Pension Credit and rental income

[gprit]

I have a property with no equity in it after repaying mortage and other loans. I have been trying to sell this for some time and in order to pay the mortgage to avoid repossession I rented it out until it sold, , although the rental does not actually cover the mortgage payment - so there is no real income from rental.

I have no other income/savings and have been staying in another property owned by my late wife (again no equity in it).

As I AM trying to sell my property and get no disposable income from it, does this affect my entitlement to Guaranteed Pension Credit?

[gprit]

I have been getting Guaranteed Pension Credit since September 2007. I moved from my (then) property in January 2009. It was only during recent conversations with The Pension Service (following advising them of my wife's death) that they advised me that I should have been claiming Council Tax Benefit.

However upon phoning the local authority I was told they could only backdate for 3 or 6 months from the application date. I cannot see anywhere where this time limit is defined and neither can they. After struggling to pay the Council tax, if I didn't know I could claim this benefit it why should I be disqualified from reclaiming it now?

Any help appreciated.

[ErikaPNP]

The law does not allow for backdating of council tax benefit for a period longer than 3 months for a person of pension age. For people of working age, the maximum period for backdating is 6 months.

 

It's defined in legislation by the Council Tax Benefit (state pension credit) Regulations 2006, as amended by the Housing Benefit and Council Tax Benefit (Amendment) (No. 2) Regulations 2008.

[gprit]

Thank you for that pointer....I suppose I have to accept it then, still seems wrong to me though...

[gprit]

Am I correct in believing that we should be entitled to mortgage interest assistance?

I was in receipt of Guaranteed Pension Credit as I was under 65. My wife was over 65 and so not entitled to claim. Less that 16k savings etc etc.

However, the house we live in was in the name of my wife only, even though ALL mortgage payments have been made by me out of my own account.

 

Am I entitled to claim this assistance?