Hello I had an enquiry via email this week and was wondering if anyone else had had any similar enquiries or if this is correct?

"I am 60 on August 6th 2010. There are not too many benefits that go with reaching 60 but the winter fuel payment,free prescriptions and eye tests,and concessionary bus passes are some. On applying for the latter from Brighton & Hove Council I was told that due to changes in the pension law coming into effect on 5th April 2010 I would not now be eligible for a bus pass until 6th January 2011?

They have said that the law change relates to the gradual increase to the pension age for women that is being phased in from 5th April ,over the next 10 years ,which will eventually bring it in line with men, at 65 (which I was aware of). However,I have been told as a consequence of this ALL age related benefits will be affected accordingly,such as those I have mentioned above. For example I would have received the winter fuel payment this year but the changes mean I will now not be eligible until the winter of 2011. Instead of free prescriptions and eye tests from this August I will now have to wait until the following January. Is this correct? I suspect it probably is but if so it has been kept suspiciously quiet."

I thought it was a very interesting enquiry. Does anyone know what the situation is in relation to the above enquiry?

Thanks

From http://www.dft.gov.uk/pgr/regional/buses/concessionary/changes/qa

See para.10. Age limit for concessionary bus travel goes up in line with female pensionable age.

Change in Age of Eligibility
10. I reach the age of 60 after 6th April 2010. When will I get my bus pass?
From 6th April 2010, the age of eligibility for concessionary travel for women will be pension age and for men it will be the pensionable age of a woman born on the same day.

The state pension age for women is rising by five years over a period of ten years. The age of eligibility will rise incrementally, that is, in stages, between 2010 and 2020. The earliest age for men and women to get bus passes will therefore rise gradually, from 60 on 6 April 2010 to 65 on 5 April 2020.The Government decided that this would be the fairest method, rather than introduce a one-off rise which would leave those currently close to retirement age facing a full five-year delay.

The age of eligibility for the state pension is scheduled to rise by two months every one month. This means the earliest date on which you can get your bus pass will depend on which month you were born in and will not fall on your birthday. The table below sets out when those approaching the age of 60 will become eligible for their concessionary bus pass.

Table 1 - Dates of Eligibility for Concessionary Bus Passes
Period within which date of birth falls Day become eligible for concessionary bus pass
Before and including 5th April 1950 Date of 60th birthday
6th April 1950 to 5th May 1950 6th May 2010
6th May 1950 to 5th June 1950 6th July 2010
6th June 1950 to 5th July 1950 6th September 2010
6th July 1950 to 5th August 1950 6th November 2010
6th August 1950 to 5th September 1950 6th January 2011
And so on...



There is also a ready reckoner tool which enables people affected by the pension age changes to see at what age they become eligible for their state pension and associated benefits. You can find this on the DirectGov website at:
http://pensions.direct.gov.uk/en/state-pension-age-calculator/home.asp

For the purposes of working out the date of eligibility for the bus pass using this tool, you should enter your gender as female. The date of state pension age calculated will be the date on which you become eligible for the concessionary bus pass. However if you are male, this will not necessarily be the same date on which you become entitled to the state pension.


RIchard Atkinson

That's strange, I was under the impression that concessionary travel was not going to be effected and would remain at 60.

WFP, PC, HB/CTB are also effected and as far as I am aware prescription charges, eye tests, higher legal aid allowance and warm front grant are not. Although now I am going to have to check the above.

It is actually quite easy to explain WFP eligibility as you can just say to clients "if you are born before this date you are entitled". For 2010 payments you need to be born before 6th Julu 1950. http://www.opsi.gov.uk/si/si2009/em/uksiem_20091488_en.pdf has a good table at the back with all the eligibility dates.

I have created 1 page table with the pension credit qualifying dates for anyone effected by these changes if anybody would like a copy?

Yes that would be great, thanks guys, isn't it bizzare though, yet another layer of complexity for the public to get their head around.

Great replies so far thank you.

Sean what do you make of all this? Has this topic already been covered by in the rightsnet News Section?

Be great of we can clarify all of the benefits that are affected by this change and exactly what the effects will be for people.

here you go ....

Impact of increase in women\'s state pension age from April 2010: DWP issues reminder to local authority housing benefit staff (2 March 2010)

Reform of the state pension scheme from April 2010: New DWP guidance (23 September 2009)

Equalisation of state pension age from April 2010: New HB guidance (21 July 2009)

Equalisation of state pension age from April 2010: New statutory instrument (17 June 2009)

The increase in womens' State pensionable age was in the Pensions Act 1995 so is hardly new. The problem has been that the age at which women reach state pension age has become the default provision for many benefits and other rights for older people, from winter fuel payments, housing and council tax benefit rates and of course pension credit to free prescriptions and eye tests..

Originally winter fuel payments were only paid to people over retirement age, but as a result of a sex discrimination challenge the law was amended to allow men to get these payments at the same age as women.

It will be interesting see whether organisations that offer concessionary rates to "senior" will increase their charges in line! There would be a logic in this as the lower charges are clearly intended not to show resepct to the old (60 isn't old these days) but to acknowledge the fact that most people's income fall often dramatically when the stop work.

Shawn do we know if prescripton charges will be subject to a similar change to the rules?

This is not Shawn

The government stated in the pre budget report that they would increase the age limit ifor free prescriptions in line with the increase in the state pension age for women.

Shaun

The age qualification for a relative's property disregard in residential care assessments is to remain at 60 and not increase in line with the state pension age for women. I'm assuming that paragraph 4 (a) of schedule 10 (capital to be disregarded) of the Income Support General Regulations will also be unamended and the age of 60 will again be retained.

