Andy Cressey, from Goole, said the “mixed‑age couples rule” could leave him and his partner struggling when he reaches state pension age in 2028.
The policy prevents couples where one partner is below state pension age from claiming Pension Credit until both reach pensionable age.
Recommended reads:
Campaigners say the policy is pushing thousands of older people into financial hardship, and later life charity Independent Age is urging the UK Government to scrap the rule.
Data from 2019 shows that 12 per cent of couples who could be eligible for Pension Credit have an age gap of more than 10 years, meaning the older partner may have to wait until their late seventies to access pensioner entitlements.
Andy Cressey said: “My partner June who is three years younger than me will be affected when I get to the retirement age of 67 in 2028.
“From the information I have been able to find June will have to claim Universal Credit and my state pension will be taken into account with a pound for pound reduction in the amount she can claim. This effectively means we will both have to live off my state pension.
“I have also found out that if we live apart the council will pay my full rent and council tax as I will be a pensioner and my partner would have a full claim in with Universal Credit.
“So we will be better off if we do not live together, which is silly. We would not be able to afford to live together if that is the case. Why should I have to pay rent and council tax when I live with my younger partner, and she will have very little, if any, income herself? The system is bonkers to say the least.”
What do you think?
Feel strongly about an issue? Write us a letter. Please write no more than 250 words and you must provide your full name, address and mobile number. Send your views by email to: letters@thepress.co.uk
The rule, introduced in 2019, is estimated to be preventing around 60,000 low‑income couples from accessing Pension Credit and other pensioner benefits. Government figures suggest affected couples lose an average of £5,900 a year, with some losing up to £7,000.
Independent Age warns the situation could worsen as the State Pension age rises to 67 between April 2026 and April 2028, forcing mixed‑age couples to wait even longer for support.
Joanna Elson, chief executive, said the charity regularly hears from older people impacted by the rule.
She said: “Our helpline received a call from a 79-year-old who was unable to claim Pension Credit because their partner is 59. Under the mixed-age couples rule, they will have to wait until they are 87 before they can access this life-changing financial support.
“The UK Government has created a flawed system where two people of the same age can be treated completely differently just because one has a younger partner.”
To highlight the issue ahead of Valentine’s Day, Independent Age is sending cards to all 650 MPs calling for the rule to be reversed. Campaigners will also gather outside Parliament on Wednesday, February 11, to urge urgent policy change.
Joanna added: “It is wrong that older people on a low-income with younger partners are locked out of vital financial support, forcing them to wait years for entitlements like Pension Credit. This rule risks pushing more older people into deep financial hardship.
“Who you fall in love with and choose to spend your later years with should not determine how much financial support you receive. Far too many older couples are forced to live on tiny incomes because of this rule.”