Petition on Why the old state pension is £200 pm less than the new

Exactly Callistemon, double whammy

nightowl

The old pension wasn’t only claimed at 60 Doodledog. Because of the gradual raising of the pension age for women, there are many of us who didn’t get the state pension until we were closer to 65 but are stuck on the old pension scheme for the rest of our lives. It means that two women born days apart will have received their pension around the same time but one will be on the significantly lower rate. It has nothing to do with contracting out or SERPS but was just another money saving exercise.

Yes, that is the group of women who were caught between the two schemes and lost out both ways.

I think it’s fair that people like myself who had to wait longer to get the State Pension are paid more.

I had a friend just 6 months older than me and one 9 months older and another 11 months older and they were all thrilled when they got their pensions at 62. I had to wait until 65 so another 3 years. One of them actually said “oh well they have to draw the line somewhere.” And had no sympathy at all for me. So I’m afraid, no sympathy for them now.

The old pension wasn’t only claimed at 60 Doodledog. Because of the gradual raising of the pension age for women, there are many of us who didn’t get the state pension until we were closer to 65 but are stuck on the old pension scheme for the rest of our lives. It means that two women born days apart will have received their pension around the same time but one will be on the significantly lower rate. It has nothing to do with contracting out or SERPS but was just another money saving exercise.

Oreo

Mum moans about this.I understood, maybe wrongly, that it was to compensate people cos they had to wait, and work, longer than retiring, for women at age 60, wasn’t it increased to 66 which affected people?

There is some truth in that. I read that if you retire at 66 it takes 10 years to receive as much pension at the new rate as you would have received on the old rate received at 60. I would sign a petition that granted the new rate to all pensioners on the old rate once they reach 76 though, (graduated for the people born in the fifties who are caught in the transition), that would be fair to all.

Cossy

Isn’t this because of “contracting out”?

No
And SERPs ??
No

The whole pension system is a mess
Yes, it is.

When I left work to have a family, ten years worth of Local Authority and Local Health Authority pension contributions were returned to me as a 'gratuity'.

It has just been pointed out to me on another thread I lost out on any extra State pension because I would have been contracted out.

No extra State Pension and no public service pension from those 10 years. There must be many other women who have lost out like that.

And that the old pension was claimed at 60 (for women) with a right to a widow’s element where appropriate.

The whole pension system is a mess, but I think there are reasons why the old pension is lower than the new. I’ll happily sign the petition though. We need to stick together on this.

Mum moans about this.I understood, maybe wrongly, that it was to compensate people cos they had to wait, and work, longer than retiring, for women at age 60, wasn’t it increased to 66 which affected people?

And SERPs ??

Isn’t this because of “contracting out”?