Private pension help needed pease

[Kerry]

Hi all
Hope everyone is well.
In need of some advice again please.
At the moment we receive child tax credit I work part time also get carers allowance for my partner my partner has c/b esa pip we also get council tax reduction.
My partner has a small weekly pension of £35 aweek due to start in a couple of weeks will it affect any of our income we are having at the moment.
Thanks all
Take care

[nukecad]

It shouldn't affect the CTC, CA, or PIP.

The pension would need to be £85 a week before it affected CB ESA.
However if there is an IR top-up in his ESA (money for you as a partner, or any of the disability/carer premiums) then those would be affected.

You should still inform them because it is a change of circumstances to your houshold income.

Council Tax Relief is administered by the council, and each council has it's own rules, so you would have to ask your own council.

[Kerry]

Thank you for the reply from what I’ve found on the net from his £37 aweek pension they reduce council tax by £14 per week.
So we don’t have a much gain as I thought.
Thanks again

[Kerry]

Sorry second question
If we were to take £3000 out of the pension leave the rest in for a weekly payment we have no saving so we wouldn’t be the savings amount just would like a new bathroom would that be taken and spread into an income.
Sorry hope that’s not to confusing.
Thanks again

[nukecad]

That shouldn't be a problem.

Your benefits (except the CTR) seem to be non-means tested so aren't affected by savings or capital.

Even if they were means tested £3000 is well below the limit where it would affect anything benefits.

The savings limit for Income Realted (means tested) benefits is £6,000.
So if you have savings of more than that £6,000 then Income Related benefits start to be reduced.
If you have savings above £16,000 then Income Related benefits stop being paid.

Again though councils set their own rules for CTR and so your councils lower savings limit may be lower than £6,000.
(The upper limit is always £16,000 though).

You need to check that, but I would also double check what you have read online about the pensions effect on CTR.
If your partner is reaching State Pension Age then the rules on CTR change anyway.
(I realise it may be an early paying private pension and SPA is a few years off yet).

PS. If your partner is reaching SPA soon then you are in a whole new ball game of becoming what is known as a 'Mixed aged Couple'.
(That's a couple where one is above SPA and the other below it).
His ESA will stop at SPA and what benefits you can then claim as a MAC gets complicated (as usual).

If your partner is reaching SPA soon then you need to get benefits advice before that happens - so as to maximise what benefit you can get after it happens.
People have lost a lot of money by not knowing and leaving it too late.
Housing Benefit can be the worst case if it's in the retiring partners name, but you haven't said that you claim that?

PPS. Just 'thinking aloud' but does he have to take this private pension now?
If he can defer it until he reaches SPA then it it won't be income so won't affect the CTR.

[Kerry]

Thanks again
Partner will reach spa next year this private pension can’t be extended.
This is what we recieve.
Council tax = in my name
Cb esa
Pip
My wages part time
Child tax credit
Partners pension starts next month
Would you know how this will change when partner reaches spa
Many thanks

[nukecad]

I think you should be alright as there is no Housing Benefit in there.

The ESA will stop because it's a 'working age' benefit. He will get state pension instead.
PIP, CTC, the private pension, and your wages should stay as they are.

Council Tax, you may get more CTR with him reaching SPA and if you aren't claiming UC.

The only question I can see is if he would have been eligible for Pension Credit, or if you will be eligible for Universal Credit.

A MAC can't claim Pension Credit or Housing Benefit anymore, so the younger partner has to claim Universal Credit instead.
It depends on circumstances but sometimes it's best to make a joint claim for UC before the elder partner reaches SPA.
That way the joint UC can continue even though the elder partner reaches SPA.

Like I say it's all very complicated because it depends on the couples circumstances, and between working and different benefits there are many possibilties.
It's not something that you can write down easily because each couple can have widely different combinations.

This will give you an idea, but it's best (if you can) to consult an advisor who can see your circmstances and paperwork.
https://www.entitledto.co.uk/help/Mixed_age_couples
(That needs updating a bit because as from last Wednesday having SDP no longer prevents you claiming UC, but that doesn't apply to you anyway).

[Kerry]

Thanks so much this whole system is a mine field to me
Take care

[nukecad]

this whole system is a mine field to me

It is to everyone, some people know bits but I doubt that anyone can know it all.
Even professional advisors struggle with pensions and benefits, especially now the MAC laws have come along.

Everyone just has to do the best they can for themselves and hope they've got it right.

(It's creeping up on me in a few years).

[Kerry]

I’m so thankful there’s people like yourself who take the time to help us make sense of it all.????