means test

Hi magpiejoe08

State pension is not means tested but council tax support is.

Most means-tested benefits are only paid to people with less than £16,000 in savings (tax credits and the guarantee element of Pension Credit are not affected by this rule).

If you are over Pension Credit age the government assumes you receive £1 per week for every £500 of capital you have above £10,000.

You may want to check your benefit entitlements using an on line benefit checker: gov.uk/benefits-calculators

You may be entitled to Pension Credit depending on your circumstances; www.gov.uk/pension-credit

Gary

Hi magpiejoe08, I not totally clear about everything you say in your post, but I think you are asking whether State Pension is means tested? Will this get reduced due to DLA and works pension, and two lots of rea. I'm afraid I don't know what 'rea' is - but State pension is definitely not affected by having a works pension or DLA, is not means tested so it is unlikely to be affected by rea, depending on what that is.
SP is paid according to whether you have paid or been credited with sufficient NI Contributions. NI Credits are made when you are in receipt of ESA, these get added to whatever you have actually paid whilst working. If you have always been on ESA then you should have been credited with the minimum amount of NI. (It is worthwhile contacting DWP Pensions Service and obtaining a forecast to show what NI has been paid and what amount of SP is due when you get to retirement age.) Of course when you reach SP (retirement) age, then your ESA will stop. You will need to actually apply for your SP. It is entirely possible that your SP amount is more than the current amount of your ESA.

DLA can continue past retirement age, as long as you have the relevant disabilities and care needs. Please note, you can not ask for an increase in the mobility award after retirement age. The law does not allow this. If you feel that your mobility needs are not reflected by the current DLA award, you should consider whether to ask for a review, Providing you do this before retirement age, even if it the decision is after that date you can get an increased award if this is relevant for your disabilities. Care awards can be increased at any time after retirement age.
Depending on your income you may be eligible for Council Tax Reduction. If you currently get means tested (income based )ESA, it is likely that you will be able to get the CTax R.

If all your income ie SP, occupation pension, and 'rea' falls below the Guarantee level, then you can apply to receive Pension Credits. (DLA is discounted.) Please note that if you have a partner/spouse then both of you will need to be over SP age to be able to claim Pension Credits. Partner/spouse income will be relevant when assessing eligibility to Pension Credits.

It may be worthwhile seeking advice from a specialist benefits advisor, such as CAB, and ask them to do a benefits check. It would be helpful if you take with you any details of what your SP will be. The advisor can then calculate your income and see if you would be eligible for any pension credits, or indeed anything else. Remember to take details of any savings you might have.
My experience is that the guarantee levels for pensioners are often higher than for working age people. If you haven't made enough Contributions to get the full SP, then you may well be eligible to get additional income via the Pension Credits scheme, so it is definitely worthwhile enquiring about.
I hope this helps.
LL26