Pensions and remarrying in one's eighties
Discussion
My Mum is 85, living in a 1 bed retirement apartment which she owns.
She only qualified for a small state pension while Dad was alive, £62 a week.
After Dad died 5 years ago, some of his state pension was passed on to her, and she gets £250 a week.
She also gets a small widow's pension from his company pension scheme. Unfortunately this wasn't an indexed scheme, so it's only £140 a month.
She has met a chap who lives in the same apartment complex, and they are talking about getting married. Selling both their apartments and buying a bigger one in the same complex would leave them with lower running costs (maintenance charges, council tax, utilities), and a chunk of cash for holidays.
Her worry is that remarrying would mean losing the uplift to her state pension, and going back to just £62 a week. No chance of getting any pension credit to bring it back up, as she's already slightly over the savings limit.
The company widow's pension would stop, but she is OK with that.
I spent some time yesterday googling to try and find the answer, and from what I can make out, any state pension that's in payment can't be lost or taken away by a change in circumstances short of death.
Can anyone confirm what happens?
She only qualified for a small state pension while Dad was alive, £62 a week.
After Dad died 5 years ago, some of his state pension was passed on to her, and she gets £250 a week.
She also gets a small widow's pension from his company pension scheme. Unfortunately this wasn't an indexed scheme, so it's only £140 a month.
She has met a chap who lives in the same apartment complex, and they are talking about getting married. Selling both their apartments and buying a bigger one in the same complex would leave them with lower running costs (maintenance charges, council tax, utilities), and a chunk of cash for holidays.
Her worry is that remarrying would mean losing the uplift to her state pension, and going back to just £62 a week. No chance of getting any pension credit to bring it back up, as she's already slightly over the savings limit.
The company widow's pension would stop, but she is OK with that.
I spent some time yesterday googling to try and find the answer, and from what I can make out, any state pension that's in payment can't be lost or taken away by a change in circumstances short of death.
Can anyone confirm what happens?
First couple of paragraphs sounded similar to my Mother.
6 months after Dad died she moved away with someone she had known ( his wife had also recently passed away ) but they decided to live opposite each other as both wanted independence.
They still got married though and afaik my mothers pension position stayed unchanged.
Could your Mother not just move in with the chap in case there’s a Pension issue ?
6 months after Dad died she moved away with someone she had known ( his wife had also recently passed away ) but they decided to live opposite each other as both wanted independence.
They still got married though and afaik my mothers pension position stayed unchanged.
Could your Mother not just move in with the chap in case there’s a Pension issue ?
She wants to carry on having her own money, and paying her way. She spent 60 years being dependent on dad, and is quite enjoying the financial freedom.
Potentially having her income cut from £14k to £3k would mean being "kept" again, and she won't do this.
Just moving in with him would really set tongues wagging in a complex of 60 pensioners. There's already some gossip because they've been on holiday together. They would really need a bigger place, as both their apartments are quite small. No room for all their stuff.
Potentially having her income cut from £14k to £3k would mean being "kept" again, and she won't do this.
Just moving in with him would really set tongues wagging in a complex of 60 pensioners. There's already some gossip because they've been on holiday together. They would really need a bigger place, as both their apartments are quite small. No room for all their stuff.
clockworks said:
Just moving in with him would really set tongues wagging in a complex of 60 pensioners. There's already some gossip because they've been on holiday together. They would really need a bigger place, as both their apartments are quite small. No room for all their stuff.
She's 85, tell her to move in with the chap and f
k what anyone else thinks. The biggest benefit of aging is giving less and less of a fk what anyone thinks of you. I'm 60 and I rarely give two hoots these days, so by 85 I fully expect, if I'm still here, to be deliberately doing things to annoy others.Ignoring the above
I’d call the pension service
https://www.gov.uk/contact-pension-service
Always most helpful & proper advice
I’d call the pension service
https://www.gov.uk/contact-pension-service
Always most helpful & proper advice
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