Ros Altmann's comments on the triple lock on state pensions

Gononsuch I was just about to write an outraged response to both your emails when I suddenly realised that you were a wind-up merchant. I get so BORED with wind-up merchants thinking it is funny to put outrageous posts on a site for older people. It shows such a lack of imagination and intelligence. Go outside and get a life.

Should have been "just gone up to £11,000"

Everyone pays tax on their income, after the first £10,600 (about to be £11,000) You don't pay on that £10,600 either, gononsuch, so you are in exactly the same tax position as the poorest pensioner.

Went shopping at Sainsbury the other day and an oap collapsed at the till, I was annoyed because I had to go and queue at another till, just let me say that I'm not the only one, while she was on the floor someone stole her purse and nobody gave chase.

I've started using internet shopping, this must be the way forward.

Like Luckygirl my state pension is less than £155 per week, oh and by the way gononsuch which century are YOU in, there's no such thing as the "poll tax".
Perhaps a less smug "I'm all right Jack" attitude?

I am glad that you are enjoying your retirement gonon - that is a huge relief to me.

I agree with many posters that the admin of the WFA and Christmas bonus must be huge and it would be easier to just add those sums to the basic pension.

My basic pension is nowhere near the £155 pw (missed out on the contribution credits when I was at home raising children), nor is my OH's (too much education!). But we get by.

It make sense whitewave imo to continue it and pull the basic pension past at least the Pension Credit level. The idea of the new pension being set at this level was so the government could stop one benefit and doing this with the old pension would seem to make sense for the same reason. There has been quite a bit of research recently when looking at the Basic Income idea which shows that a level which takes everyone above benefit levels actually saves money.

Blimey gonon that is a very jaundiced view of your fellow citizens!!!

My Mum was of the generation that didn't work once she got married and Dads pension is so tiny that she needed help via rate relief etc. She served in the war, worked hard with a small income. The cultural norm dictated how she lived her life.

of your fellow man/women, not or - sorry.

If my memory serves me well, the triple lock was brought in by Brown because pensions had fallen so far behind over previous decades, and this was introduced to try to get it up to a reasonable standard.

If we loose this it will almost certainly mean that they will start to fall behind again, as it is so tempting for governments to give a bit and promise more in the future.

You really are unbelievable in your view or your fellow man/women Gononsuch
As pensioners who are taxed on their income, we've got no sympathy for "poorest pensioners", we are some of the few who knew that one day we would retire, and are now enjoying our retirement.

Many - probably the majority - of the people who only have state pension would have loved the opportunity to put themselves in your position. I promise you that, as one who is in this category, I did not set out to be poor in my old age. How do you think it helps (other than making you feel you are a more virtuous person) to have pensioners in poverty. No one is suggesting you should not benefit too. If the basic pension as set at a level that took everyone out of benefits we would be doing everyone a favour.

I really dislike the pats on the head of WFA and Christmas Bonus Charlygirl. The easiest thing would surely be to raise the pension by the amount equal to these two (above the triple lock) added together and abolish them. There must be a saving in the admin by simplifying them.

This is the first link that comes up on Googlehulahoop but it is being reported on the news too.

Haven't heard about this can someone enlighten me thanks

As pensioners who are taxed on their income, we've got no sympathy for "poorest pensioners", we are some of the few who knew that one day we would retire, and are now enjoying our retirement.

I know that the government guarantees a minimum of £155 a week and there's help with rent and poll tax, but what happens when they die, who pays for the funeral, so they have the last laugh after all, I'm sure I said this before no doubt one of the trolls will tell me.

I appreciate the winter fuel allowance but the £10 we are given before Christmas must cost more to administer. I do not understand why it is not tagged on to the winter fuel allowance, or dropped.

We are the voters so that must be at the back of many minds when big changes are afoot.