good waspi news

It seems that there are a number of different issues being discussed here.

It looks as though my guess was right.

davidhencke.com/2020/07/28/exclusive-now-9-8-million-men-over-60-had-their-national-insurance-contributions-paid-by-the-state/

It wasn't a "men only" subsidy. They were auto credits, which are paid to people who sign on as unemployed. Women could have applied for them too, if they had signed on with the JobCentre before reaching state pension age.

More than 4.65 million men aged over 60 have had the last five years of their national insurance contributions paid by the state, the Department for Work and Pensions has disclosed.

Baffled by that. Is that because they were signed on as unemployed or as carers and received pension credits? I can't think of any other reason.

Scottiebear yes I checked by phone too. I am entitled to full £179 per week after 46 years contributions which will be reduced to reflect the company pension I paid into. When I started work I was entitled to an additional state pension based on earnings this is now no longer available. My understanding is the only ones entitled to full state pension after 35 years are those who have not worked and had NI credits rather than paying contributions or those who worked and never paid into company schemes.

More than 4.65 million men aged over 60 have had the last five years of their national insurance contributions paid by the state, the Department for Work and Pensions has disclosed.

That’s interesting, Pippins. As a WASPI member, one of the points I raised in my maladministration letters to the DWP was that when I requested a pension statement in my 50s the reply stated that I wouldn’t need to pay NI after the age of 60, and of course this changed before I got there. Men still had theirs paid, did they? (wanders off to google….)

Maria49. You are probably in same position as me. Your company pension opted out (SERPS), which meant at the time you paid less into your state pension and your NI was reduced. Therefore your company pension is greater than it would have been if you had not been opted out. But it means your state pension is reduced. I did check with them by phone, and my pension amount is correct.

Callistemon: DWP’s extraordinary disclosure
Successive governments extended a 1983 “men only national insurance subsidy” for 35 years and broke a promise to women born in the 1950s to offer them similar terms

More than 4.65 million men aged over 60 have had the last five years of their national insurance contributions paid by the state, the Department for Work and Pensions has disclosed.

The scale of the payments has been kept quiet by the Department for Work and Pensions for 37 years. It was only revealed last week when Myfanwy Opeldus, one of 3.8 million women facing now a six year delay to get her pension, got the admission from the ministry through a Freedom of Information request. She is a BackTo60 supporter and had been pursuing the government over this issue

I got slightly reduced state pension when I retired last October. As I was contracted out.
I paid my full NI contribution, then as I was still working continued to pay until the day I claimed my state pension. I am lucky to have a good NHS pension which is the one they tax you on as you cannot take tax from the state pension.
My state pension and NHS pension was originally linked in time together but the state one kept moving in age. I remember it was 60 then 63, then 66.
I was sent a letter saying that my state pension will be paid when I'm 66.
Can't remember from whom but I did get one when I was about 62 ish.
I seem to remember seeing some women where informed but the majority had no idea.

Although I’m single, paid stamps for 44 years, my pension is only about £125.00 a week, my private pension takes me up to about £180.00 a week. I didn’t realise that they add your state pension ( no it’s not a benefit - I paid all my working life) to your private pension and I’m a couple of pounds over the new state pension approx £179.00 a week — no one ever explained about opting out etc and what the economic results would be - or what the advantage of paying into a private pension - think Robert Maxwell, Philip Green - I’d have got the same pension if I’d stayed on the old state system- so I’m no better off than someone who never worked in their lives

I was paid £2.00 an hour less than basic wage, and commission on everything I sold, so wages varied every month, so not easy to compare like with like back then

Hi I’m in my 70’s so got my pension at 60 - I worked for a big multiple store (200 nationwide and new closed)from the age of 45 and couldn’t join the pension plan till after I’d worked for 2 years.
Six months since I retired, 2004 - I received a letter from their pension fund, telling me that, as I’d retired at 60 and not 65 as I think the new rules were then, I had paid more money each month into the pension fund , then a man would, who would retire at 65 - they offered me ( and I assume other females similar age to me) either a cash sum equal to the cash sum I received 6 months previously - or a higher monthly pension- not knowing how long I was going to live, I accepted the cash.
My point is - are our pension fund contributions similar to insurance contributions- worked out on age, sex etc?
If so, all those women who didn’t get their pension at 60 should have a strong argument- anybody out there, working in wages remember if a man and a woman, on the same wage, paid the same amount into their pension

Callistemon

^Life-changing changes like this should always be communicated to all, clearly, with enough warning for people to make achievable plans for the rest of their lives^

I agree but it seems ludicrous to have two separate schemes running.

Perhaps it might be a good idea to give those who lost out their due compensation then move us all on to the higher rate of state pension.

After all, we receive one of the lowest state pensions in Europe.

To get a full state pension under the old scheme, women needed to have paid in 39 years of contributions and men 42 years.

Any fewer and the pension was reduced accordingly as was mine.
Many women were persuaded into paying a Married Women's Contribution too so do not receive a pension in their own right.
A blatant case of miss-selling.

