Well, the really good news is that I have had a letter from the MoD confirming I qualify for a share of Keith's Army Pension. I have decided to go for a lump sum (though it will be taxable) because that will be a lot more use to me in the long run and I have a buffer if any big bills were to come up on the house. It is a huge relief though of course, the powers that be will decide I am no longer eligible for Pension Credit, but it can't be helped.
Tam and Rosie have been here since Sunday. Storm Ashley had been talked up to be Truly Awful, but it wasn't the Category 3 Cyclone some pundits were warning us of (well, certainly not in our neck of the woods anyway). It was a bit windy and we had heavy rain at one point, but Tam and Rosie got across the mountains safely, though her friend Elie, travelling up from the South Coast, had to take a detour as the M4 into Wales was closed. We had a merry afternoon and evening (far too much wine drunken!) watching Jilly Cooper's "Rivals" on Disney. They were certainly true to the book on the, ahem, bonking front!! I remember bits of the book. The casting was a bit ??? We didn't fancy Rupert Campbell-Black and Aiden Turner's huge moustache was hilarious.
Yesterday I had the handyman here to replace the two tiles which had come off the back of the house back in the summer, so fingers crossed we are nice and waterproof for winter. He is very thorough. Then he came in and checked my mixer tap which had a drip. He needed to see whether they had ceramic cartridges in (they did) but couldn't get them locally so I have had to order them from the manufacturers. Of course, the guarantee ran out in May!
After lunch we popped in so Tam could have a Charity Shop wander, and I got some really tasty sausages from the butchers - Pork and Choritzo - for our tea. Rosie (finally) got to try porridge - I'd made it earlier for her lunch but then she was sleeping. She did seem to eat some, though wore a lot of it too as she was picking it up by the fistful :) I had Kate at the Last Homely House on the tv after lunch, and Rosie was absolutely smitten by Kate's cat Rita and gave a particular squeak whenever she saw her! Later on when Rosie was on the bed, having her clothes changed, Lulu jumped up and was making a fuss of her. Rosie was delighted and grabbed a handful of Lulu, who, bless her, just gently rolled away. Lulu does like the little ones - she was in with little "I" all day recently when she was here.
I have cut up squares for the first hexis in the Doughty's red fabric I bought and spent a pleasant evening sewing those up.
Now it is gone 5 a.m. and I have been awake since 3.15, and came down after laying there awake for an hour. A few games of Solitaire may make my brain tired enough to sleep again. . .
I once worked for the DWP. If this lump sum ends entitlement to Pension Credit, keep an eye on how much the lump sum diminishes, as they do slowly disappear as I know. Keep records of any large payments. If eg 10k suddenly disappears on a roof repair you will need to justify the outgoing with proof. I once had to justify buying a new bed! If you see your savings reaching the threshold, don't wait to apply. It can take many months to process so the sooner you apply the sooner your entitlement is restored. It is usually incremental too, so keep on top of it as the original sum shrinks. Don't forget, PC entitles you to a lot of other things, eg Council Tax reduction and Warm Home scheme etc. I'm sure you already know this, but others might not.
ReplyDeleteWell, even if I had had a monthly payout I would have been way over the Pension Credit threshold, and would have ended up paying tax on my pension. This will give me a comfortable buffer and I can put some more in Isa's but will shop around for the best deal. It's a shame to lose the PC but this payout gives me peace of mind. Thanks for the tips Debbie.
DeleteGood news about the pension pay out, I'm glad it worked out for you. On the back of you doing this we are going to look into Alan's Royal navy pension to see how things would pan out if he died before me.
ReplyDeleteI don't have Disney so I haven't seen any of Rivals, although seeing the actors that playing the parts in an article in the Radio Times, it made me realise that when I read all Jilly Coopers books many years ago, I must have had very fixed ideas of what they looked like, as the actors looked totally wrong.
It is a huge weight off my mind, and a good bit more than I was expecting, plus an extra bereavement? payout too. Yes, you should look into the payout with Alan's Naval pension. Keith told me what I was entitled to but the offer was more than double that.
DeleteI very nearly bought myself the hastily reprinted Rivals in Tesco today, but then reasoned I should wait until read copies turned up in charity shops! Like you, we said we had fixed ideas of what the actors looked like and they didn't cast it well!
Just had to look at The Last Homely House, lovely lady and a beautiful cat, I can quite understand why Rosie was fascinated. Maybe you can put some of your 'lump sum' into a 1 year savings account. I've just opened a Nationwide one which pays something like 4% and allows me 3 withdrawals a year. Now at the packing up stage, surrounded by boxes and living on scratch meals. Still hoping for 25th but nothing is set in stone. Please keep your fingers crossed for us. Hugs Xx
ReplyDeleteI love watching Kate at the Last Homely House (though I think I could pass on her kitchen colours!) It's like having a friend in the room with you, having a chat. I'm going to check ISA's with Martin Lewis. Getting 4% for a year with NatWest with a 90 day penalty.
DeleteI imagine you are sick of the sight of boxes and sticky tape, not to mention bubble wrap and Fragile tape too! I do hope SO MUCH that it all goes smoothly and there are no hiccups and you are soon happily ensconced in your new home. Not long now.
It is good you are sorting your financial future. Saving's interest can be good in some banks.
ReplyDeleteI used to be absolutely RUBBISH with money, but down the years have learned from Keith, who was very good, and used to invest in the Stock Market though he learned his lesson with his gold shares. Long story. I'll spare you. Now I try NOT to spend any excess money - do I need it or do I want it - two entirely different things. I was very careful at the Quilt Fair, and took cash with me to limit my indulgences.
DeleteThat's great news about the pension. I will have to check out the Last Homely House.
ReplyDeleteIf you like quilting, and crafts and gardening, you will love the Last Homely House. For me, it's like having a friend in the room with me.
DeleteYou will enjoy the Last Homely House. Kate doesn't just do patchwork quilts, she knits, spins, makes her own clothes sometimes, talks about her garden (separate videos for that too).
ReplyDeleteNow that is very good news about the pension. Sometimes taking a lump sum is exactly the way to go even if one has to pay taxes.
ReplyDeleteGod bless.
It seems a better deal for me, as who knows how long I will live? I may suddenly need a big job done here (mains water is one of the things which may come into that heading) and a buffer of money more useful than the monthly payment.
DeleteI'm glad you got some pension funds coming to you. That is good news. I've watched the Last Homely House for some time now, having just stumbled on it while searching out quilting videos. Kate seems a lovely person.
ReplyDeleteKate is so soothing to watch and I know I'd get on with her if we ever met. My only complaint is that I quilt with a small needle though and seeing her stabbing with that sail-makers' needle makes me wince!!
DeleteThe pension pot has eased my money worries.
Step by step by step...you are getting it all sorted, aren't you?
ReplyDeleteIt's a slow business. I know what has to be done and can hear Keith's voice guiding me.
DeleteYou were lucky being South and East enough not to get too much of the storm..it was 10mph less than forecast...which still meant almost 60mph for us in Ayrshire and 70mph on the Western Isles.
ReplyDeleteAh, the joys of Baby Led Weaning!!
We were very fortunate as it sounded nasty for folk in its path.
DeleteBaby Led Weaning . . . ahem!