Could this pension cut affect you or someone you know?

I’ve met women on the WASPI demos who are in desperate straits, some unable to work by dint of their health, caring commitments or simply because employers are not queuing up to employ 64 year olds. Some of these, those already ashamed to be forced to live off their husbands’ - or sometimes even their parents’ - pensions, will be the sort of people hit hardest by this.

That is it Maggiemaybe and that the benefit is only available to the poorest, so it is surprising that so many are happy to see money grabbed from them.

Isn’t the issue that the person in the marriage who is of state pension age won’t be able to claim the pension credit he or she could have claimed if single? If I’ve understood that correctly, it seems wrong to me, and I’m surprised so many posters seem to relish the idea.

Maybe I've misunderstood, but the proposed change would be that instead of both partners in a couple being able to claim pension credit when one of them is not eligible to receive their State pension, now only the partner who is receiving State Pension can claim Pension Credit.

Why is that unfair?

Most people of working age want to work Dont

They may be working Dontaskme but possibly earning less than the qualifying assesment level, so as a couple they would be entitled.

All I know is that people of working age should be working imo.

But if you really were an "independent woman" Dontaskme, that is if you weren't married, your pension would be topped up. As it is Pension Credit is a means tested benefit available only to the poorest.

I don't understand why there's a problem. If one of a couple is working full time and bringing in a wage then its right that the one on a pension should just get the pension. Why would they get top ups? Too many of all ages expect hand outs.
I still have a business that I really don't want due to health issues, but if I don't work I'm not entitled to any benefits (quite rightly so) as my DH works full time. I'm an independent woman and wouldn't dream of expecting my DH to "keep" me, any more than I would expect the Government to. Pension age has gone up meaning I still have 4 years to go. DH is younger so my pension won't be topped up - which is right imho.

I am a WASPI , my State Pension age was raised to 65, I was born in 1955 so 1st year when all women wouldn't get their Pension at 60 if they were born after 5th April 1955. Fine I should have been getting my State Pension in July 2020, instead David Cameron decided that State Pension age for men & women should be equalised at 66 so another year I have to work/claim ordinary working age benefits.

I am pleased that this anomaly where if one person is under Pension age Pension Credit could be claimed for both. This is I believe only applicable to new claimants from May.

UC is a nightmare, at the moment only new claimants have to go on UC & it has to be applied for on-line.

Both Conservative & Labour Governments have restricted State Pensions. I feel very aggrieved that I've had to wait 6 years for my State Pension although it is right that men & women should retire at the same age, why did mine have to suddenly go from 65 to 66? surely a few more years before it rose would have been fairer.

If one person out of the couple is not of pensionable age, why on earth should they be awarded pension credit?
One may as well ask why someone IN work doesn't get JSA.
It's just as ridiculous.

Like everything else to do with governments, it is very confusing.

Doesn’t it just mean that the pensioner will not get Pension Credit, which would otherwise raise their income to the pension level of £163? Thus making them poorer than single pensioners.

This government never misses a trick when it comes to penalising the poor.

Struggling to see the issue! Plus not sure I am taking it in correctly. Am I right in thinking that a couple where 1 is 67 and 1 is 64 years old get extra money because of the 64 year old? Surely that is extra money that another, single, 64 year old already has no entitlement to! It’s like giving an extra pension to someone just because they married someone older? Surely the younger 64 year old should still be working as they haven’t reached retirement age.

It was on News North West ealier that people/families living in Blackpool are in abject poverty. This ISN'T right ! It's abominable in this the 21st century. It's very worrying, cruel and criminal really that people are made to endure living like this.
Coastal towns are always hit the worst because of the seasonal trade that a lot of them have to rely on and there should be something in place to offset the poverty they suffer during the months before their business season begins.

Nasty party always were always will be.

Not entirely put on hold. The transfer of people on existing benefits is not going to happen as planned, but 10,000 people will be transferred as a pilot to test it before it goes further.
Changes are being made all the time, some for the better,eg extending UC to families with more than two children, and now, thanks to the victory in court of four single mums, changing the way payments are calculated.
There are still far too many problems though.

I thought I heard the other day that because the new Universal Credit had caused so many problems it has now been put on hold - more than likely to be abandoned altogether?

bikergran the women who brought the court case were in exactly the same position s your DD. Apparently the system is unable to cope with early wage payments and they will have to have their UC worked out by a person. It has caused many people real financial hardship.
I don't understand why anyone would want poor people to be worse off simply to save a few thousand pounds.

It’s just another disgusting move by this amoral government. Always attacking the most vulnerable and those least likely to fight back. I just said this morning to DH, why are people not bothered about the fact that homelessness has increased so dramatically in the last year ( austerity years!) and cuts to nursery’s, youth and community centres etc in the most deprived areas. No attention on that because of the ridiculous unnecessary Brexshit!

I'm obviously a lot dimmer than your average gran. Despite some detailed explanations I still don't understand. If one partner is earning and not needing benefits why would the pensioner partner want to claim top ups or heating allowance? Is it me??

farNorth, Thank you for your response

*FarNorth, I think you are right about that. It is just such a long time ago since women could pay a reduced married woman's stamp or didn't work that one would think that all these anomalies would have been withdrawn decades ago.

www.gov.uk/pension-credit/eligibility

People who are already getting Pension Credit are not going to have their Pension Credit cut.( unless their circumstances change and make them ineligible.)
The change will apply from May and will mean that a partner below pension age cannot claim PC until they are of pension age. See the link for more details.
So it is a change in the rules of entitlement.

Possibly this came about in the days of married women not usually being in paid employment, or paying the 'small stamp' as they would be entitled to some amount of pension based on their husband's NI contributions.