Pension Credit and Mixed Aged Couples.

This thread was ages ago, but in case anyone is looking for information. I thought that I would give my pennyworth......

My husband is 71 yrs old, I am 60. He is in receipt of a basic state pension plus £3 private pension.

I am in receipt of the higher rate ESA & enhanced PIP for both elements.

We lived in Kent where my husband made a claim for housing and council tax benefit, this was awarded and was dated back to 2013.

Last year we moved from Kent to Cambridgeshire, but were able to claim the housing benefit and council tax benefit despite the change because we didn't break our claim of benefit. So our old tenency terminated on 29th July, and we claimed Housing Benefit at our new address on the 30th. In other words we didn't break our benefit.

In addition, someone suggested that we make a claim for Pension Credit guarantee, this has been awarded at a rate of £10 per week but........we now get free dental care (except we have yet to find a dentist), free specs and a variety of other forms of help.

So it's always worth trying!

Mixed-age couples still receiving Pension Credit will lose it if there is any change in their claim.

This includes changes such as moving house, or if income changes (younger partners often have some earnings).

Even if such a change is temporary, all eligibility for Pension Credit will then end until the younger partner also reaches state retirement age

It is means tested Doodledog.

The only people now receiving it are those who were already receiving it before May 2019. As a benefit, it will slowly disappear as the second person reaches pension age and no more claim it. That was the intention.

When the New State Pension came in, one of its aims was to reduce the number of pensioners who would need/be eligible to claim means-tested benefits. The structure described shows the phasing out of this particular one.

Couples culture was very different when the original benefit came in.

I assume the benefit is means tested? If so, does it take the income of both partners into account?

Unless one partner is caring for the other, I don’t understand why both would qualify if one is able to work. Carers allowances should be a lot higher, but if that doesn’t apply I am unsure why, say, a 40 year old should claim pension credit just because their partner is older. I may be missing something though- I don’t know much about it.