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Colin and Paula Barnett have given up hope of quitting their jobs any time soon, despite both having suffered health problems in recent years.
The Hulls, 66 and 59, breached changes to benefits rules that deny some pensioners additional financial support through pension credits.
So-called “mixed-age” couples, like the Burnetts, where one person is of state pension age and the other is not, have been banned from claiming pension credits since 2019. .
After her last birthday, Ms Barnett started receiving her state pension of just over £700 a month. But he and his wife don’t think it’s enough to retire.
So despite having problems with asthma and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), the 66-year-old still wakes up at 3am to work as a cleaner at his local pub.
And despite high blood pressure and osteoarthritis in her hands and feet, Barnett continues to work as a self-employed home helper and cleaner.
“We have to keep working to survive,” she said I. “Colin’s pension is not enough for either of us to quit. It’s an impossible situation. We don’t want to push ourselves into an early grave.”
Furthermore, she added: “Her husband still wakes up at 3 a.m. to work. It takes a toll. He’s the only one who can stop and take care of his health – which means a lot to us. is.”
The 59-year-old is angry that Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) rules prevent him from applying for a pension, which is meant to help older people struggling to make ends meet.
Single pensioners can claim up to £218. If you and your spouse are both of pension age, you can claim up to £332. However, there is nothing available for mixed age couples.
“This is mean and cruel because there are many couples out there who have such an age difference,” Barnett said. “Pension credit will be our salvation.”
She added: “The government is telling us to ‘claim your pension credit’. But they know there are caveats around age. If they change this rule, what? It could potentially benefit as many as a thousand lives.”
Barnett said she has struggled with rising food and utility costs in recent years. “We reduced our gas and electricity usage and put on extra layers. We buy cheap things at the supermarket and don’t buy snacks. In the evening we enjoy tea with soup and toast. Masu.”
The 59-year-old checked with his GP and the charity Turn2us, who said the couple’s health problems were “not bad” enough to qualify for sick pay.
And if she quits her job, she will no longer receive universal credit.
“I am not eligible for universal health insurance because I am told that my husband’s pension exceeds the maximum monthly income necessary for a couple to live on,” Barnett said.
“It’s scary to think what the government thinks you need to survive. The cost of living has been tough in recent years, but we’re no different from many people.”
Age UK has warned that pension credit rules are causing “real difficulties” for some older couples.
An estimated 60,000 mixed-age couples are no longer able to access this benefit following DWP’s 2019 rule changes.
I The analysis found that mixed-age couples like Mr and Mrs Barnett are currently missing out on up to £9,900 a year, compared to how much some couples can claim for Universal Credit.
The government has argued that limiting pension credits in this way provides better “work incentives” for pensioners’ younger partners.
A DWP spokesperson said: “This policy means that if one member of a couple is of working age, the law applies to them in the same way as other people of working age, regardless of whether their partner is older. , they will be given the same benefits.” Give them an incentive to work and save for retirement. ”
Barnett said: “I remember when my uncles were retiring and quitting their jobs and playing golf. That doesn’t exist anymore. People can’t afford it.”