Pensioner Power

If you are well enough to undertake voluntary work and are struggling financially, I would think about finding a part time job which pays

I would politely suggest that helping out doing something you enjoy, perhaps with frequent breaks and chat is an entirely different proposition to working.

Also, " poorer pensioners" is a blanket term. Life takes all sorts of twists and turns. Problems with mental and/or physical health, family curveballs and so on.
One size does not fit all.

Thanks.

The old SP is very confusing.
I doubt that mine would be made up to £12,000 pa, that would be an increase of over £4,000 pa!

Thanks was to Siope

You’re welcome Allira. I wouldn’t want anyone to see that claim that about a £900 increase for some next year and believe it. The state pension would need to be £25,000 for that to be the case (if the 3.5% figure is true).

£12,000 is what the full new state pension would be with a 3.5% rise.

Interesting to read that the new French prime minister is 73 years old.

There’s going to be a vote in the House of Commons on the WFA next Tuesday.

Let’s hope for a get out of jail card then .

Pippa000

I'm not really sure if this is the correct section but here goes, and I hope this is OK for a discussion. I have come across an article about the stopping of the WFA for many, and the power that retired people actually have. The idea was that they withdraw from all voluntarily work for a period (six weeks was a suggestion). This includes but is not exclusive to any grandparent duties after before and school, hospitals, including the hospital car service, hospices, charity shops, schools, youth activities, etc then the government may see how many retired folk, male and female, who have a state pension are vital to the economy.

Yes, I saw the same article and also cannot remember where. I totally agree with the article. If any pensioner gives their time freely to the government or council I would also be willing to tell them to stick their unpaid job where the sun don't shine.

I would love to know how much money I saved the NHS when I cared for my ill husband for many years before he died. Buying all our own medical equipment because we were not on benefits. I have said many times that if I had my life to live over again I would spend, spend, spend and then claim for every benefit going.

My mum was the same, because my dad had a very small private pension, she was just over the threshold for claiming benefits so could not get a discount on her rent or council tax or whatever it was called over 25 years ago.

She lived in a council house where they had lived since I was 10 years old in 1953 and my dad died in 1969. She stayed in the house until she died in 1999 and the council never once modernised the property in all those years but she kept on paying the full rent. After she died, the council went in and modernised it top to bottom, double glazing, new bathroom and kitchen etc. etc. and moved in a teenage girl with a baby on benefits, we knew about it because mums neighbours told us as they were all up in arms because their homes were not being modernised until they either died or moved out.

It has always been the same, do nothing for yourselves and you get everything, look after yourselves and get nothing.

It makes me sick to the stomach and it is still happening today. Taking money off the people who have always ensured they saved enough money and made certain they would be comfortable in their old age.

Don't try and tell me any different because I would not believe you. I came from parents that worked in the carpet mills and lived week to week, never owned their own home and never bought anything that they could not affored, they saved up for it. That is why myself, my late husband and our sons are the same as our parents. We are proud people that get taken advantage of by people in charge of the country.

ronib

There’s going to be a vote in the House of Commons on the WFA next Tuesday.

Let’s hope for a get out of jail card then .

But with Labour having a massive majority it would mean all other parties including loads of Labour MP’s to say no to it.Or in Labour MP’s cases to abstain.

I haven’t heard if it’s a free vote Oreo

If we had a decent state pension we wouldn’t need a WFA would we

Info on the WFA vote. Sky News on this link

news.sky.com/story/mps-to-vote-on-move-to-cut-winter-fuel-payments-for-millions-of-pensioners-13210044

123kitty

If we had a decent state pension we wouldn’t need a WFA would we

👍

If the energy companies weren't intent on making such huge profits we wouldn't need a WFA either.

merlotgran

I said the same on another thread a few weeks ago. The problem is it will never happen because no grandparent is going to withdraw their childcare because it will hurt their family.

You’re right though. It would have a huge effect on the economy. I’d love to be able to say to the government, ‘Overlook our contribution at your peril!’ But it would be a waste of time.

We’re all just too nice and we don’t have a powerful union backing us.

Yes, we are just too nice to withdraw our (definitely unpaid!) help and doesn't the government know this! Our sense of moral dedication and duty is being taken advantage of - successive administrations have blithely rubbed our noses in it and this current lot will do the same.

