@ Yvette Cooper
Labour MP for Pontefract and Castleford
My wife lost her entitlement to Carers Allowance for our disabled son when she received 60% pension entitlement at age 64 years. This was after I reached the age of 65 and she used my entitlement to ... Show more »My wife lost her entitlement to Carers Allowance for our disabled son when she received 60% pension entitlement at age 64 years. This was after I reached the age of 65 and she used my entitlement to increase her pension to 60%. Prior to that she was receiving 45% pension and then a proportion of Carers Allowance to bring the amount equal to the Carers Allowance. Can you explain why both Carers allowance and the old age pension are deemed as benefits when a Person is only entitled to an amount of pension that is equal to the number of years of National Insurance contributions the person has made during their working life? Surely, if you are contributing toward your pension it cannot be considered a benefit, it is a right, otherwise under the term 'BENEFIT' everyone would get the same amount of old-age pension regardless of the amount of National Insurance contributions they have made! I would like an answer to this as I think this should be challenged in the European Parliament! Show less »