Revised Article - Pensioners May Have to Rely on Universal Credit

Ministers are being accused of 'failing people at the most vulnerable point in their lives' after it emerges nine disability claimants die each day while waiting for decisions on disability support.  

Meanwhile it has been pointed out that pensioners may have to rely on Universal Credit.

According to  Paul Treloar 

Made by: Guy Opperman (Parliamentary Under Secretary of State for Pensions & Financial Inclusion) HCWS1249

…”In 2012, Parliament voted to modernise the welfare system to ensure that couples, where one person is of working age and the other person is over state pension age, access support, where it is needed, through the working age benefit regime. This replaces the previous system whereby the household could access either Pension Credit and pension age Housing Benefit, or working-age benefits.

Pension Credit is designed to provide long-term support for pensioner households who are no longer economically active. It is not designed to support working age claimants. This change will ensure that the same work incentives apply to the younger partner as apply to other people of the same age, and taxpayer support is directed where it is needed most.

I set out to Parliament last year that this change would be implemented once Universal Credit was available nationally for new claims. Today I can confirm that this change will be introduced from 15th May 2019. “

PLEASE NOTE: 

This means that couples with an age gap will have to wait longer to receive pension credit, losing out on around £7,000 for each year that they have to wait.

With a twenty-year age gap for example, the older partner will now be nearly 90 before the couple is allowed to claim pension credit.

The state pension age is currently 65 for men and is gradually increasing to 65 for women. From 2020, it will be 66 and by 2028 it will be 67.

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