Service charges/major works bill

We have a client who just has too much income to receive pension credit guarantee and savings, however they have eligible service charges and a major works bill, both of which attract help from pension credits.

The question is:

Is the client eligible for pension credits on the basis that all of the above combined entitle her to pension credits or does the fact that she does not qualify for pension credits initially mean that her service charges/major works bill charges are irrelevant to the calculation?

Not sure about major works bill, but certainly eligible services should be added to the applicable PGC figure at the start of the calculation not after PC entitlement is established.

We have seen a number of people who have been told that they can not make a claim for pension credit because they do not qualify for pension credit without housing cost/major repairs bills being included in their applicable amount. 

We also have seen a number of claims that have been turned down when major repairs bills/housing costs have not been considered in the applicable amount for a person who without a major repairs bill included in their applicable amount would not normally qualify for pension credit on income grounds.  Then when phoning the pension service we are told that the housing costs section are looking into the claim still and the original decision letter is without housing costs included. 

It would appear that the pension service are very slow to pick up on major repairs bills to be included in applicable amounts for people who would not normally qualify for pension credit until you force the point home with them!

The message is to include the major repair works in the applicable amount and then if the claim is turned down make sure you make the point to the pension service that the major repairs bill should be included.