Old Age Pension

[Redhelen72]

So MIL has said that she only gets a tiny pension because she has never been an employee.
She owned a hotel and sold that 40 years ago bought a house and has lived on the remainder since.
She is now saying that she cannot afford to pay a subscription for a 'fall' button.
If she only has this small pension is she entitled to other help or is she out in the cold as a former self employed person?
Thank you

[davebro]

probably this (and other benefits)
https://www.ageuk.org.uk/information-advice/money-legal/benefits-entitlements/pension-credit/

[goodgoalie]

Is the 'tiny pension' from the government? If it is, and she has no other income and doesn't have savings over £10,000, she may well be entitled to Pension Credit. She can find out by putting her details into this calculator:
https://www.gov.uk/pension-credit-calculator

[jennyjoan]

I was going to mention if she was on Pension Credit she may be entitled to one.

[wolf63]

Pension credit?

[Redhelen72]

Thanks all, I assumed perhaps wrongly that she got the 'normal' old age pension - she does not like to talk money but this is getting silly now! She is putting her safety at risk and we don't know or can't be sure if its is because she has no money or if she is just 'tight'.

[barry1010]

How old is she? Not all pensioners get the same now, there is the 'old' rate and the 'new' rate. It's all very complicated

[barry1010]

And of course one person's definition of 'a tiny pension' could be a lot to somebody else

[Redhelen72]

85 Barry

[Redhelen72]

We have already tried to sort this in the past but she will not allow us to look at bank statements etc.
We pay as in my husband and I, some of her bills - her other son does not because he has children.
I just don't want to take on another bill until I know the full story.

[jennyjoan]

Also do think she is allowed more savings maybe£23000

[Redhelen72]

Jenny if she has that amount of savings then she can damn well pay her own bills!

[jennyjoan]

Ok I'm wrong. £10000 for pension credit. Ooops

[barry1010]

If she gets less than the basic state pension of £141.85 per week she could claim on her husband's contributions, assuming she was married at some point.

[Redhelen72]

Barry He has been dead for nigh on 40 years and owned hotels too

[gingejbee]

She only gets a tiny pension because she has never been an employee? Perhaps she should have thought about the future when they owned hotels, and got herself a private pension?

[Redhelen72]

Gingebee that is a helpful response - thank you for your input.

[andres]

When she was self-employed surely she would have been paying NI contributions? Likewise so would her husband. Is the small pension that she gets based on these.

[barry1010]

It doesn't matter how long he's been dead, Helen. If he was working he should have been paying NI contributions, self employed or not

[Redhelen72]

Thanks we asked her about her contributions and she said they didn’t pay any?
Honestly half stories galore with her

[elliemay1]

Would your husband's brother have any information?