Pension Credit ill health

[Chrissyangel]

Hi Im at the moment recieving ESA for back problems,anxiety,depression. I have to go back for medical next week after winning my appeal 6 months ago.What it is my back has got worse,and i feel i may not be able to work again if this cant be rectified,im asking my gp if he will send me to pain clinic,my medication doesn't seem to be working now.I will be 60yrs old next year,but I can not get pension until im 62 what ive read on pension sites.What id like to no does anyone no if I would be able to get Pension Credit next year when im 60 because of ill health? My ex is only 61 has bad headaches and he is on pension credit,never worked for years either,but i think the law changed just after he got it,but surely they wont make me work being 60 and very bad back pains,im on medication,and im sure i wouldn't last long in employment,and doubt anyone would employ me with my complaints back pains depression,anxiety etc,it sounds awful i no,but im no scrounger,I just feel so down,never hardly sleep most nights with pain and tinnitus loud noise in my ears.On this ill health would they consider giving me pension credit next year when im 60?Doubt they would now 59,or would i be able to do maybe a couple hours work and get pension credits or something?I doubt i will pass atos medical,maybe the next tribunal,as did my precious one.Thanks please Help!!

[ErikaPNP]

Hello there. I'm afraid that you can't claim PC early owing to ill health. Pension Credit does not take account of a person's ability or lack of ability to work owing to illness, as it is not a "working age" benefit and can only be claimed by people of minimum qualifying age for PC. This began to gradually increase from April 2010; it is no longer 60 years. Someone hitting 60 this year would not qualify for PC, they'd have to wait until next year. If you are due to turn 60 in 2012, you wouldn't be able to claim Pension Credit until 2014 after your 62nd birthday.

 

Your ex's ill health won't have had an impact either way on a Pension Credit claim; he was able to claim before they altered the State Pension age, as he had reached the minimum qualifying age at that time.

 

Whilst you are under the minimum qualifying age for PC, you can only claim working age benefits. Working age benefits for ill health are ESA and/or DLA, if you have a disability which requires you to have assistance with personal care and/or mobility.

[honeybee13]

Hello there. I hope I haven't missed the point here, but I think your State pension 'stamp' as we called it in my day is usually paid when you're on benefit and that means you should receive the amount from the State that you would have got if you hadn't been ill. I'm sure Erika will correct me if I'm wrong.

 

My best, HB