Shaun

Para 4(a) of sched 10 IS(Gen) Regs changes from 60+ to QAFSPC..

Reg 4 The Social Security (Equalisation of State Pension Age) Regulations 2009 (2009/1448)

( http://www.opsi.gov.uk/si/si2009/pdf/uksi_20091488_en.pdf )

"Amendment of the Income Support (General) Regulations 1987..

4.—(1) Schedule 10 (capital to be disregarded) is amended in accordance with this regulation.
(2) In sub-paragraph (a) of paragraph 4, for “is aged 60 or over” substitute “has attained the qualifying age for state pension credit”

many thanksI

I shouldn't have expected that common sense would prevail and that the decision for Income Support and residential care financial assessments would be the same with regard to the age qualification for the relatives property disregard.

I will pursue it as a matter of interes of why the two would be different.

Here is the Dof H view on why it should not be altered.

"The age qualification for the relatives property disregard is staying at 60.

Generally, regulations have being amended to take account of the rise in women’s pension age from 60 to 65, which is taking place in stages between April 2010 and April 2020. However, raising the relatives property disregard from 60 to 65, for residential charging purposes, would result in properties, that are disregarded being taken into account in future and, possibly, having to be sold to pay for residential care, forcing the relative to move. Therefore, Ministers decided to leave the age qualification for the relatives property disregard at 60."

Shaun

"However, raising the relatives property disregard from 60 to 65, for residential charging purposes, would result in properties, that are disregarded being taken into account in future"

Only if the relatives don't age surely?

that would be great could you send me a copy.

dominic.twomey@dabd.org.uk

Thanks
Dominic

Gareth, I agree. I think they may have confused themselves with what the changes actually mean.

There has been confirmation that concessionary travel entitlement will increase along with women's state retirement age.

In documents released in Feb the Government's stance on prescription charges and eye tests is:

"The entitlement age for other concessionary benefits, for example exemption from prescription charges and eye test charges, may also be subject to change and people need to be advised to check with their relevant service provider for details"

http://www.dwp.gov.uk/docs/third-party-briefing-pack.pdf

Department of Health seem to be suggesting there is some form of consultation going on regarding the changes... I cannot believe they have not made a decision yet, there is less than a month until the changes come in! They not only need to inform advisers but pharmacies and doctors etc. However the longer they leave it the more likely they will keep it at 60.

I also predict we are going to see some massive delays in pension credit applications being processed as everyone who becomes newly entitled becomes entitled on the same day i.e. the 6th of the month. There is going to be a surge of applications every 2 months then almost certainly a lull period, I wonder if they have thought this bit through?

Wed 10-Mar-10 11:17 AM by shawn

(Edited to shorten link)

A bit off-topic, I know – in relation to free prescription groups (in England) and age limits, does anyone know why the age limit for free prescriptions for young people in full-time ed is 19, even tho the the age limit for young people in full-time ed to qualify for IS and CB and CTC was raised a few years ago to 20? Maybe just another example of DoH not doing joined-up thinking with DWP?

Back to the topic of whether free prescriptions start at 60 or with rising female State Pension Age, there was this on Moneybox on 6 Feb

Now Money Box has learned that plans to raise the age at which people can claim free prescriptions in England have been put on hold. Ruth?
RUTH ALEXANDER: Yeah, we reported in December that the Chancellor had announced that the qualifying age for free NHS prescriptions in England would rise from April. At the moment men and women over 60 get free bus passes and free prescriptions, but the Treasury had said the qualifying age for these benefits would increase in line with the female state pension age. And that age is slowly rising from 6th April, so that for example a woman born on 20th July 1950 won’t reach state pension age on her 60th birthday but will have to wait a few months until 6th November 2010.
PAUL LEWIS: And as a result people will get these benefits later than they used to.
ALEXANDER: Yes. But when exactly they’ll get free prescriptions is not clear. There’s been a “misunderstanding” between the Treasury and the Department of Health about this. The Department of Health says that there will not be a change in April, but it does accept that the age for free prescriptions will increase, although it won’t say by how much or when this will happen. And it will decide, it says; not the Treasury.
LEWIS: Okay, thanks Ruth. And I should say that prescriptions are free for everyone in Wales, will be free for everyone in Northern Ireland from April, and are £3 an item in Scotland and no age change there.

Robbie

Just had a reply from a DoH enquiry regarding prescription charges:

"The state pension age for women (currently 60) will rise gradually from April 2010 until it is equalised with the state pension age for men (65) in April 2020. The Government recently announced that the qualifying age for eligibility to pensioner benefits (for men and women), such as concessionary travel and free prescriptions, will increase in line with the female state pension age.

The Government is considering how best to implement changes to the age at which people qualify for free prescriptions and will not be introducing any changes to the age exemption criteria this April. Anybody who has qualified for free prescriptions under the existing age qualification arrangements will not lose their entitlement."

So it will be going up, just not this year.

AGodfrey,

Would it be possible for you to fax me a copy of that response you got from DoH?

I was at a meeting this morning, and was explaining the delay in the prescription age change, and no one believed me! They were all adamant that they had been briefed that every reference to 60 is changing.

(fax is 0115 9934802 - many thanks!)

Alternatively can anyone else find this in writing?

The qualifying income level for help with health costs eg prescriptions remains unchanged in 2010/11 at £15,276 - I just heard via an email list, and thought it'd be worth posting this here. - Robbie