Update on cessation of ESA

My husband has been in receipt of income based ESA in the support group for many years and I am on his claim as we are both disabled. He will reach state pension age a year before me. He has some pension savings in the People's Pension which we have just discovered is normally paid at age 65 whether he retires or not. He will soon be 65 and is obviously not expecting to receive his state pension until he is 66. If he retires at 65 there is insufficient cash as a lump sum to replace the amount that he will (I assume) lose if the ESA stops. I have no idea what to do now. I am assuming if he defers taking his People's Pension until he is 66, he will be treated as though he took the money when he was 65 and we will have to repay it? Any advice would be so gratefully received please x