Pension Credit

[cockatiel]

My friend has had an operation requiring a few weeks off work.She is a nurse working nights in a nursing home. She gets a small pension and is over 65. She doesn't have much savings and has had to dip into what she has to pay living expenses while she is on sick leave. She can't get sick pay so has applied for pension credit to compensate for missed earnings.She would like to return to work to pay off some loans before she retires next summer,but her health might make it difficult.If she can work a few hours would she be able to keep the pension credit, or would she have to give it up and reapply for it again later?

[Buenchico]

There are two types of Pension Credit.

Guarantee Credit is there to to ensure that the income of older citizens can't fall below a certain level. (i.e. it provides a 'top up' to any other income that the person might have). So if the person's income rises, the Guarantee Credit will fall by the same amount, since the minimum income level will still have been achieved.

Savings Credit works slightly differently but the best way for your friend to assess what she's entitled to is to use the calculator which is linked to from here:
http://www.direct.gov...ow_income/dg_10018692

Chris

[cockatiel]

Thanks Buenchico. So if my friend works 1 night a week for,say,a month she will have to declare it and possibly lose her guaranteed credit.If she then decides she really can't cope with the work and retires,will she will have to reapply and have to wait weeks for it to be reinstated again?

[Buenchico]

Thanks for your reply. The benefits system isn't particularly good at dealing with situations where people have occasional work. (I write from experience. I'm on Job Seekers Allowance but occasionally get casual work, which I declare. The form filling can be an absolute nightmare!). As I'm not yet old enough to claim either form of Pension Credit myself, I can't really answer the 'what if ... ?' part of your question. I suggest phoning an adviser on the number given within my link above.

Chris