Higher and Lower rate of State Pension,. This really needs changing

I think by age 82 or 83 (using a generalised calculation as increases may vary) those women retiring at 66 on the new SP will have received an equal amount in pension payments to those who retired at 60 on the full old SP and thereafter will be financially much better off.

I'm sure the age I read about a while ago was 82.

In simple terms it's about pensioners on the basic getting pension from 60 wanting to get the same pension as those of us who have worked or will work 6 or 7 years longer.
I feel bad though for the poster on here who had to work nearly 3 years longer but still got basic pension.
If you have had 6 years longer you have probably had roughly 45k more than the new state pension, this may not be the exact amount. Like I say my partner and I have opposing views on this so the subject can be divisive.

I don’t think they want to understand silverlining

silverlining48

I give up 🤦‍♀️

You might be able to explain it better than me!

I give up 🤦‍♀️

Poppyred

silverlining48

We didn’t retire early, 60 was the women’s state retirement age for years. 65 for men.
Then it changed slowly a bit at a time, to reach equality at 65. My friend retired at 61.5 years another at 62.75 years etc.etc so it was gradual, no one jumped from 60 to 67.
I don’t understand this lack of empathy for those of us who worked and paid 45 years, yes me, yet get so much less. It’s not our fault it’s not yours, surely we should stick together.

But I had to wait a full six years for my pension….the higher amount is because of that ……

You'll overtake us at some point if we all live that long! depending on the % annual rise.
I'm not explaining this well but I mean in total pension paid over a number of years, but I did read an article about this years ago.

I don't understand why people on the basic state pension want us to stick together. I worked six years longer and the last two were a slog. I lose some of my state pension because I have a occ pen, then I pay tax. The people on the lower rate don't lose money.
The people in New state pension have lost alot 45k I believe, and IF we get any compensation it will be derisory and alot of pensioners will die before they get it.
I also don't have Empathy because the basic state pensioners can get PC if single and have no savings, thus enables them getting WFA.
My partner has new state pension and he retired early and he disagrees with me, but he did not have to work like I did.
I am glad some pensioners got 6 years longer than me, I would have liked to retire at 60.

silverlining48

We didn’t retire early, 60 was the women’s state retirement age for years. 65 for men.
Then it changed slowly a bit at a time, to reach equality at 65. My friend retired at 61.5 years another at 62.75 years etc.etc so it was gradual, no one jumped from 60 to 67.
I don’t understand this lack of empathy for those of us who worked and paid 45 years, yes me, yet get so much less. It’s not our fault it’s not yours, surely we should stick together.

But I had to wait a full six years for my pension….the higher amount is because of that ……

Well said silverlining

I don’t understand this lack of empathy for those of us who worked and paid 45 years, yes me, yet get so much less. It’s not our fault it’s not yours, surely we should stick together.

Me neither silverlining. With each % increase the gap will widen too.

Justice for all pensioners!

Yes we have one of the lowest pension rates in Western Europe yet are supposed to be the 5 th wealthiest country in the world!

We didn’t retire early, 60 was the women’s state retirement age for years. 65 for men.
Then it changed slowly a bit at a time, to reach equality at 65. My friend retired at 61.5 years another at 62.75 years etc.etc so it was gradual, no one jumped from 60 to 67.
I don’t understand this lack of empathy for those of us who worked and paid 45 years, yes me, yet get so much less. It’s not our fault it’s not yours, surely we should stick together.

the same state pension

But it's nowhere near the same.

The new State Pension after 35 years of contributions is £221.20 per week

The old State Pension for older pensioners, after 39 years of contributions for women and 46 years for men, is £169.50 per week.
I believe this is correct, but the Government website is very vague about entitlements for older pensioners and advises them to seek specialist advice. At what cost?

Skydancer

The whole thing is ridiculous. I have heard that the UK has the lowest pensions in Europe. Why, considering we are one of the richest countries?

I tried to find out Skydancer by googling but instead found it was complicated by so many factors - like costs of living, including housing, health costs, whether people accept higher taxes to pay for pensions etc etc!

There are other “benefits” to being on the old state pension, at least there was before Jan 2016.

My DM “inheritated” my DF state pension when he died, she had a very small state pension as she had the married women’s allowance, he also had an uplift on his state pension as he was a higher tax payer for a sizeable chunk of his working life.

This seems to all have been abolished in 2016 sometime.

kibera10

I think it will mostly be females on the lower pension - because if they worked and paid the 'married woman's rate' of National Insurance this didn't count towards a pension (or to sickness benefit or unemployment benefit). Maybe these should still get the winter fuel allownce.

Yes! And the passport of benefits which goes with pension credits.

Poppyred

Those on the lower rate were able to retire 6years (!!)before the ones on the higher rate and are able to get pension credit if you don’t have an occupational/private pension as well.

We WASPIs had to work another SIX years for the same state pension and the higher amount reflects this. Imagine having to work for so much longer if you have ill health and struggling!!

Not to mention at least 6 further years of NI paid!

Maybe they hope we wont notice and just fall quietly off our perches
Yes. Frozen stiff.

It would save a lot of money.

If on the lower pension rate you can apply for pension credit if you have under 10,000 savings. Or if on the new rate it is already included.

There remains a difference of about £3000 extra pa. between the old and the new. When we get the annual % increase the gap between the two rates will be greater with every passing year.
Maybe they hope we wont notice and just fall quietly off our perches.
Certainly many people don’t even realise we have a two class system. A retired headmaster and teacher wife friend were astonished when I told them recently that having retired in September 2016 luckily they got the higher rate. A few months earlier and they Woukd have lost £3000 each per year. Imagine how upset someone who retired at the start of 2016 must be to get the old pension.

I don’t want the new pension people losing anything but it’s galling having worked and paid in for 45 years instead of the 30 years required now for a full pension.
Every time pensions are mentioned on the media they always quote the higher amount which only those who retired after April 2016 get, the majority don’t get it.

I wrote to my new MP earlier today about the reasons why there are superior and inferior pension levels and why there isn’t parity between the two levels of state pension.

I am one of the older waspi women so worked a couple of extra years and am on the old pension. My DB had to work a few months past 65 and is on the new pension. There are all sorts of discrepancies and unfairness.
Increasing the personal tax allowance to where it would have been if not frozen would bring single pensioners with a small private pension out of paying tax. We cannot get pension credit or winter fuel now but are hardly well off.

The whole thing is ridiculous. I have heard that the UK has the lowest pensions in Europe. Why, considering we are one of the richest countries?

I would add Don’t ring DWP for advice. They are not benefit advisors. Their employees don’t know the full picture, just the bit they work in, and don’t have time to research all the ins and outs.age Uk, Citizens Advice( and their website) or a local Welfare Advice centre are better able to find answers than DWP.

Can I just signpost anyone who wants help and advice to your nearest Age UK even if you have to ring them . Ask for the benefits advice . I find them invaluable and if you are entitled to any benefits they will help you apply .

applied twice for pension credit and was turned down but once i became a carer was then entitled to it

I am on the new state pension, I retired at 66. The last two years were a real slog, that's the reason, I feel we deserve more.

The pension system is a mess, I feel bad for women though who were born in 1953, who had to work longer but still recieved the basic state pension.
I get the new state pension but less money per week as I have occ pension which I pay tax on. The old state pension do not take your occ pen into account.
The whole system is a mess