Can I nudge this up as I still don't know what information they will want when I ring. Thanks

She lives alone Nystagmite, actually on her own as opposed to with disregarded (sounds harsh - sorry) people.

She gets Pension Savings Credit and Attendance Allowance (the lower one). No one claims carers allowance which I understand is relevant as she does not yet require the 35 hours a week I understand I would need to be with her. I do have POA for her but I like to do things with her unless she would be too stressed - or I would - so being prepared helps.

I have been told we may be able to claim this for my mother. Could anyone tell me what information they will need as I like to be prepared? Thank you.

Thank you for the reply Id6052. My thoughts were to sell my current house and use the money released to buy an over 55s flat so, to answer your question, I would own it. However I would not be able to fund the service charge so that's why I asked the question. I kept seeing service charges mentioned on the on-line benefit calculators and wondered if they applied if you were not renting. I didn't really think they would!

Can anyone tell me if I would be able to claim the service charges on a retirement flat. I would like to move but it would take the capital I have invested in my current property to do so. My income (I am retired) means I will need to claim Pension Credit and Council Tax Benefit. Although I am currently self-employed this will have to stop soon as I need to care for my mother but this will not be enough hours to claim carers allowance and, because I get my state pension I would not get anything even if/when she needs more care. Thanks for reading.

It's very tiring dealing with peoples strange behaviour but I suppose, as long as she isn't claiming any other benefits, she isn't doing anything wrong - I think. Dear oh, dear, I can only agree with everyone else that you should put the money in an account for the child and try and explain when they are old enough to understand.

I'm still a bit worried about the child. The CSA won't worry because it's not in their remit but if the ex has stated that she is no longer the PWC surely she has told the father where the child is living.

Not sure that it matters about the individual diets of people on this forum or whether it's better that we cook from scratch or not. The point is that if I should be made redundant and need to call on the National Insurance system I have paid into for years does it give those running the system, whose wages are paid by those who have paid in, the right to tell me what I eat? I don't think so. One party wishes to nanny us and the other is paternalistic; neither of these should be the case - it is an insurance scheme. The problem is that they have avoided making this obvious because they like to use it as a political tool. £200 annual winter fuel allowence for pensioners - I ask you. How on earth much does it cost to administer that and the only reason it wasn't just added to the pension for us to decide how to manage our own income was because the party in power wanted to make a gesture.

How Jewish did you have to be to be persecuted? The decision was made by the perscutors.

I must admit to very little knowledge in this area but surely the PWC can't just say the child no longer resides with her without saying where the child is living?

I would say unbelievable except that sadly, it doesn't seem to be:sad:

Thanks Nystagmite. The link is really good and describes the definition of care better than I have been able to find elsewhere.

Thanks Nystgmite. I seem to be picking you brains recently! I understand that the higher rate needs day and night care but what is the definition of night care?

My mother gets the lower level of attendance allowance. To apply for the higher level she have to have during the night? (We live several miles apart). She has been diagnosed with Alzheimer’s and, as well as the days I see her, sort out her medication, take her to clinics, do her shopping and all the obvious help a 92 year old might need, I am currently ringing her each evening and morning to make sure she is OK. At one point this was because she was beginning to lose track of which day it was, what might happen that day, etc. Now she has been diagnosed and put on medication she is managing much better but of course this may not last. I can’t find anywhere that is explicit about what her needs would have to be to apply for the higher amount.

Good idea, thank you. I have just realised that I have always thought of organisations such as Age UK as people I would go to for help with my mother; I have now got to accept it applies to me too:-)

Thank you Nystagmite. Do you have any suggestion where would be the best place to get help with this as I am feeling quite out of my depth? I have a feeling I am not "caring" for enough hours but it may well increase so it would be good to understand this area. As I tried to say, I could manage if it was just for me but I do want to care for Mum as best I can.

Sadly, when the Working Tax Credit ends for pensioners in April I will have to apply for Pension Guarantee Benefit. Is there anything I need to know about doing this? Will I have to wind up my business. Although it did create a very small income in the past has not made enough to pay me anything recently. I have had to reduce the hours I put in because of the increased care my mother needs. Obviously I told the WTC people about that and my WTC payment has been reduced pro rata. I think, by the time we get to April, it will be going in the direction of a hobby (same hours of work but I don't think I will make any income) but I would like to continue if possible as it is a distraction from some of the less easy parts of caring . Will the benefits people just regard no income from it as no income or will they assess a number of hours at the Minimum Income Floor they are using for working age people? I would rather not apply but I really cannot afford to run a car on just my state pension and getting to my mother and particularly taking her to clinics, etc., would be pretty near impossible without it. I cannot claim Carers Allowence because I am getting State Pension but is there anything that would help me help her? Thank you for any help you can give.

If you go on one of the calculator such as the one in Nystagmite's post it will calculate your pension age.

I think I can answer that. I think it depends on your pension age.

Could someone explain the difference between Pension Credit, Pension Guarantee Credit and Pension Savings Credit and give me an idea of who can claim them and what they bring wiht them. (I should change my name to confused!)

Thank you both. I didn't know I could claim and earn even a little bit. I will try and find out what the disregard is. I know Pension Credit is a gateway benefit and that worries me a bit as you get so emmeshed in the system with these. However, I have to be sensible and, at this time of life, adding to your income becomes more difficult so it probably has to be done.

Next year I will lose my Working Tax Credit under the new rules because I will be over the age when I could claim Pension Credit. My business pays me little or nothing although I have invested in it heavily in the hope to make an income for myself. I do not think I should necessarily go on getting WCT when the business is not contributing to my income at this point but I am loath to claim Pension Credit as I would like to go on running the business - in hope! How will the council look at me not claiming Pension Credit. If I did claim it all my Council Tax will be paid as opposed a proportion of it as it is at the moment. If I don't my income will actually be less but I might, just might, make a little from the business during the year. My aim is, of course, to earn enough so that I can pay all my Council Tax and not be dependent on any benefit even if my income is small. I can just about get by on my Pension without claiming Pension Credit but if I have to pay Council Tax I will not be able to do so, and will have to claim the tax credit and will be mired in the benefits system much more than I want to be. Any help/suggestions would be welcome.

Thank you.

Thank you so much. I am just a concerned parent whose grown-up child now lives with a (so called) non resident parent although they have the children for only a little less than the resident parent - something like one day per month. As I understand it my child's partner has always paid for the children but obviously now there is no income available my child is supporting the partner and the children when they are with them. My child seems to have been drawn into the ex partners anger at the loss of child support and I wondered just how much legal liability there was. I also wondered if the ex partner was still receiving the child support or if it stopped with my child's partner's inablility to pay. It is obviously a difficult situation all round and I thought understanding it might help me not to say the wrong thing!