Agree entirely, I worked from the age of
18years until 67, when I married, because I went art time I was advised my the Social Security office I High Street Edgware, to only pay the married woman's contribution, I now think I was told this so I could not draw unemployed allowance, I always worked, now my pension is a pittance. ?

Great to see this on a BBC news site, even if it is buried in the business section!

Why do we never hear about this issue on the main news channels? I think the only time I heard a passing mention about it was when Boris was running for election and that issue was raised with him, an issue he subsequently failed to address.

I was in the group that missed out, being born in the mid 50's. I worked full time for 38 years without breaks, only finishing because I got VR. I thought well OK at least I'll get the new flat rate pension when my time finally comes as you need 35 years. If I had needed to do 39 years contributions (I'v seen that figure in earlier posts) I would not have accepted VR at the time. Anyway wrong to presume I would get the new flat rate.
I think the new flat rate pension is misleading, would like to know how many actually get it. Because I worked for the local authority I get some deducted so get about £138. So Callistemon I think you are wrong to presume we will get about £50 more.
Also I thought all pensioners regardless of the old or new scheme get the triple lock (at the moment)
As we've said it's the not being properly informed so we could make decisions that's the problem.

Exclusive: The 4.6 million men who “retired” at 60 to get a pension top up paid by the taxpayer

davidhencke davidhencke
1 year ago

DWP’s extraordinary disclosure
Successive governments extended a 1983 “men only national insurance subsidy” for 35 years and broke a promise to women born in the 1950s to offer them similar terms

growstuff

Does the National Insurance fund have administrators? I always understood that NICs go straight into the Treasury melting pot. The funds aren't invested in the same way a private pension is.

that's true

growstuff

Does the National Insurance fund have administrators? I always understood that NICs go straight into the Treasury melting pot. The funds aren't invested in the same way a private pension is.

that's true.

I was alerted to this, which doesn't affect me personally but it may be of some interest to some Gransnetters:

www.moneysavingexpert.com/reclaim/married-women-missing-state-pension-boost/

I am one of the gap women and its not just the insufficient information. My husband died in 2011. Under the old scheme I would have been entitled to inherit some of his employment years as he died before drawing his pension. Alternatively I could have bought extra years. During the time between my husband's death and my own pensionable age I had many phonecalls with the Pensions office and they DID NOT KNOW what rules would apply to my pension. I really felt for the people I spoke too. They would say "well here's what the guidance is this week but we think its going to change next week" First time I spoke to them I was assured that I could inherit pension...then told no...then told we don't know. I still don't know how they calculated what i finally got but as I am lucky and have an occupational pension, I pay tax anyway so more state pension would have put up my tax bill. and we can't blame Boris for that one!

Callistemon

Maria59

*Callistemon I have just received my latest projection and need to make 46 years contributions to receive full pension which will be reduced as I paid into a company pension the additional earnings related contributions are now lost. I wish I could get full pension for 35 years contributions but it is not the case.

This is all very peculiar, Maria59, are you sure the forecast is correct? The computer is not always right, only as good as the information fed into it!

It seems the rules are unclear and keep changing every few years - is this all designed to confuse us?

I have heard of GMP but that in itself is difficult to fathom; it seems to mean that a private company pension may not be increased at all because the increases that would have been paid are included as part of the State Pension.

I suspect what the computer is telling Maria is that 46 years of contributions are required to get the maximum to which she is entitled (not the full state pension). That's how my estimate was always presented. It gives a maximum amount and the amount the recipient will receive if no further contributions are made. I don't receive the full state pension, but there was always a gap between my maximum and current estimate, which is why I paid voluntary contributions.

In my case I had to wait until I was 65 years 10 months old so lost around £40000. I’ve given up hope of ever being compensated. I had to stop work at 60 to look after my husband but because I could claim my work pension I couldn’t have carers allowance even though he’s on disablement benefit. I am luckier than a lot of women as I paid into the pension so I could retire then but it still grates that I didn’t know I’d have to wait even longer than the age of 63 the DWP did tell me about.

Does the National Insurance fund have administrators? I always understood that NICs go straight into the Treasury melting pot. The funds aren't invested in the same way a private pension is.

Maria59

*Callistemon I have just received my latest projection and need to make 46 years contributions to receive full pension which will be reduced as I paid into a company pension the additional earnings related contributions are now lost. I wish I could get full pension for 35 years contributions but it is not the case.

This is all very peculiar, Maria59, are you sure the forecast is correct? The computer is not always right, only as good as the information fed into it!

It seems the rules are unclear and keep changing every few years - is this all designed to confuse us?

I have heard of GMP but that in itself is difficult to fathom; it seems to mean that a private company pension may not be increased at all because the increases that would have been paid are included as part of the State Pension.

Do you have a link to the balance sheet? I'm not sure that the contributions/payments ratio is more favourable than in the past. I would be interested to see details.

I am in the WASPI age group. I reach 66 in next couple of months. Though I have the necessary number of years, I will not get full state pension, as I was in SERPS, so apparently that has increased my work pension. They don't seem to have taken into account that my work pension is non incremental. Its all very complicated. I feel very aggrieved that things were not done more gradually in stages. Not sure we will get any compensation, but a little will be better than nothing.