that's exactly what I said! But sadly it seems for three years after my fathers death she was on the wrong tax code - leaving her on a pension and paying off a 2000 pound debt to the tax office. In actual fact they can't charge tax on the state pension, but if you receive any kind of private pension tax for the full amount (including the state pension) is taken out of it. She would be better off not receiving half of my dads pension. Mr. Brown living up to his name methinks. There's just no excuse for taxing pensioners.