pension because I have a small works pension.
Lost free dental treatment for me & the wife, lost full housing benefit & council tax support, now paying half also paying income tax on works pension.
It seems t6hat I am much worse off financially than someone on pension credit. So much for paying in to a works pension for years.

sparky

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Re: Lost Pension Credit, Now Worse Off.
« Reply #1 on: Dec 28, 2017, 10:53:52 AM »
mick607, Which is exactly why I would never choose to join a pension scheme, despite all the sales pitch by those with vested interests, far better to hide  any spare money away during your life in ways that thieving politicians cannot find ways to deprive you of it when you retire. whether you on any benefits or not.

granny moss

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Re: Lost Pension Credit, Now Worse Off.
« Reply #2 on: Dec 28, 2017, 01:26:05 PM »
It is a hard blow when things happen to make you worse off financially . I was self employed / freelance, and When I asked if I should pay in for a Pension, a lady from the Inland revenue advised me against it. I was paying and continued to pay in the simple stamp for a married woman and income tax.. I am so glad I listen to the kind lady advice. gmx

Phil

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Re: Lost Pension Credit, Now Worse Off.
« Reply #3 on: Dec 28, 2017, 02:24:52 PM »
Was receiving PC until last August when I reached age 65. Went on to state pension because I have a small works pension.
Lost free dental treatment for me & the wife, lost full housing benefit & council tax support, now paying half also paying income tax on works pension.
It seems t6hat I am much worse off financially than someone on pension credit. So much for paying in to a works pension for years.

Welcome to the forum & welcome to the IPFEAGN club.
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Raven

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Re: Lost Pension Credit, Now Worse Off.
« Reply #4 on: Mar 30, 2018, 04:42:35 PM »
This is just what happened to one of my sisters, she lost so much by getting a small private pension. :(

Undercover Pensioner

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Re: Lost Pension Credit, Now Worse Off.
« Reply #5 on: Mar 30, 2018, 06:22:20 PM »
Was receiving PC until last August when I reached age 65. Went on to state pension because I have a small works pension.
Lost free dental treatment for me & the wife, lost full housing benefit & council tax support, now paying half also paying income tax on works pension.
It seems t6hat I am much worse off financially than someone on pension credit. So much for paying in to a works pension for years.
How are you worse off Mick?  Your state pension plus works pension must come to more than Pension Credit or you would still be getting it.  If you mean your are worse off because you have lost the benefits you got automatically when you were on Pension Credit, and you really are only getting a little above that level, it might be worth checking them out about them. 

Benefits which come automatically with Pension Credit may be available - you may just have to apply for them.  It's a pain but worth it if some or them or some part of them is restored.  Some benefits, such as Pension Credit, are gateway benefits and trigger the others automatically.  Without that trigger you need to put in the forms yourself.
The vote for Brexit was a vote to take back what we hadn't lost in order to lose what we actually have.

Bill Stickers

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Re: Lost Pension Credit, Now Worse Off.
« Reply #6 on: Apr 23, 2018, 03:10:39 PM »
What you have lost on PC is not claimable when you reach Pension maturity. Council Tax, dental care relief canopies etc all disappear. You can however transfer £1,190 from your spouse's 'Tax free' allowance to yours (presuming your married). This can give you £238 a year extra income, plus they'll backdate it to 2014, (if applicable, which it sounds like you may not be). This little known benefit legislation went on the Statute book in 2014 and unlike general allowances, you have to be 'pro-active' and apply for it. Camercon's idea was to be able to mouth off, in his slick Blair-like way just how much in total he was giving to the common man. Cynically in reality they kept it very quiet, so few have ever claimed it - allez oop ...

Latterly this caring and kind Government is suddenly very keen for this gift to become known everywhere, as they scurry about desperately trying to salvage the pensioner vote in time for their Council Election Slaughterhouse appointments a week Thursday, on May the 3rd. A good date as it's probably where she'll end up as well!

This is the link for the Revenue to claim from and I hope it helps ...

https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/income-tax-notice-of-transfer-of-surplus-income-tax-allowances-575t

Undercover Pensioner

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Re: Lost Pension Credit, Now Worse Off.
« Reply #7 on: Apr 23, 2018, 03:20:50 PM »

Bill Stickers I do think we have to be careful not to mislead.  Council Tax, National Health Low Income scheme do not necessarily "disappear" and you don't only get them if you are getting Pension Credit.  You may be entitled to all or part of them (as I said above) if your income is still within their parameters.  If it is low but not quite as low as the Pension Credit level you will have to apply, that's all.  It is always worth doing this if you believe yourself to be on a low income.


 
The vote for Brexit was a vote to take back what we hadn't lost in order to lose what we actually have.

mick607

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Re: Lost Pension Credit, Now Worse Off.
« Reply #8 on: Apr 23, 2018, 09:00:41 PM »
What you have lost on PC is not claimable when you reach Pension maturity. Council Tax, dental care relief canopies etc all disappear. You can however transfer £1,190 from your spouse's 'Tax free' allowance to yours (presuming your married). This can give you £238 a year extra income, plus they'll backdate it to 2014, (if applicable, which it sounds like you may not be). This little known benefit legislation went on the Statute book in 2014 and unlike general allowances, you have to be 'pro-active' and apply for it. Camercon's idea was to be able to mouth off, in his slick Blair-like way just how much in total he was giving to the common man. Cynically in reality they kept it very quiet, so few have ever claimed it - allez oop ...

