Martin Lewis advice helped woman boost pension by £82,000
Martin Lewis urges viewers to look into mortgage overpayments
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Not realising just how important watching TV would be that day, Martin Lewis’ Money Show watcher Jill had a surprise pension payout after taking Mr Lewis’ advice during one of his 12 coronavirus specials. Speaking on the show on Tuesday night, Jill told viewers how she was able to reclaim £82,000 of her late husband’s state pension.
The origins of the payout began when Jill, now 79, and her husband Robin, got married nearly 20 years ago. Two years later, Robin was unfortunately diagnosed with cancer.
A recap showed Jill speaking on the show two years ago, saying: “At the time Robin died [in 2008], I got a very basic state pension, which on memory I think was around £90 a week.”
However, according to Jill, Robin was receiving a more generous state pension because he had his own company.
She said: “He was paying as much National Insurance as he could. I thought that pension died with him.”
And that’s how it stayed for 12 years until tuning into Mr Lewis’ Money Show in 2020.
Little did Jill know, Mr Lewis was going to relay advice that would soon land her an eye-watering £82,000 income boost.
Mr Lewis presented a segment on married women potentially missing out on thousands of pounds of their state pension.
Thinking it was strange, Jill said: “I didn’t know certain people could be entitled to a pension. All I knew was that I had had my state pension all the way through – certainly nothing else as far as Robin’s pension was concerned.
“So, having watched the show, I decided I would go onto the Government website. I didn’t find it particularly easy to work out if I was actually entitled to it.
“So, I did a very simple letter to the pensions office and much to my surprise, I had a telephone call from a young lady who said, in fact, I had been underpaid.
“She said it is rather a lot of money. Are you sitting down?”
Jill was then greeted with the news she was owed just over £82,000.
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Recounting the situation, she said: “I was stunned, I didn’t know what to say. My first reaction was wow, look at all this money. But then I started to think about it, and this was money I was entitled to 12 years ago.”
Discussing the process to check, Mr Lewis told viewers on Tuesday night: “This is complicated and it’s a call to arms rather than detailed information.”
But, he continued: “There are hundreds and thousands of, generally women, who are due £6,000 state pension back.”
He detailed how married women and widows who hit state pension age before April 6, 2016 (approximately people aged 70 and over), whose basic state pension was less than 60 percent of their husband’s basic state pension, could have been underpaid.
He said: “This one’s only for married couples.”
However, he continued: “You will get an automatic top-up now, different to when I first did the story [in 2020] and it should be backdated through a number of different ways.”
He provided examples of ways automatic top-ups should happen. This includes:
- If the person’s husband was 65 on or after March 17, 2008 (and they were getting less than 60 percent of his basic state pension)
- If a person is a widow whose husband died after April 2008 (same 60 percent rule applying).
But he said people still need to claim in a number of circumstances, before touting it as the “important” bit.
Some of the circumstances Mr Lewis listed on Tuesday night’s show that could make someone eligible for a top-up, if they don’t receive the full state pension, include:
- If a person’s husband turned 65 before March 2008 (and the person’s getting under 60 percent)
- If a person divorced after state pension age and the pension is less than ex-husband’s
- If a person stayed at home and looked after children or were a carer and got the child benefit/carer’s support for it since April 1978.
If this applies, Mr Lewis advised to call up the Pension Service to check.
Inspired by Jill’s story, another viewer, Joan, wrote in: “After watching your show on married woman’s state pension, I contacted the tax department and, although it did take about seven months, I received a cheque for £18,000.
“I was amazed as I never expected this amount.”
However, Mr Lewis noted: “Plan that you won’t get it. There are lots of people who won’t get it so don’t sit here and think this is my great saviour if it happens. But it’s absolutely worth checking out if you are due the money.”
Since receiving the good news, Jill told viewers on Tuesday night’s show: “I wouldn’t say I’ve gone out and painted the town red. I think the big thing was the financial security that it gave me.
“The older you get, you get a little bit more conservative because you have no new money coming in. You’re not earning any money, so the only money you’re going to get is from a pension.”
However, Jill recounted one particular investment she received “great pleasure” in doing.
She said: “I have a friend who has suffered from not very good health for quite a few years and when I got this money through, I thought it’d be really nice to give her a lump sum to make some difference to her life.
“That gave me great pleasure to do that.”
Next, Jill is planning a family holiday to celebrate her 80th birthday next year.
She said: “I’m planning to take my son and daughter and their families away on holiday. It’s going to be my 80th birthday. It’s a really nice thought, knowing that we can go away next year and have a really good holiday. I feel I can treat all of my family, they won’t have to put their hands in their pockets.
“I’m sure my late husband will be really pleased to see how I’m using this money. I guess the sadness is, he won’t be with us. But he will be there in spirit and we will certainly raise a glass to him.”
Speaking on the benefit of speaking more openly about finances, Jill said: “Some people are sensitive about talking about money and their income, but I think it’s worth being brave and saying to your friends and family, are you sure you’re getting the right pension? Because it can make the absolute world of difference.”
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