Not page 26.
Check index for Inheriting your spouse or civil partner’s pension
Thanks Haitch, but I haven’t reached that age yet, a few more years to go…
Thank you all once again for your suggestions - I am passing all of these on to my colleagues who are working on our response to the inquiry and they will do their best to make sure these issues are heard by the government.
Hi Pricilla, just had a thought. Some people have lost partners that have been paying NI for years and have died barely into their retirement. The surviving partner has to then wait until they themselves are retired before they can claim part of their partners pension.
It would alleviate a lot of stress and financial suffering if this pension could be paid to the surviving partner without having to wait until they are retired.
Cheers
It makes it so much worse that the equalisation measures taken by the government will have caused so much distress in delaying payment of pensions. You would think that some exceptions could have been made. My wife was given a year to live at age 61. Fortunately she just managed to get over that arbitrary line before she died, which cheered her up immensely, as she lived until she was 65. Had it been me that died she would be much worse off, partly due to the hurdles one needs to jump with private pensions. Maybe the Government could include that in their remit.
Thanks Haitch and YorkshireLad for those additional suggestions. I’ll make sure everything gets passed on.
Hi Haitch, are you saying that when I reach retirement age I can claim part of my husband’s pension? I didn’t know that. I thought his pension was gone forever…
Yes that’s right. Check out that website I mentioned previously.
It didn’t come with any bereavement guidance, I found a booklet when I was going through various paperwork.
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It’s not as straightforward as that Kate, rules have changed on State Pension conditions. I am happy to give you advice if you message me.
Check out the government website to see if you are eligible.
This discussion has encouraged me to meet with a local charity who supports cancer sufferers, survivors, carers and bereaved. As an experienced financial adviser, before I retired I managed a team who provided home visits and we specialised in bereavement visits giving crucial advice on a complex area. This discussion made me realise that it is an area the charity will come across and could benefit from me volunteering. So I’d like to thank you for enabling me to take steps and offer my experience in this field to them and it has been accepted. I haven’t posted many times but I have read and related with some amazing people. Was lovely to be been credited as ‘inspiring’ by those who read my own. I would like to say thank you to Pricilla and her colleagues at Sue Ryder, the help given to me has enabled me to see that there is an inner strength that is there and can be used in a positive way when we face life after loss.
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An alternative link to the Govt info on New State pension & possible inheritance of partners state pension. Age UK produce excellent fact sheets for all benefits.
https://www.ageuk.org.uk/globalassets/age-uk/documents/factsheets/fs19_state_pension_fcs.pdf
Hope this helps.
I too am under pension age, when my husband passed away, gave up work to look after him, I did claim and was awarded a Bereavement payment for 18 months after that I will have to look for work I’ll be 64 have to claim universal credit. I have 44 years of tax credits as I worked all my life. I have a small pension of £300 a month coming in but will have to use that to budget my bills and food on. It seems unfair that I looked after my pension pot although it is only small I will now have to use it to live on when at my time of life I should be comfortable. £100 a month is a joke £100 a week would be much better. I did research on line about this payment. And I did receive it quite quickly, 3 weeks. Universal credit I wish I didn’t have to claim it.
Hi SanW,
It’s so great to hear that you are going to be using your knowledge on this topic to do some volunteer work - well done you! I am very happy if this community has played a small part in helping you feel as though you can give back to others, and find something positive in doing so.
Thank you everyone for sharing your responses, it’s been incredibly helpful in terms of shaping our response to the Work and Pensions Select Committee.
On Friday, we are looking to release a short statement to the media with our suggestions on what next steps need to be taken by the Committee to better support those that have been bereaved. We are keen to put some real life examples into this to give colour to the piece and so are calling out for people to share their story with our PR team and the media.
There is absolutely no pressure whatsoever to take part in this, but if you would like to do so, below is the information and timings we would need. We’re do need someone who is available quite soon, I’m afraid.
If you are interested, you can send me a private message, or email online.community@sueryder.org.
• If you would be keen to share your story with our PR team and with the media, I would request your contact details (privately), for my colleague Emily to give you a ring to ask you questions by 5pm on Wednesday 15th May.
• Emily will run through expectations on the phone, but she will chat through your experience of the Bereavement Support Payment and look to place your story in the media.
• In some cases, a journalist may like to speak to you about your experience. This would be done most likely over the phone on the afternoon of Thursday 16th May or morning of Friday 17th May. Emily will sit in on so you can always say if you’re not comfortable with something and she can ask the journalist to move the interview along. They may also ask for some photographs of you and the person you lost, to go alongside the piece.
• There is a chance that due to a busy news agenda that despite our best efforts, unfortunately, the media has other things to focus on that day, and we receive no requests for stories. This is always an incredible shame when it happens, but a member of the PR team will be in touch to inform you, so you’re aware.
• If you would be happy to, Emily can keep your details on file in case other opportunities come up in the future.
Thanks once again to everyone who has shared their experiences of bereavement benefits. Just to let you know, Sue Ryder has now made some recommendations to the government based on what you have told us. Read more about these in my latest post here: https://support.sueryder.org/community/general-chat/how-bereavement-benefits-should-change
Can be backdated by 3 months. I claimed 6 months after my husband died
It should be changed CE and allow for full backdating. That is what Sue Ryder highlighted in their submission to the Select Committee. I am so sorry you lost out x
Reviving this thread as it has useful advice and links.
Sandra
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This thread has some useful links to info so shunting it back up to top. Hope it may help you get the info on financial help.