Nice Surprise

[Glammanana]

Gemini its very strange isn't it,have you recently stopped having to pay tax,according to MSE you can claim for back years? do you have any previous relevant years where you or OH have paid tax ? Its well worth investigating.
Well done Clover its a nice amount to receive when you don't expect it isn't it ? and so quick to receive from Tax Office it amazed me to say the least.

[Gemini]

Glamma, I have never earned enough to pay tax.
OH course did but gave up work at 60. Our pensions don't come in until we are going on for 66, so maybe the fact that we are 'trapped' between giving up work and state pension age is the downfall?

I will have another look when I have time.

[Clover]

I don’t pay tax but OH does on his work pension I think.I just hope they don’t decide I’ve done something wrong and want it back.

[Gemini]

Oh they won' t Clover!

[Nanto2girls]

Doesn't take long to come does it Clover.

[Clover]

Yes I was quite surprised when it came as we’re usually just out of the criteria for any benefits.

[Glammanana]

I was surprised how quickly it came through Clover I'm a bit like you we never have been able to claim anything except child benefit when the children where little we have always been above the threshold for anything,thats due to savings and pensions we put in place when we worked,it makes you wonder if it was worth it.

[Daisy]

Gem - it's well worth seeing if you and OH are entitled to any back payments if OH was paying tax before she retired.

Clover - how lovely. Well done for following it up. xx

A slightly different topic, but if anybody paid NI contributions you can claim for 'credits' for some of the years when you didn't work because you were bringing up children. I don't know what the current rules are, but I got seven years NI contributions added to my State pension pot for the years I didn't work. That was usually because of gaps in employment between moving from one place to another with OH's job, but I was very pleased, because it gave me a full State pension in my own right. I had always paid full contributions, so I don't know how much difference that makes, but if you think you might be eligible, it's worth checking.

[Glammanana]

Daisy it is certainly worth while checking up on refunds you just may be entitled to,I found that I could claim for the uniforms that I wore to work when I worked for New Home builders when I worked for them the refund was towards the cost of washing and cleaning and safety shoes when I first found out about it I reclaimed back for 7 yrs and it was worthwhile claiming.I have also found out I can claim back for the years I have just done at the Charity I worked full time for as I had to wear a suit and was responsible for the dry cleaning etc,its only about £30 per year but better in my bank account than the tax mans don't you think.

[Gemini]

Daisy, as I was receiving child benefit for many years, due to a 12 year gap between my first and last child, I thought I would be eligible for a full pension. However, you cannot get credits for both working and claiming child benefit in the same year. Many of the years I had benefit for DD3, I was also working.
I gave up my right to my half of my husbands private pension, as I felt it was the right thing to , do and had never taken one of my own, so pension won't be a large amount for me. Anything is better than the nothing I get now though!

[Daisy]

Gem - you've really fallen between all the benefits, haven't you. My children are that bit older, and in those days we got Child Allowance for the second child, irrespective of mum working or not. I agree, it was the right thing to do about your ex's private pension (although I'm sure a lot of people wouldn't agree with us).

I think our generation of women were never taught about pensions and how me might need our own pension - it just seemed to be a given that you would get a pension through your husband. I only paid my full stamp because my auntie was left with nothing when my uncle died at 58. They had married late in life and uncle had never paid into NI (when it started you could opt out if your were self-employed, which he was). So my auntie had no pension entitlement at all. My dad, also self-employed had always paid S-E NI and when he died my mum got a Widow's pension. It wasn't much, but we were very grateful for it. But it made me realise having my own pension could come in handy! I made it a point of always talking to students about pensions as well.

Glamm - you've done well to find out about refunds for things like work uniforms etc. As you say, it all adds up, but nobody makes it easy for you to claim!

[WeeGranny]

When I first started reaching I remember claiming for overalls ( this was in the days of blackboards and chalk!) and P.E. clothing. I had several which were like dresses and looked quite smart, certainly kept our clothes clean! Can't imagine you could do that these days!

[Daisy]

WG - you needed protection from all that chalk dust! It was awful, wasn't it. I was never able to claim anything like that (as far as I know) because further education wasn't considered 'teaching'!