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Legal, pensions and money

no income

(255 Posts)
Lilylavender Mon 26-Aug-19 18:54:13

I dont understand why I have no money of my own
My hubby is 70 amd gets state pension plus pension credit which apparently inlcudes a small amount for being married
as i am only 62 have to wait 4 years for my pension if it ever happens as they keep raising the age
We dont actually have enough pension for hubby to give me some for spending money as we have two sons at home who also,pay board which pays for broadband etc
I feel like I am a second class citizen. A woman who brought a family up and has to ask the husband for any pennies. In the case of his bday anniversary christmas etc I cant go and buy anything is secret.
I realize that most women my age with pension age husband maybe in the same boat. I brought up 5 children over 37 years so never had a private pension nor worked full time.
I feel left out. Surely we should be paid something.

annep1 Tue 27-Aug-19 18:22:49

Fine if you choose to stay at home. But you shouldn't get the same pension as those who paid for it. Would you not agree?

Barmeyoldbat Tue 27-Aug-19 18:16:47

No the money they get from their ac will not have any bearing on their pension credit. Pension credit is paid to those on a low state and have no other pension.

etheltbags1 Tue 27-Aug-19 18:08:42

Diane227. I have never ever let a man pay for me apart from when dd was a baby then at 4 months i worked part time. By retirement i will have 50 years contributions. I owe no one anything. I know many women the same. When i said a woman kept by her husband is like a prostitute i simply meant that in return for his pleasure she gets paid. I.e. her housekeeping. However way you look at it thats they way it is. I dont know the op so i cant make personal remarks. I just thinl that i work on a low wage. I have pride and no man will ever evem buy me a drink as it implies he wants something in return. Cant see it any other way. Like it or lump it were all entitled to our opinions and free speach. Remember us workers are paying for those on benefits.

PamelaJ1 Tue 27-Aug-19 18:02:56

Nothing wrong at all gonegirl.
Unfortunately it’s a bit of a luxury these days.
However if one chooses that option one should be aware that it will impact on ones financial situation. It was always thus.

Gonegirl Tue 27-Aug-19 17:58:02

The OP should have a joint bank account with her husband. She has obviously worked hard for the benefit of him and his children.

Gonegirl Tue 27-Aug-19 17:56:46

I didn't work. Well, I worked for six years of my life, until my first child came along. After that I put all my time and energy in bringing up my children and making a comfortable, happy (most of the time) home. Nothing wrong with that. My daughter does the same now.

In fact, I think the world might be a happier place if more women could do that. I am sorry for the women who have to work to make ends meet, but many work for their own benefit and maybe to the detriment of family life.

Lets face it, family life in this country does rather seem to be going tits up these days.

Phoebes Tue 27-Aug-19 17:50:43

I worked full-time as a teacher until just before
I had our daughter. After that I was able to take two and a half years off although I still had some private pupils, which helped. I made up all the NI contributions I had missed when I went back to work.When she was two and a half I did supply teaching, which fitted nicely around her as I found an excellent lady , who is still a friend, to look after her. She started school at nearly 5 and I was able to do some more work, teaching adults in the workplace, as well as the supply. I taught for a year if France as part of my university course, so I also get a small French pension. If I ever needed more money for something when I was younger I took on a weekend part-time job to help make ends meet! (eg paying the mortgage). It was hard work, but worth it. Admittedly, I didn’t have children to look after, but a little part-time job would have been helpful for this lady, money-wise and would have given her a break from the children.

Callistemon Tue 27-Aug-19 17:49:09

I did think that remark was totally uncalled for.

Homemaking and bringing up five children would have been considered a full-time job a few years ago and going out to work a doddle in comparison.

Diane227 Tue 27-Aug-19 17:42:07

Its the same old tale isnt it.
The inference that a woman who stays at home to care for her children and home isnt working. Her contribution is worth nothing ? Really ?
I agree that its a lifestlye choice but one which some women and their husbands made in the past .
Ethel bags your comment was disgusting and ive reported it.
Why make spitefulcomments like that ?

MissAdventure Tue 27-Aug-19 17:41:43

Help towards childcare stops when the child is 11.

Viviness Tue 27-Aug-19 17:35:47

Lilylavender. Im not sure if you are a local authority tenant, or rent private. In which case you can put a claim in for housing benefit and local Council Tax support. They will access your claim on all income that comes into the household including what your sons pay. It may be that all combined earnings, pensions etc are too high for any benefits in this regard but it could be worth a try. If you own your own home this will not apply. Local Council support will not be granted if your total income is too high. It may be a good idea to write down everything that comes into the house and everything that goes out and see if there are any savings that can be made. It may be that your sons need to contribute more. If your husband claims anything on your behalf you should have that money. You say you are not fit for work, in that case go and speak to your local Jobcentre for advice on what benefits you may be entitled to. Disability benefits are there to be claimed although there is a process and you will be assessed at a medical.
Like many on here I have worked since I was 17, brought up two children, had various part time jobs, worked at home when my children were younger, did long hours with two jobs when I got divorced with no maintenance and trusted them to be at home. I sometimes feel guilty about the long hours I worked but I managed to keep my house and hopefully a reasonable lifestyle for them. And my retirement has been put off until I am 66. I still work full time.
It may be time for you to evaluate your home life, try a part time job, even as someone has said be an Avon rep, join some groups to get ideas on what you can do and meet others in your position. Talk to everyone at home.
There is now talk of the pension age being increased to 75 and I do pity those poor people if that comes into law. (There will be too much opposition but it is a scary thought)

Callistemon Tue 27-Aug-19 17:33:11

I'm not sure, paddyann, because the money from the sons would be for their keep and towards household expenses. If they are paying the correct amount there shouldn't be any 'profit' although that would be for Lilyl to sort out.

