Pensioner Power

I buy the Daily Mail to read it. Its financial and medical sections are excellent and it doesn't hurt to be reminded of the way many people think politically when their views diverge so far from my own. I also read the i for the opposite view. I suppose I should read The Guardian rather than the i, it is more left wing , but so deadly dull and self righteous.

Sarnia

keepingquiet

Where was the article? It sounds like a silly idea to me and will achieve nothing.

I think I read this article and it was suggesting setting up a Pensioners' Union. Mind you, it was the Daily Mail. I only buy it for the crosswords, your honour!

Why does this not surprise me?

All these discussions on various threads show how important it is to be informed about pensions as early as possible. We’ve had discussions with our ACs, at early stages of their working lives, about how pensions might look in the future, Highly likely no SP. It’s hard for young families to pay a lot in, but as the well known supermarket says ‘every little bit helps’.

keepingquiet

Where was the article? It sounds like a silly idea to me and will achieve nothing.

I think I read this article and it was suggesting setting up a Pensioners' Union. Mind you, it was the Daily Mail. I only buy it for the crosswords, your honour!

ronib

If you are well enough to undertake voluntary work and are struggling financially, I would think about finding a part time job which pays. Of course there will be a huge variation in pay depending on skill set and demand but some folk just enjoy being at work.
Although of course, just helping out with grandchildren is the best way for me and I won’t let politics interfere with my life to that extent.

I would also advocate that to younger people who are working only 16 hours a week, then claim8ng benefits to top up their wages.
Just think if they got full time work, lessening dependance on UC, how much that would also help to fill in the "black hole". Which a freedom of information
request by the FT to see all the proof, has been denied by the treasury and Reeves.

Granny23 that resonates with me too.
No discussion or explanation at work about being put on to the Married Woman's stamp, we were told we needed to be paying that instead, the only thing being a reassurance when we queried was yes, we would still get our State Pension.

Have you enquired if you are entitled to a part of your late husband's State Pension? It might be worth enquiring.

I was always very careful to make sure I was never put on the married women's stamp. I can remember it always being a matter of debate whenever anyone at work got married as to whether they would stay on the full stamp or drop down to the married woman's stamp.

Where I lost out big time was on my occupational pension. In my 20s, when you tend to hop around a bit as you settle into a career, anyone (male of female) staying less than 5 years in a pension scheme had their contributions returned when they left, then it went to 2 years and now does not apply. then when I came back to work after having children, I worked part time for some years, and part time workers were excluded from pension schemes, again this has changed.

In total I lost 12 years of occupational pension by being excluded from a scheme or having contributions returned.

When I returned to work full time as it meant a big pay increase. I immediately started making additional voluntary paymenst (AVCs) and redirected part of every pay rise into my pension thereafter, which has enabled me to retire with a pension that places me well beyond pension credit.

When I returned from my honeymoon to my work in a bank, I discovered that I had been put onto the Married Woman's NI. Not only that. I had also been taken out of the Bank's pension scheme . Later I worked part time at the University, where I was not salaried but instead paid £20 a week as "travelling expenses from the petty cash, This was done to me and other women to save the University their share of NI. Consequently when I reached retirement age I did not qualify for a full state pension as I did not have enough contributions. . Now, I am retired and on the "old" pension (so no big rise for me next spring. My late Husband had a reasonable self funded private pension, but this ended when he died.
I have followed the advice to downsize, selling our lovely family home and buying a wee retirement flat. This gave me a cash balance carefully invested for a modest return and Guess what - it is just enough to put me over the limit for pension credit.

Non-enumerated means the EU is treated as one block - countries not individually listed. Fat lot of good that is. Another example of how to fiddle the statistics.

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

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?

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.

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.

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.

David49 well this pensioner is feeling enough is enough.

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 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.

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.

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 !

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.

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.

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.

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.

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

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