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Provided by Mae Stewart, Editor UNISON Retired members Newsletter, Dundee, Perth and Angus.
Please note that this is not definitive information about benefits but will provide a signpost as to where to get up to date information. Please check the sources first. UNISON Scotland can take no responsibility for information that may be outdated or inaccurate.

Issue 27 June 2009

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Free Will Service

Drawing up a will sounds intimidating, and expensive, but it doesn’t have to be.

A free online service is now available for UNISON members. Having a will means you can protect the interests of you and your family, friends, and the people who depend on you.

Your will can explain who you want to leave your possessions to, who you want to look after your children, and who you’d wish to carry out your wishes.

The service is free to each member and their partner [provided the partners will mirrors the members], and is available by contacting UNISON direct on: 0845 355 0845, or by visiting Thompsons solicitors’ Website at: www.thompsons.law.co.uk/unison-wills.htm

UNISON’s services to members’ committee chair Norma Stephenson says; ‘No one wants to think about needing a will but it is really important that you do. This service makes it easy and means you don’t have to worry about what would happen to your loved ones.’

The service is free to each member and their partner whether married or not and for partners of the same sex.

[Excerpt taken from UNISON magazine apologies for any misquote]

Mae Stewart

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Age Concern and Help The Aged form new charity

The four National Age Concerns in the UK have joined together with Help the Aged to form a new National Charity dedicated to improving the lives of older people.

I may have mentioned this information before but have listed below the correct information for contact purposes in Scotland:

Address: Causewayside House 160 Causewayside Edinburgh EH9 1PR.

Telephone: 0845 833 0200

Email: enquiries@ageconcernandhelptheagedscotland.org.uk

www.ageconcernandhelptheagedscotland.org.uk/

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Guarantee Credit – Aged 60 or Over

If you are aged 60 or more you may qualify for the guarantee credit part of Pension Credit. Guarantee credit is extra money each week to bring your income up to the minimum amount the Government considers you need to live on.

If you are aged 60 or more you may qualify for the guarantee credit part of Pension Credit. Guarantee credit is extra money each week to bring your income up to the minimum amount the Government considers you need to live on.

You can normally get guarantee credit if your weekly income is less than:

£124.05 if you are single or £189.35 between you if you are married or live as a couple. That includes two men or two women who live together as couple.

Guarantee credit should bring your income up to these amounts.

For example, a single person with a weekly income of £100 will get a guarantee credit of £24.05 a week to make £124.05 altogether. And a couple living on £150 a week will get an extra £39.35 to make £189.35.

If you are severely disabled, a carer or a home owner with a mortgage, you may get more guarantee credit. If your savings are more than £6,000 you will get less. There is no upper limit to the amount of savings you can have. But if your savings are very high – in the tens of thousands of pounds – that will mean you get much less Pension Credit, maybe none at all. However, it is always worth applying.

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Savings Credit – Aged 65 or Over

If you are 65 or over you may get the savings credit part of Pension Credit. Savings credit is extra money each week for people who have an income that is higher than the basic State Retirement Pension or have modest savings.

You may get it by itself if your income is too high to get guarantee credit. Or you may get some savings credit paid on top of guarantee credit. If you are married or a civil partner – or live with someone as if you are – then only one of you has to be aged 65 or more.


You can normally get some savings credit if your weekly income is less than:

£173.33 if you are single; or

£254.68 between you if you are married or live as a couple.

If you are severely disabled add £50.35 to these amounts. If you are a carer add £27.75. Savings credit is not a fixed amount – it will boost your income if you have less than these amounts. The maximum amount of savings credit you can get is £19.71 if you are single or

£26.13 between you if you are a couple.

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How to Claim Pension Credit

The easiest way to claim Pension Credit is over the phone. You do not have to fill in a form yourself or visit an office. You just ring a free number 0800 99 1234 (or 0808 100 6165 in Northern Ireland) and the form will be filled in for you and posted to you. All you need to do is check it, sign it and post it back. When you call, it will speed things up if you have your National Insurance number and details of your income and savings to hand.

If you need someone to visit you, to help with claiming, then you can request this by calling 0845 60 60 265 (or 0845 601 8821 if you live in Northern Ireland) or by contacting your local benefits office.

If you prefer, you can go to The Pension Service website and fill in the form there and print it out and post it.

When you send back the form make sure you send any other documents that you have been asked for. If you can, it is best to keep a photocopy of everything you send and write down the date you sent them.

If you are asked to send documents it is best to keep a photocopy of everything you send and write down the date you sent them. If you apply before 6 October 2008 Pension Credit is backdated for up to 12 months. But it will be reduced to three months for applications made on or after this date.

[Taken from Help the aged website – apologies for any misquotes]

Mae Stewart

 

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