It does sound rather a sad tale although I do know some women who never went back to work after having children for various reasons. Perhaps if someone hasn't contributed at all to a scheme they shouldn't really expect to profit from it. That being said, I am very grateful for the few years of Home Responsibilities Protection I did receive.

Some women, of course, were persuaded out of paying a full stamp years ago and told they would get a pension on their husband's contributions. Unless they had a chance to opt back in they will not get a pension in their own right.

I think Lilyl needs some further advice.

suziewoozie Tue 27-Aug-19 17:31:32

At least today working parents get tax free childcare which is a sort of tax relief on child care costs. When I was paying child care costs, it all came out of my taxed income. I paid NI, income tax, pension contributions and some of what I paid subsidised the women who stayed at home by contributing to their NI credits. That was unfair in my book and I’m glad now there is the scheme to help towards the child care costs. There was no logic in the situation before - why should working mothers like me have subsidised stay at home mothers?

GagaJo Tue 27-Aug-19 17:29:09

Yes. Worked (still working a 60+ hour week) AND brought up daughter. So while I feel for you, I feel my not getting a pension until I'm 67 is more unfair.

BlueBelle Tue 27-Aug-19 17:25:01

jaylucy you are quite wrong when you say everyone over 60 gets free dental care OH NO you only get free dental care if you are on benefits
So you are not correct at all it’s £22 for a two minute check up I ve just had one and I m on a ‘not full’ pension but not on any benefits at all

SusiQ8 Tue 27-Aug-19 17:19:16

If you stayed at home and brought up children all these years (after 1976) you should qualify for HRP (Home Responsibility Protection). This HRP gives you a credit every week towards your pension and you need to look into it. I stayed at home after my daughter was born int she was thirteen when I went to work for 18 hours a week which was when I contributed off my own bat. That, HRP and anything I paid before (1976) was added up and I was awarded a full state pension. Good luck!

PamelaJ1 Tue 27-Aug-19 17:13:10

If you go on the uGov website it explains all about lodgers and tax. If you haven’t got an income it looks as though this would be tax free if they paid you. You would need to check of course.
I’m not suggesting that Lily charges her sons this amount but it gives an indication of the rent some lodgers pay.
You say that your husband can’t afford to give you any of ‘his’ money so I am presuming that he doesn’t have any spare cash either?
If that’s the case then it is fair, if not then it’s not and you have a problem that goes deeper than lack of money.
I did home sewing when my children were small, making bags for Avon. That was such a faff that my friend and I went to work in the anadin factory doing the evening shift. We left the children with husbands from 5.30 in the evening. It was quite good fun and a bit of a rest!

suziewoozie Tue 27-Aug-19 17:09:57

But occupational pension schemes have been changing (worsening) for years their benefits , age of retirement and contributions for years now - some of the private ones even went bust or were embezzled and so affected the rights of many. It’s really not acceptable to think that the state pension could have stayed as it was. Earlier in my working life many other ni based benefits were much more generous - they’ve lessened a great deal. If people want to have several children over an extended period of years, then fine, that’s their choice but don't come crying when that has meant less pension and less savings in retirement.

paddyann Tue 27-Aug-19 16:49:28

surely money from the sons will affect the benefits they get ?

grandtanteJE65 Tue 27-Aug-19 16:39:32

With us, the boot is on the other foot. I have my pension, but DH doesn't qualify for his because they moved retirement age.

I agree it is unfair, after all we contributed to our pensions during our working life on the understanding that retirement age was what it was when we started to work.

Not living in the UK, I don't know what you are or will be entitled to, but surely it would be worth going to Citizen' Advice and checking whether you are entitled to anything at all, what you will be entitled to at retirement age and when that is and whether your husband is receiving everything he is entitled to.

If the sons who are living at home are in work, surely they should be paying rent, rather than just board? They are after all using heating and electricity, watching your TV and doing their washing.

Admittedly, we shouldn't need help from our children, but paying a fair share of the household expenses isn't charity.

icanhandthemback Tue 27-Aug-19 16:38:42

My first born is 34, my last born is 18 and so I could have easily stayed home for 34 of those years. Some of them I worked full time, some part time and others not at all. However, bringing up children should always be the first priority in my book and making them latchkey kids when they are heading for teenagerdom is the worst time in my opinion. I think teenagers need more support in some ways than younger children as they are often being lured off a safe path which can be difficult once they’ve strayed.
I think the main thrust of the OP’s complaint is that the pension age has changed. I feel exactly the same. No private pension scheme would ever get away with it.

optimist Tue 27-Aug-19 16:17:31

agreed

optimist Tue 27-Aug-19 16:11:38

Oh why are some women in this situation? Even some younger ones that I know. I brought up three children and had a full time job, now I am retired on a good state and occupational pension, especially as I worked until I was 72, I am now 75. It is such a luxury to stay at home and not work. Certainly not a right.

jura2 Tue 27-Aug-19 15:40:06

I sympathise, and yet. Why not get a part-time job as you are young enough. Would be nice to enjoy meeting people too- and at last, have your own money.

MissAdventure Tue 27-Aug-19 15:37:23

benefits-calculator.turn2us.org.uk/AboutYou

This may help, also.