Your spouse/fiancee/civil partner will not be entitled to Public Funds when she arrives in the UK; that means the sponser cannot claim Pension Credit as a couple - only as a single person. Gievn that the rate for a single person is £151.20p and the rate for a couple is £230.85p that is almost £80 less than a usual British couple could claim each week. But there is one VERY BIG BENFIT if the sponsored partner takes up employment. Their income is not taken into account when calculating the Pension Credit rate for the sponsor since thy are classed as a non-dependant by the spoonsor's claim to Pension Credit. That means the sponsor can still claim £151.20p per week irrespective of the partners earnings! In my case, I can continue to claim £151.20p/week for myself when my wife starts work very soon. Had she been a British citizen, I would no longer receive Pension Credit whatsoever! As Pension Credit is a 'passport' benefit, I will still qualify for free dental health care, free sight tests and optic vouchers (but my wife will not) I am still unsure if the continued receipt of Pension Credit whilst my wife is working would entitle us to Council Tax Reduction.
ordinarily---a senior on pension credit could not possibly qualify to bring his/her spouse or visa over on a settlement visa---pension credit means the claimant is below the income threshold--and/or the savings requirement. in your case Howerd --you were exempt from those sponsorship requirements.
Yes you are right of course. It would only apply to those on Pension Credit who are also exempt on the income requirements due to disability, so that they could bring their partner into the country. However, it could also apply to those that did satisfy the normal income requirement at the time of visa application but where the sponsor then claimed Pension Credit after his/her partner arrived in the country and where that partner had a job as long as their combined income reached the £18,600 requirement.
i'm finding this thread very confusing. i claimed pension guarantee credit when i reached 60---over 7 years ago. this was a top-up to my long term incapacity benefit--in lieu of income support--which then ended at 60. i came off it when i got married a few months later. but i'm not au fait with current rules. Their income is not taken into account when calculating the Pension Credit rate for the sponsor since thy are classed as a non-dependant by the spoonsor's claim to Pension Credit. ha ha--right--so ones married partner is now a non-dependant---i dont think so. i would imagine their joint income would certainly affect a pension guarantee credit claim. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- for what its worth--when i reached 65--i got the full state pension. i was also awarded pension savings credit--based on my savings held at the time. this was awarded for 5 years---and in real terms is reduced each year to balance the increase in the state pension. but of course--all that is set to change in 2016.
The Pension Credit assessor rang me to proceed with the amendment to my claim (my wife now present in the UK) He was not just an enquiry officer but the assessor. He assured me that my claim to Pension Credit would not be affected by my wife's earnings because she would be marked as a non-dependant on my claim. Of course, when my wife does start work I will still inform them of my wife's income, to ensure that I don't fall foul of the rules but I am pretty certain that the real asessors (rather than the call centre staff) know what they are talking about.
I'm finding the thread confusing too, thank God I have twelve years to go before I reach the old biddy pension stage
12 years--you wish---anyones guess how long you will have to slog on to get yours. probably find by then the state pension will be a means tested benefit. in other words--none if you have a works or private one. so all your NI contributions will be stolen. after all--look how many women now in their early 60's or younger have been screwed
@bigmac I am pretty sure that I will get written notification that my wife will be treated as a non-dependent. Once received, I will send you confirmation.
You're right of course bigmac, from a personal standpoint I believe that we should pay higher taxes to ensure we at least have some kind of pension to look forward to when we retire, I'd be gutted if I lost my state pension as I have already paid enough in to qualify for a full pension.
many women in their late 50's / early 60's have had £1000's in pension stolen from them. friend of mine--60--has now retired and living on savings--no pension till 66
@bigmac I received confirmation today that I am still being treated as a single person for Pension Credit purposes. I rang the Pension Credit helpline and they confirm that they had already noted I have a wife subject to immigration control and that I only need to inform them if my wife's immigration status changes - I DO NOT HAVE TO INFORM THEM IF MY WIFE STARTS WORK. They also confirm that my wife is a non-dependant and that the only change to Pension Credit when a non-dependant starts working is if Pension Credit was paying my mortgage. But I have no mortgage. I do know that income from non-dependants can affect a claim to Council Tax Benefit but I am unsure of the effect of this when I am in receipt of Pension Credit. I will only find out when my wife starts works and I inform the local Council.
i must admit i would like to know the position of an immigrant partner and council tax--is it payable--or not