I know it's a worn-out clichè but.........political parties really are all the same.

I have a friend who I'm almost sure would qualify for Pension Credit but she won't even try. I've told her that if what she is telling me about her finances is true she would qualify. She can't be bothered. She just successfully claimed attendance allowance so I'm sure she would get Pension Credit.

Attendance Allowance is not based on any form of financial assessement, - purely in disability requirements. So, if someone gets AA it does not mean that they would also be entitled to PC - this is totally based on how much that person receives from all sources and their savings.
Also, despite its name, Attendance Allowance does NOT require the recipient to have anyone in attendance on them at any time.

Siope

^The Retirement pension is going up quite a lot for apparently those born before 1951. I was born before that and like many of my generation stayed at home to care for children for 6 years, therefore not qualifying for the higher rate pension. Some will receive about £900 p.a. increase, myself will be nearer £300. So that increase will cover the WFA basically not giving me an overall increase^

I’m sorry 4allweknow but I don’t think this is correct. The official announcement hasn’t been made yet, but a leak suggests the state pension increase will be based on the rise in average earnings. That figure also hasn’t been released, but is expected to be about 3.5%.

If true, this means those on the full new state pension (that is those who reached retirement age from 2016) will get about £400 extra on the basic pension.

If one is on the pre-2016 full basic pension of about £8,800, the rise will be about £300, but reduced if your pension is lower (it will be, if the leaked figures are true, about 3.5% of whatever pension you get).

Also, the increase does not compensate for the loss of the WFA, it just covers increases in the general cost of living over the year.

It’s all confusing at times , myself a recipient of my SP wef : 8/04/16 having reached SP age during March 2016. Meaning like many others I missed the NEW SP amount which came into effect 1/04/16 , creating a marker of distinct differences of payments between myself & friends who reached SP after 1/04/16.
Not only but also the WASPI pensioners again myself included in that shambles of age changing debacle.
But yes as Babyboomers we have it all !

If you don't like a government policy lobby your MP via email and letter. Make an appointment to see him/her at the constituency office. They get nervous if lots of constituents make a fuss. Much more effective than withdrawing childminding support.

I recently bought six chilli seeds from a reputable seed supplier. Much to my surprise I have 3 tomato plants and two facing heaven chilli plants. I feel that a similar situation has happened with the recent UK election - but we most certainly are not facing heaven.

Pensioners only count on Election Day when they vote, they are not going to riot or demonstrate in force. Starmer is hoping that in 5 yrs time he can find some giveaways to buy votes back.

David49 well this pensioner is feeling enough is enough.

David49

Pensioners only count on Election Day when they vote, they are not going to riot or demonstrate in force. Starmer is hoping that in 5 yrs time he can find some giveaways to buy votes back.

I don't think this sort of narrative helps anyone. We are people first, our other characteristics later. The internet is full of statements about rich pensioners, boomers, millenials and so on.

Lots of people are struggling, a few at the top are doing very nicely thank you.

No one seems to have picked up on the fact that more pain and anguish is to follow. Reeves is just preparing the ground. I read that employers will be hit on pension contributions.
I believe that the Uk has the lowest pension provision in the G7 but am happy to be corrected.

As I’m sure you know, the European Union (EU) is a non-enumerated member of G7 ronib so you’re still wrong on the tack of the UK paying the lowest state pension, just as you were yesterday when you said we were the lowest in the EU.

We know there will be further cuts, that’s been made clear by the government, but as we don’t know yet what they will be, or whether they will cause more ‘pain and anguish’, or to who, so despite all the speculation we can’t discuss anything concrete.

Casdon yes thanks. But I couldn’t get my head round the concept of non-enumerated member of the G7.
What ever way you present this, the Uk state pension is poor. Probably to fit into the antiquated hierarchical society we have not overturned?

Siope

You’re welcome Allira. I wouldn’t want anyone to see that claim that about a £900 increase for some next year and believe it. The state pension would need to be £25,000 for that to be the case (if the 3.5% figure is true).

£12,000 is what the full new state pension would be with a 3.5% rise.

Next year’s increase will be 4% and is based on wage increases