Is my friend being unreasonable about her pension.

durhamjen That's so sad about your dh. My dad died a short while before he got to retire. He worked v hard and missed a chance to rest and also my mother lost her dreams of visiting far away family with him.

Thats the only thing that irks with me, my pension and works pension takes me over qualifying for pension credit(200.00) a week but still have to pay for Dental treatment.The last treatment was £200+. Adult education classes the concessions now are only for if you get Pension Credit. I live in an age restricted complex where the service charges are £2000 per year, yes I am fortunate my works pension pays it. but if I lived in a council flat my rent would be paid worth £5000 plus no council tax to pay, another £1000 so my state pension I would live on quite comfortably.

"I dont pay in to the funds just for me ....its to maintain our society and provide for those who need it." Absolutely agree with Granmary 18

I haven't read all of the posts on this thread but would ask you all to go on the WASPI website. Join the group if it relates to your circumstances. Lobby your councillors and MPs and complete the forms etc to take this case forward.

Why are British people so obsessed with the amount of money other people receive for their in retirement pension. It appears to be an endless ongoing topic of discussion and controversy in their retirement years and often, when the subject is raised, it seems to bring out the worst in everyone.

This "he gets more than me and he doesn't deserve it" attitude is so negative and can be so detrimental to your mental health as you age.

Why not accept "it is what it is" - be thankful for reaching retirement age and be grateful that there is a pension cheque for them - whether they have worked or not and whether they have managed to save anything extra for their retirement years or not!

I thought that even without pension credit you could get help with NHS costs and CT if your income was low enough

Well said durhamjen, I am in exactly the same position as your sister, being born in March 1953, and getting £120 a week, and my friend born in April gets the new pension of £155, so a difference of £35 a week for the rest of our lives! I got mine at 63, and she started getting hers at 63 and 3 months. I don't begrudge her getting this, would I would like it too obviously, it is such an unfair system!

pauline42 to some extent I agree with you but nevertheless, it's galling to know that some of us took the decision to save more of our salaries into SERPS to ensure that we received a decent pension at retirement age. To discover, at the 11th hour, that we would have no benefit from those contributions is annoying to say the least. We might just have well p***ed it up the wall like others did who elected not to contribute. No one wants to see anyone in penury, at any age, but the feeling of having been cheated/conned is somewhat justified I think.

Yes Chewbacca I have the same problem. Born Apr 54 and paid NI contributions 45yr. Redundant @60 and impossible to get another job so have to wait nearly 6 yr with no inocme of my own despite what I was told. Now have to depend on husband's pension - what a way to treat women who have worked and tried to do the right thing all their lives to be chucked on the scrapheap.

The main problem is if young people realise if they do not make much contribution to their own company pensions when they eventually retire they will get their pensions topped up by tax payer. My DS get a choice how much to pay in between 1%-10%. There is absolutely no incentive to encourage paying more pension in. For this reason alone I strongly believe those who pay in more should get more out. Nobody should starve but those who have chosen not to pay in pension should not be given enough money to pay for cigarettes, Bingo, holidays and nights out etc. Young people should be given better education on this topic whilst still at school. The more pension top ups the government have to make the less to spend on NHS and care for disabled and elderly who need care.

The SERPS problem isn't just to do with those born after 1953.
Apparently my husband paid into SERPS at some time, probably when he was working for local councils.
So because of that my pension gets reduced by £45 a week, because I am supposedly getting this money in some other way.
I have tried to trace this money through the pensions tracing service. They can't find it, but will not pay me the £45, tell me it's my problem.

SERPS was a big con for everyone.

I receive a pension of £125 pw, I have it paid weekly because they are then only paying you about 3 days in arrears. If you have it paid monthly you are being paid at least a month in arrears. I want all mine now not when I am dead! Also I was a carer for my daughter until she was in her twenties and was only able to work part-time or as a temp, I received ni credits for those years to help my pension. I was lucky enough to eventually get a job in local government and when I retired on ill health had it made up by a few years, so I don't get any government credits as I am over the limit. You can get a reduction or free nhs dental care and other such things by being on a low income and you simply apply, along with proof and if eligiable you will receive it for a year when you can once again apply. I can see the need for top ups with pensions and it doesn't really worry me, you lose other benefits when you receive your pension, like carers allowance and mobility allowance if you are disabled so it all helps. Its no good getting yourself into a state over what people get and others don't.

Well said Pauline42. The mystery of why anyone cares about the money of other people.

