Adult Dependant means test for Contributory Pension

Rua Alp

I am due to receive my OAP at 66 in May 2018. I submitted the application form to Sligo in Dec 2017. I also claimed for an Adult Dependant. My wife does not have an income and does not qualify for an OAP in her own right. I have 2 Deposit accounts in Joint Names and these were declared with supporting Bank Statements. In total they do not exceed the Means Test threshold of 57,000. At the bottom of the application we selected direct payments to our Current account. This is a Joint Current account.

4 weeks later I received confirmation from Sligo of my full entitlement for my Contributory OAP but they deferred the approval of the Adult Dependant by requiring Bank Statements on the Joint Current account within 21 day or the application would be withdrawn. I gathered the Statements together and forwarded these to them the next day. That was 6 weeks ago.

I am currently in receipt of 2 occupational pensions, since age 65 and they provide a combined annual income of 26,000. They are both paid into the Joint Current account, monthly. As I do not currently exceed the Revenue threshold of 36,000, no income tax is payable but USC is deducted on both pensions.

As the weeks go by waiting for a response from Sligo, my mind wrestles with unpleasant thoughts of my occupational pensions being taken as joint income because they are paid into our Joint account. My local Citizen Information centre was unsure how this would affect the Means Test assessment and suggested that I set up a Single bank account in my name only to receive future income from my occupational pensions.

Has anybody experience of this.