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gov.uk Pension Credit calculator - a problem?
The Pension Credit calculator on gov.uk appears to be calculating entitlement incorrectly - ?
An example sent by a colleague is:
Couple 1 aged 65 (Mr) and one aged 60 (Mrs)
Mr has SRP 161 plus Occ Pen 74 and IIDB 34.96, ER PIP both DL and mob. Has UL CA for caring for Mrs.
Mrs has CA plus HR Care DLA. No savings or any other income.
This should give them 2 carer additions and one SDP = £50.54 PC
gov.uk tells them that they have no entitlement.
We have raised this with DWP but have had no response. Has anyone else spotted a problem?
Strange, I’ve just run a calculation and it’s come up with a figure £80 less than I calculate manually in similar circumstances i.e. mixed-age couple, both claiming PIP, older partner with SP and underlying CA, and younger partner iro CA.
Can’t work out how the difference is arrived at.
Also to add, when I run the same calculation through the Age UK benefits calculator, which is provided by Entitled To, the calculations match up i.e. my manual calculation and the online calculator.
Mixed age couples anyone?
“... Has UL CA for caring for Mrs.
Mrs has CA plus HR Care DLA…”
Is Carer’s allowance being paid for both of them?
Mrs gets paid CA, Mr has underlying entitlement - sorry I left a bit of jargon in there from the message I received.
sorry I left a bit of jargon in there from the message I received.
Just checking. Our stuff gives the same area of answer as you, depending on whether pensions are gross or net.
I’ve run it again on gov.uk with the same result.
They allow anonymous comments so I have added:
The calculation is incorrect. The correct entitlement is £50.54 a week Pension Credit Guarantee Credit based upon the information given. The calculator is perhaps counting PIP mobility as income, or not awarded a single severe disability premium, or not awarded two carer premiums, or a combination of these.
This is extremely worrying and requires remedial action.
I’ve flagged it with DWP pensions policy.
Guy Opperman said in debate yesterday that it was fixed as of 18 April -
I am happy to put on the record that there was an acceptance that that was a fault, and that, as of 18 April, it has been fixed. The reality of the situation is that the calculator provided the wrong outcome in one particular instance—for couples where one member is in receipt of carer’s allowance and the other retains an underlying entitlement to carer’s allowance. I will leave her to look at the specifics of the letter when she receives it later today. I am grateful to her and the Derbyshire team for bringing the issue to our attention. It has been rectified, and I hope the position on that matter has been addressed.
Thanks to the Derbyshire team!
May I also add somewhat belated thanks to the team at Chesterfield Borough Council who alerted our team to the problem in the first place. My vague reference to a ‘colleague’ didn’t give them sufficient credit.