An 100-year-old woman has just recently started claiming her pension after not knowing for twenty years that she was eligible - and has missed out on £75,000.
Margaret Bradshaw, who was born in Britain moved away and lived and worked outside of the UK for nearly all her adult life so initially wasn’t entitled to a state pension when she returned in 1990.
But after the great-grandmother turned 80 in 2001, she was eligible but had no idea until recently when her daughter read a news article about it, writes The Mirror.
Margaret's daughter Helen Cunningham, 78, decided to look into it after reading the the article which was people not claiming pension, and investigated on behalf of her mother.
She discovered widow Margaret, who has dementia and lives in a care home, had been entitled to £82.45 a week since her 80th birthday.
After seeking help from Sir Steve Webb, the former pensions minister, Margaret finally started to receive payments two weeks ago.
The former nanny and hotel worker has also received backdated payments to the tune of £4,000, but won’t get back the £75,000 she missed.
After seeking help from Sir Steve Webb, the former pensions minister, Margaret finally started to receive payments two weeks ago.
The former nanny and hotel worker has also received backdated payments to the tune of £4,000, but won’t get back the £75,000 she missed.
“I had never even heard of an over 80 pension until a few weeks ago - we were never made aware of it when mother turned 80.
“I had been getting quite nervous about mother’s financial situation for some time as care homes are very expensive, so I felt some relief learning she was entitled to more - even if she missed out for 20 years.
“But there might be hundreds of other people out there who don’t realise what they’re entitled to.”
Grandmother-of-nine Margaret, was born in Croydon in 1921, and worked several jobs including in hotels and as a nanny, and spent nearly 30 years living in Canada.
Married three times, her most recent husband died in the 1970s and she returned to the UK in 1990.
She wasn’t entitled to a state pension from the age of 60 as she had worked abroad and hadn’t made any national insurance contributions in the UK.
But she had no idea she was entitled after her 80th birthday - and never claimed.
Helen said: “I expected if something like that was available, we would have been notified, but it was never suggested.”
Margaret, who is now living in a home in Addlestone, Surrey, had been living off a small pension from her work in Canada.
Sir Steve Webb, the former pensions minister, advised Helen the over 80s pension does not require national insurance contributions.
To be eligible, people must get either a basic state pension of less than £82.45 a week, or none at all.
As of June 30, Margaret started finally receiving £82.45 per week.
Helen said: “I’m glad mother has it now, but it shouldn’t have taken her getting to 100 to find out about it.
“£75,000 is a lot to have missed out on and I’m sure we aren’t the only ones that didn’t know.
“I have no idea why it has been kept so quiet but I encourage people to look into it and find out what they might be entitled to.
“I’m so grateful to Steve Webb for helping us.”
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