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LITRG
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Low Incomes Tax Reform Group

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Jon Blackwell - 23 January 2019 02:46 PM
Paul_Treloar_AgeUK - 23 January 2019 02:23 PM
Jon Blackwell - 23 January 2019 12:54 PM

That’s how I interpreted Paul’s comment (no new claims for WTC for anyone). Since most new claims working-age will be going to UC anyway, I mentioned pension-age in-work as that’s the largest group affected by this change ( but there will be others.) 

That is alll assuming that I’ve interpreted Paul’s comment correctly and that the information is correct.

I’ll be honest Jon and say I haven’t got a scooby. As above, we asked DWP yesterday when it would be that no new Working Tax Credits claims could be made and they said 1 February 2019.

Whether that is intended to affect everybody, or whether they meant only mixed-age couples, I really can’t tell you. I’ll try to follow up to see if we can get any clarity.

This world of Commencement Orders is an absolute pain to understand, I’ve never seen anything so dense and so incomprehensible.

Cheers, Paul.

I now see that revenuebenefits have been told the more or less same ( no new claims for any tax credit for https://revenuebenefits.org.uk/universal-credit/guidance/who-can-claim-universal-credit/pensioners/

-  “It is expected that it will no longer be possible to make a brand new claim for tax credits from 1 February 2019.” )

The article also gives 1 Feb 2019 for the mixed-age boundary change - it was written before we got the regs confirming 15 May for that.


@Daphne - I don’t think I’ve seen a news story about this ( obviously the start of pension credit child element has already been covered ) also, is it worth starting a new thread for this?

Just thinking through the impacts if pension-age claimants can’t get tax credits…

WTC counts £ for £ against guarantee credit (and there’s no capital limit for either) so some pension-age workers will be no worse off claiming pension credit. Some on CTC might be actually be better off on pension credit rather than on tax credits as the pension credit child element has a no 2-child limit and (sometimes) higher support than for CTC blind child.  However, I’d expect that many will end up worse off (partly due to the taper and threshold) and that’s before you factor in the loss of any WTC disabled worker and child care elements which will have no equivalent under the new regime.

Unfortunately, it’s getting a bit late for a take-up campaign. Just over a week to go and still no regs for this.

 

 

 

We are just in the process of updating the Rev Ben pages (yet again!) including the one on pensioners.

Victoria

Jon Blackwell
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Daphne - 23 January 2019 03:16 PM

@Daphne - I don’t think I’ve seen a news story about this ( obviously the start of pension credit child element has already been covered ) also, is it worth starting a new thread for this?

No there isn’t any news story about the WTC claims stopping because there hasn’t been any news! Only what people (including revben) have been told. Obviously as soon as there’s a commencement order we will get it up as soon as possible.

I’ve started a new thread as you suggest - https://www.rightsnet.org.uk/forums/viewthread/13994/ - so let’s use that for the WTC stuff…

Thanks Daphne.

Jon Blackwell
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victoriatodd - 23 January 2019 03:50 PM

...
We are just in the process of updating the Rev Ben pages (yet again!) including the one on pensioners.

Victoria

That’s interesting - thanks, Victoria.

 

Paul_Treloar_AgeUK
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HB Anorak - 18 January 2019 09:22 AM

I’m winning!

You won!!!

HB Anorak
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Excellent.  Timely as well: I have to start a major overhaul of my UC training notes today and for a change the examples will no longer feature the unimaginative characters “Peter and Debbie” - I’ll be introducing Penny and Rod!
#RodStewartTax

Gareth Morgan
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Paul_Treloar_AgeUK - 24 January 2019 08:14 PM
HB Anorak - 18 January 2019 09:22 AM

I’m winning!

You won!!!

FIX!!!

Paul_Treloar_AgeUK
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i News have picked up on this with a rather sad case study.

A couple who fear they will be impacted by the Government’s benefit reform for pensioners with younger partners have said they will consider divorcing if it causes them financial hardship.

Richard and Julie Lee have a 10-year age gap between them and by the time Richard reaches state pension age, so-called mixed-age couples like them will be prevented from claiming Pension Credit. But the changes being rolled out by the Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) means they will instead be forced to claim Universal Credit, leaving them hundreds of pounds worse off each month.

‘We’ve been married for 27 years, but now we have to consider divorce because of Pension Credit reforms’

Stuart
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Written answer issued yesterday provides estimated savings from the mixed age couple policy change (rising from £45 million in 2019/2020 to 220 million in 2021/2022) - also shows estimated number of mixed-age couples currently entitled to pensions credit and/or housing benefit.

Paul_Treloar_AgeUK
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EDM been laid before the House.

That this House takes note of the Welfare Reform Act 2012 (Commencement No 31 and Savings and Transitional Provisions and Commencement No 21 and 23 and Transitional and Transitory Provisions (Amendment) Order 2019 (S.I., 2019 No 37 (C.1)), dated 14 January 2019; considers that such changes which could see mixed age couples being £7,000 worse off a year should not be introduced without a debate and vote on the Floor of the House; notes that the parent Act for this Order received Royal Assent 7 years ago in 2012 under a different Government and it is therefore all the more important MPs are given the opportunity to scrutinise these changes, and calls on the Government to give the House an opportunity to debate the instrument.

PENSION CREDIT - DEBATE AND VOTE EDM #2033

Steve B
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Paul_Treloar_AgeUK - 17 January 2019 03:48 PM

Don’t forget though, the Commencement Order allows for situations whereby someone claiming HB as mixed-age couple on 15 May can later on establish an entitlement to PC afresh (or indeed revive a PC claim that stops for any reason post-15 May) and vice versa (Article 4).

Provided the couple in question retain entitlement to either HB or PC, they can claim they other after implementation day.

Hi Paul, I have clients getting pension age HB who I hope can make a claim for PC.  Can you quote the legislation which allowas them to claim PC?  Many thanks.

 

clive
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Would this be it…

This from A9/2019 Mixed age couples: further [DWP] guidance (revised)
“Existing HB claimants: over pension age on 15 May 2019
6. Mixed age couples who are receiving HB assessed under SI 2006/214 on 14 May 2019 remain entitled to HB unless there is a relevant change in circumstances which ends their HB claim. If they are also receiving Pension Credit which remains in payment then they can make a new claim for HB at a later date. The relevant provision is Article 4 of SI 2019/37.
7. If both their Pension Credit claim and their HB claim ends, for example, because they are temporarily absent from home outside Great Britain for more than 4 weeks, then they will have to claim UC.”
——-
The legislation article 4 URL:  https://www.legislation.gov.uk/uksi/2019/37/article/4/made

“Savings
4.—(1) Subject to paragraph (2), the 2002 Act shall have effect as though section 4(1A) (exclusion of mixed-age couples from state pension credit)(1) had not come into force in relation to a member of a mixed-age couple who, on the day before the appointed day and as part of that couple, is entitled to—
(a) state pension credit;
(b) housing benefit; or
(c) state pension credit and housing benefit.
(2) The savings in the sub-paragraphs of paragraph (1) shall cease to have effect in relation to the member of the mixed-age couple referred to on any day after the appointed day when that person is not entitled to either state pension credit or housing benefit as part of the same mixed-age couple.”

Steve B
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Thanks Clive - that does seem to be it.