NO more free TV licence from today

Now I am not. I was referring to Pension Credit as it was a few years back - and could definitely be claimed by someone over sixty.

Nearly all the alleged B&W TVs are in Northern Ireland. Odd that.

Just use something like an old Humax HD FOX T2 connected to an amp and speakers and don't bother with a monitor. It has a channel display on the front so can be used without a monitor.

But not a bloke !!.

Yes, definitely. I helped a male relative claim it in 2008 - he was 62 at the time. He was awarded the Pension Credit guaranteed credit. It was a top-up benefit - he had some other income.

I think you could get Pension Credit now - as a couple - if your partner/wife is over pension age.

Probably still counts as colour in the same way that VCRs do, even if feeding a b/w set.

Very ambiguous. The only example for the guarantee credit is for a female who would have been getting her state pension anyway. It was never possible for a bloke to get his actual state pension before 65, so your relative must have been claiming some other benefits.

The only examples of a male are already over 65 and in the section about savings credit which was only intended for the over 65's.

Hopefully Universal Credit and the flat state pension will do away with documents like that.

I just tried the online calculator at gov.uk and input this DOB

Pension Credit calculator You are not eligible for Pension Credit

It's too early for you to apply for Pension Credit because you haven't reached Pension Credit age.

You may become eligible on: 01 January 2024

However, your partner may be eligible to claim Pension Credit if they haven't already. They can use this calculator to see if they are eligible. Print your calculation ======================================================

Looks like they have noticed the ambiguity in its wording and made some changes. I wouldn't mind betting that it was only ever intended for females age 60 or over.

Hmmm, I chose print calculation and see there is a Print to PDF option now. Something else I didn't know existed in Win 10 (or W7)

We weren't talking about the state pension, but about Pension Credit - which my 'male' relative definitely got well before being 65.

It says quite clearly (in 2006) that the 'guarantee credit' part of Pension Credit was payable to 'people' aged 60 and over.

Thanks. Is it something you do / start / check / online?

Cheers, T i m

Out of the range of the detector vans? ;-)

Cheers, T i m

I've tried already. If you have not reached state pension age, computer says NO. See my post at 21:03, but try with your actual details.

I've had no dealings with any of this for many years, but it used to be the case that if a person was under pension age but their partner was over they would get Pension Credit at the rate for couples. Check with CAB.

Ah. I didn't know that.

Yes, just did (thanks, both ways round), Bzzzzzzz. ;-(

Cheers, T i m

I looked it up, and it seems that the rules changed (again) last year. Now both partners have to be over pensionable age in order to claim. If your current status was the same prior to the 15th May last year, then you could try making a retrospective claim - although you're probably out of time for that.

Again, it 'used' to be the case that once you were awarded Pension Credit you got it for five years even if your circumstances changed, so had you have claimed it last year you would still get it now.