The day before the second bite at a 'meaningful vote' on Brexit the government sneaked out this gem:
www.parliament.uk/business/publications/written-questions-answers-statements/written-statement/Commons/2019-01-14/HCWS1249/
Clearly the 'good day to bury bad news' concept is still around.
Mixed age couples, those where one partner but not the other has reached State Pension Age, will from May have to wait until both are pension age before moving from working age benefits to the much more generous Pension Credit. While the current regime gives Pension Credit to those with a twenty year age gap, hence the press wags talk of a 'toy-boy' tax, the vast majority of those affected will be ordinary couples with and age difference of 2 to 4 years.
The effect is that instead of 'the minimum amount of money the law says you need to live on' being £248.80/week it will be less than £115. If the older partner, usually the male, gets the full new state pension of £164.35, that alone will be deemed to be all but £50 a week more than they need to live on as a couple. They are also likely to be subject to the 'bedroom tax' and to pay up to 50% of Council Tax - imposts from which up 'til now they've been protected as pensioners.
Silver haired couples aged 63 and 66 needing help from foodbanks ain't going to look good.....
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The Foodbank Thread. new
The Foodbank Thread. new
