State pension not making ends meets

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picene

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This is a query for my parents.
Male: Age 59
Female Age 58

Income. State pension from Eircom appro 530 every two weeks

Mortage 430 every month approx 5 years left

Gas 50 per month
ESB 50 per month
Phone 50 per mone
Medical about 80 per month (HSE took Medical Card back said pension income was above threshold)

They have 1 car a 1997 no loan on it
Saving of approx 1K in Credit Union and have a loan of about 2K
Don't drink/smoke//go out
but never have money let

any ideas?
is there any other payments they can claim>

[Edit: moved by DrM to Money Makeover, where it's more likely to be read and attract replies.]
 
Contact Mabs

Appeal the decision to withdraw the The guidelines say the limit is 266 per week and you can deduct mortgage payments. Your parents pension is 265 pw
 
TBH 58 and 59 seems v young to not work at all and to expect to be able to live on a pension - maybe there are special circumstances but if not I would think one or other would have to try to get at least some part time work - a few hundred a month extra would make a big difference.
 
thanks for info on medical cards

yes they would both like to work. Have been applying for loads of jobs but there are not many out there. Even filled in a dunnes stores app for seasonal workers but no reply. Rang them back but just said they were processing application. I think they see the age and just ignore
 
I am very sorry to hear of your parents difficulty, and please dont take this as a being smart or off hand but are you sure about the savings? its hard to believe 2 people in their late fifties have effectively no savings. they have a very old car, dont drink or smoke and still have 5 years of a mortgage to go. so your dad will be 65 when he owns his house?
 
Rigoletto said:
I am very sorry to hear of your parents difficulty, and please dont take this as a being smart or off hand but are you sure about the savings? its hard to believe 2 people in their late fifties have effectively no savings. they have a very old car, dont drink or smoke and still have 5 years of a mortgage to go. so your dad will be 65 when he owns his house?
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I dont find it hard to believe at all, my parents are in a worse position, unusual as it may seem to some but the Celtic Tiger did pass some people by
 
Are either of your parents entitled to unemployment assistance or jobseekers allowance? Since they are before state retirement age, available for and seeking work, one would think so. I don't know what the means test would see their Eircom pension as, but it is worth looking at it, if for no other reason than to get the household benefits package.
 
yeah they have no savings not unusual for people of that generation
I will follow up on the unemployment assistance and jobseekers allowance
 
Was your father an employee of Eircom in 1999 when it was privatised. If so there have been substantial payouts in recent years under the employee share option scheme.
 
Considering your parents have a house, possibily where they raised you (and siblings), would there be a spare room they could let out for a year to bring in some cash? I know it would be a change for them, but if it helped ease the mortgage for the last few years, then maybe it would be worth it.

EDIT: Didnt see D8Ladys post when i put this up.
 
Your mother could do babysitting. Mature ladies are always preferable to mothers. Or a spot of childminding after school, a couple of hours a day at her age would be fairly easy. Put up a notice in the local school etc.
 
Bronte said:
Your mother could do babysitting. Mature ladies are always preferable to mothers. Or a spot of childminding after school, a couple of hours a day at her age would be fairly easy. Put up a notice in the local school etc.
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its a great idea. if she is alone at home minding a 3 or 4 year old is not so much a struggle, and as an old pro will be handy money.
 
[FONT=Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif]This is from [broken link removed]
"As a childminder you are self employed and are responsible for your own tax. Childminders who mind 3 or less children, and whose income from Childminding is €15,000 per year or less, are exempt from tax, but must make a declaration to Revenue."


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I suggest they both apply for jobseekers if they are both available for work.
With those mortgage repayments out of that income it appears to me they be eligible for a part supplementary welfare allowance but they must do the JA application first.
 
Quote: "Income. State pension from Eircom appro 530 every two weeks"


Not to be picky, but this is not a state pension, rather a company pension. Even if one or both of your parents worked for eircom in the old public sector days, and therefore qualify for a public sector pension, this is quite different from the state "Old age pension". At 58 & 59 years old respectively, neither of your parents would qualify for a state pension. However when they reach the appropriate age, they will be entitled to apply for the state pension. If they have the relevant contributions they will qualify for the contributory pension, otherwise its the means tested, "non-con" route they would need to take.
In advance of that - as someone else posted - your parents should contact local social welfare office to check their entitlements under unemployment rather than retirement provisions.
 
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