You're right granjan, it's been done most unfairly. I never had a private workplace pension because I thought that contributing more via SERPS would enhance my state retirement pension, plus my ex husband had a good pension pot in his workplace pension. I only found out, aged 58, that I wouldn't be able to retire at 60, so not enough time to set up an independent pension. Then they extended retirement ge to 64 and 6 months. Then 66. Had I been fully informed, aged 58, that I would actually have another 8 years to work and build up a pension pot, I'd have done that. But we weren't informed at all, that's the problem. Nothing to do with begrudging others their pensions, just annoyed that a very select group of women have been treated very unfairly.

Referring to the opening post, people who have paid into the system and get full pension that brings them beyond the level for help annoy me when they grumble. My late in laws were like this when father in law retired (mother in law never worked much), they got the state pension plus his works pension and smaller married woman's pension and they were livid, they quoted examples of others who had never worked and yet we're bringing in almost as much as them. I told them that state benefits were a right not a reward and if they were not entitled then they must have a reasonable income. Some people think that the taxpayer owes them a living. We are supposed to save for our old age some of us do ,,some don't and some can't. I'm in the last group.

I am 61, born July 1955, first I was told that my State Retirement Age would be 65 then 66 (thanks David Cameron). I was a Civil Servant for 17 years when I took Early Retirement at 50 to care for my DH who retired at 65 & was in poor health. DH died 4 years ago.

I receive a small Pension from the Civil Service, ESA (Income based) reduced because of my Pension, Disability Premium as I am also on PIP (which is disregarded for benefit purposes). I don't pay Council Tax & receive Housing Benefit (I live in a Park Home so have a monthly fee to pay to Park Owners), I own my own home.

Yes I am fortunate at the moment but how I will be when I do reach State Pension Age, certainly I know my Civil Servant Pension will affect my State Pension payments. Any-one who is on a low income can apply for help with Council Tax, Housing Benefit & help with Medical expenses such as Dental.

Pauline that is so true. I remember reading a biography once of an Irish lady, who grew up in a time when there wasn't any pensions. It was a time when to be old meant depending on your children to look after you or you ended up in the workhouse.

When the old age pension was introduced in Ireland this lady was so overwhelmed to be handed the money over the counter she at first refused to take it all saying it was far too much for her, even though it won't have been, and then promptly burst into tears of joy and relief, so happy was she to be provided for.

I often think of how it must have been in those times. Old age must have been something to dread.

chrissie my sister was born in february 1953 and altogether with pension credit gets £155 a week, do you not get pension credit to make yours up to that?

I had to stop work to become carer for DH and feel every pensioner should automatically receive the same realistic fixed basic rate pension, maybe based on minimum wage rates, and scrap pension credit, so everyone gets say, £150 per week, not means tested, with rent/council benefits/winter fuel allowance etc given authomatically to those in need of such help e.g. disabled, long-term sick etc or extreme age).Then those who are "savers", and/or who have work pensions,not spenders, should be allowed to keep as much as they manage to earn in interest, only paying tax on income. I have a tiny work pension, less than £10 per month and inherited £10,000 from my mum's estate, which I invested shrewdly, to make sure that I can afford funerals, "rainy day" expenses etc, so DH's ESA was immediately cut. Since I'm saving the government thousands each year by acting as full-time carer for both DH and DS, I feel aggrieved that on reaching retirement age, I lost my Carers' Allowance and it feels very unfair that because I'm frugal and careful with money, I am being penalised. Does anyone else agree or do you feel that I'm being unfair?

Not unfair at all Sweeek. It's very frustrating when you've been careful and prudent but then get penalised. Are their no other benefits that you might be entitled to, such as Attendance Allowance? It's not means tested as far as I'm aware.

Everybody's life choices are different - some don't have a choice depending on circumstances. I used to work as an administrator for an occupational pension scheme until 2010, when the qualifying rules for a state pension were different.

I was lucky enough to be able to contribute to my pension and took early retirement at the age of 51. I cannot however, expect any state pension until I'm 66 - a way off yet!

I had the benefit of being able to work for a decent wage during my working life - not something that everyone can have. Those who didn't/couldn't may have had to do without during their younger years.

I think your friend needs to be happy with what she has achieved in her life and not be concerned about what others are getting. It does no good and leads to bitterness if not careful. She should enjoy her life and be content.

Good post Bluegayn58

There are so many anomalies and unfairness in the pension and benefits system that it would be easy to get in a stew about it. No, of course it is not fair when some people work harder, contribute more, save for a rainy day and take responsibility for others and themselves and the idle, feckless are rewarded more highly.

However, I have seen that the resentful only hurt themselves by dwelling on their grievances. It is better to take pride in being a contributer and benefactor and to get by on what you can. Self respect is worth any amount of money and others cannot always have that.

Born March 1954..(63 in march)state pension due July 2019(I believe)..was made redundant at 61..managed to get another full time job..but am so tired doing it don't think I can go another 2 years ..have small private pension £300 per month what would I get if gave up? Can I claim anything?