Latterly this caring and kind Government is suddenly very keen for this gift to become known everywhere, as they scurry about desperately trying to salvage the pensioner vote in time for their Council Election Slaughterhouse appointments a week Thursday, on May the 3rd. A good date as it's probably where she'll end up as well!

This is the link for the Revenue to claim from and I hope it helps ...

https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/income-tax-notice-of-transfer-of-surplus-income-tax-allowances-575t

Many thanks for the info, nothing to lose will give it a whirl !

body

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Re: Lost Pension Credit, Now Worse Off.
« Reply #9 on: Jun 11, 2019, 08:09:52 AM »
Hi he will be worse off as even a very small pension such as seeps possibly say £3 per week will place a bar on receiving pension credit.
Yes you can claim yourself for certain benefits in part but you miss out on things like free boilers, insulation, £140 fuel grant, free parking discs, soon over 75's TV licence, the list goes on, I actually complained to my MP who took it up at Parlimently level but the dosy lot could not understand that I was worse off, rant over.

Sheila

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Re: Lost Pension Credit, Now Worse Off.
« Reply #10 on: Jun 11, 2019, 08:37:20 AM »
With regards to the income tax, I gave some of my allowance to my husband about three years ago.  It was very simple and successful.

Diasi

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Re: Lost Pension Credit, Now Worse Off.
« Reply #11 on: Jun 11, 2019, 09:32:31 AM »
Hi he will be worse off as even a very small pension such as seeps possibly say £3 per week will place a bar on receiving pension credit.
Yes you can claim yourself for certain benefits in part but you miss out on things like free boilers, insulation, £140 fuel grant, free parking discs, soon over 75's TV licence, the list goes on, I actually complained to my MP who took it up at Parlimently level but the dosy lot could not understand that I was worse off, rant over.

It's not just the Government related means-tested benefit freebies that are lost, often charities, the PDSA being one example, will only help those who get means-tested benefits such as Pension Credit.
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stellamaris

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Re: Lost Pension Credit, Now Worse Off.
« Reply #12 on: Jun 11, 2019, 10:48:53 AM »
What happened to Bill Stickers?  Does he/she still post?  I really liked that board name and reading the posts.


There is a separate method of getting help with dental costs which seems on the face of it slightly more generous than other applications.   But the application form is truly horrendous, pages and pages, and complicated.  I gave up on it and dug out a credit card instead.
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body

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Re: Lost Pension Credit, Now Worse Off.
« Reply #13 on: Jun 11, 2019, 12:07:09 PM »
The Conner's did a really good con on the low paid workers who couldn't afford a proper paying pension when they increased the state pension to a level that just put out many people from getting pension credit if they had a minimal paying pension or as most had paid SERP's this meant income would be just above the pension credit threshold. This also meant they actually gave a really big extra chunk of cash to their own votors who already were well healed with large worthwhile pensions, incidentally they also gave the work shy a welcome bonus, as they had worked very little or probably not at all they found themselves relatively well off when they could still claim pension credit which was increased to the same level as the new state pension and still have the pension passport, I don't think the Conner's intended this to happen, probably it was a over sight as a lot of so called planners seem a bit thick to me.

Undercover Pensioner

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Re: Lost Pension Credit, Now Worse Off.
« Reply #14 on: Jun 11, 2019, 12:21:50 PM »
Hi he will be worse off as even a very small pension such as seeps possibly say £3 per week will place a bar on receiving pension credit.
Yes you can claim yourself for certain benefits in part but you miss out on things like free boilers, insulation, £140 fuel grant, free parking discs, soon over 75's TV licence, the list goes on, I actually complained to my MP who took it up at Parlimently level but the dosy lot could not understand that I was worse off, rant over.

Please be very careful about the information put forward as fact.  £3 added to a basic state pension does not stop you claiming some of the things you have listed.  The £140 Warm Home discount is provided by the energy companies - not the government.  They have are given a list of "core" claimants who get it automatically.  This includes those on Pension Credit.  Others fall into what they call the "broader" group.  You need to apply in September for this as it is on a first come first serve basis.  They will take into account your income and what percentage of that is going on fuel.  They will also take into account your health and mobility.  It's a pain but you can still get it.


As far as I am aware free boilers and insulation are no longer available.  Some companies offer what sounds like a grant for new windows but it is basically a discount and I believe they have been told to stop the way they sell this.


Parking discs for free parking surely only go to those who are disabled?  If you are still disabled you will still be able to get one.  There is no relevance to income only to your mobility or other health factors.


There is a separate method of getting help with dental costs which seems on the face of it slightly more generous than other applications.   But the application form is truly horrendous, pages and pages, and complicated.  I gave up on it and dug out a credit card instead.
If you are really counting every penny you learn how to fill them in or get someone - Age Concern are good - to help you.  If you are filling in a lot of these forms it does become easier.


I did post about the different ways they assess what you pay for care on another thread - everyone pays which is not always made clear - unfortunately, it was not published ::) but I think that is the most complex system I have come across.
The vote for Brexit was a vote to take back what we hadn't lost in order to lose what we actually have.