Doe's anyone think honestly any government cares the answer is NO!

We have one of the lowest pensions in Europe, disgrace for paying in for over 35 years.

@keithmarshall7084

22 күн бұрын

They have stolen all the money

It’s really quite simple Sunak has about 750 million so is insulated from ever experiencing any need. Poor people struggle. Is this right? Of course not.

@terrytunney4089

27 күн бұрын

And the evil so and so wants to cut help for the people suffering with mental health. If its mental health more like vaccine injuries as in my case blamed on mental health.

@carlarthur4442

10 күн бұрын

And no one voted for him , and they say we live in a democracy.

I am with you old geezer I have worked since 15 now 68 this year I am on my own 😢

@terrytunney4089

27 күн бұрын

Same here 69 they want us dead by now.Thats why we wait months for any treatment they want us to die on the waiting list.

My private pension I got after early retirement due to illness is less than £200 p/w. I'm 63 and my missus is 63 too and she is on a zero hours contract and some month's it's OK. Other months it's almost non existent. We're in that death zone where we earn just enough between us, that according to the government, we are excluded from any help whatsoever. Doesn't matter how many times we ask. Always the same answer. *Computer say NO!* So with council tax now at about £200 p/month, rent of £600 p/month and a monthly food bill that's gone up from £200 or so p/month to nearer £300 p/month. And I've not mentioned how high our gas and electric is. They both went up by over £60 p/month each. But they came down by about £10 a month. _Woopie!_ We can't save for anything as there is no money in the accounts at the end of each month. All we do is survive. But did you know that illegals are given £26 per day for food. And I don't get free accommodation, cigarettes, travel passes or anything that they get. Their food allowance is more than my pension is and I'm still paying taxes as I have done since I was 17.

@Jack_Warner

24 күн бұрын

Same here. I never thought I'd be struggling at 62. But the government ruined my business, and I've had to start drawing on my pension, before I needed to.

@GES196

3 күн бұрын

How can it be that some older people are struggling to pay their way, yet if you come in from abroad in a dinghy, you qualify for free just about everything !! I worked hard for 50 years , luckily my Wife is younger than me and earns a wage which when added to my measly pension, allows us to live reasonably well... Honestly.. the Country has gone mad !

@thezanzibarbarian5729

3 күн бұрын

@@GES196 Our politicians are feral. They have a _"Let's look after every fucking person on the planet, but fuck our nationals."_ So there's nothing we can do but change the way we vote in July. And now that Nige has taken the helm of Reform UK, they've got my vote.

Even though I have worked for 50 years and my D W P has gone up by £20 a week , my rent went up £9 a week rates went up to £149 a month , so any rise has been taken away also I'm paying £10 more tax so on one of my pensions I'm on £10 less as well , my wife still works at 69 although it's now part time just keeping ticking over . Apparently our state pension is one of the lowest in Europe, strange how we pretend to lead the way on money grabbing schemes like net zero and climate green policies, but we don't lead the way on paying a decent pension to ordinary people who have worked all there lives .

@OldGeezersDiary

28 күн бұрын

Thanks for this!

@carlarthur4442

28 күн бұрын

@OldGeezersDiary Your welcome 🙏 we are being ignored and people think most pensioners are all rolling in money , we've been Conned as usual.

@mikeroyce8926

27 күн бұрын

Things get much worse if a person needs care. My mum received pension credit which meant she was exempt from paying council tax. Then she had to sell her house when she went into a care home. Because she sold her house she was now "rich" (defined as having assets above I think £12,250 in England). She was paying £851 per week to the care home in 2018. But if she spent any money on herself or her family she would be accused of deliberately "depriving herself of assets" - so her money stopped being her money, but any money left on the fie she died would then be one her money again. Age UK do a guide on deprivation of assets - it's essential reading for all adults with parents over 60.

@carlarthur4442

25 күн бұрын

@mikeroyce8926 isn't it strange how they can take £852 a week from your Mum money to take care of her but they expect people to live on State Pension of £200 or less 🤔 Disgraceful when you think your family worked and paid taxes only to have it taken from them latter on in there lives , makes you wonder was it worth it .

@OldGeezersDiary

25 күн бұрын

@@carlarthur4442 Very good point!

Over 9 million people between the age of 16 - 65 are claiming benefits supposed to be not working but of course the black economy thrives all tax free , some people not working are doing very nicely , it is a shocking mismanagement of funds .

@hilarygibson3150

29 күн бұрын

My understanding is that it is 9 million that are economically inactive. 5.6 million of which claim some form of out of work benefit. I have been economically inactive for 5 years, I retired at 54. I am not in receipt of any form of government payout, nor do I do any form of paid work. I live off investments.

@pabo-qv3nx

25 күн бұрын

The royals don't work and are doing very well and so are the CORRUPT PLOT TICIANS.

Mistake at the beginning; the P&O boss admitted paying some of his workers £2.86 an hour, not £5.00! I rely on the state pension and I also have a tiny employment related pension of £744 per year. Last month, HMRC informed me that this takes me over the limit so I am now paying £40 a month in tax! Smashing!

@OldGeezersDiary

Ай бұрын

The tax thing was apparently apparently one of the reasons why the Conservatives froze the tax allowance at £12,500 - brings more money in from poorer people like pensioners. I decided to go with the fiver, 'cos I thought the £2.86 sounded unfeasible!

@terrytunney4089

27 күн бұрын

Always the case the poor pays for the rich The Tory Party are a evil cult Self-Self-Self

@06JOHNNYBGOOD

23 күн бұрын

Excuse my lack of understanding, but isn't the personal tax allowance £12,570 before being liable to pay tax, and full state pension being £10,608

Unfortunately people in general are struggling. We are over taxed. Just take the price of fuel. If you need a car for work then further you work from home then money you have at the end of the week council tax cost of food mortgage/ rent. TV licence water rates. The list goes on I'm 68. So know how you feel

@denisescally7090

27 күн бұрын

It’s a lot of tax over a lifetime and yet there isn’t enough in the pot to pay a decent pension to working class people. It can work with two pensions coming into a household but woe betide one person dying!

I think the stock argument is that (a) a pensioner will either own their own home or (b) get housing benefit to cover their rent. This does not take into consideration that houses need maintenance and this maintenance is VERY expensive.

@user-tu6ew3ii4l

8 күн бұрын

But you don't get any help towards your rent of council tax if you have worked all your life and get a full pension, just like all the cost of living handouts last year I was not considered because I get a full OAP, as stated above (half the living wage.)

I agree, I am a pensioner and my pension just covers my rent and council tax. In order to eat, pay bills etc I have to work as well which I have done all my life as it is. I have looked at benefits but being alone and English I don`t qualify for anything which really pisses me off.

@terrytunney4089

27 күн бұрын

We pensioners need to get together and buy a massive fleet of dingys, See if we get the same benefits when we hit a a beach abroad.

@caldwellfisher5288

27 күн бұрын

Most pensioners are entitled to housing benefit, in my case it pays almost all my rent and c,tax...the 221 per week is after rent is paid...not before. Some Circumstances like working /or other income and/or over 10 grand savings do make some difference.. but most pensioners do get something / or all rent paid from HB.

They gave a rise in the state pension, I have small works pension but lose most of in tax because they did not put the tax allowance up so they give it with one hand and take it away with the other.

@caldwellfisher5288

26 күн бұрын

@@Calm-locket Investigate housing benefit. Less than 10 grand savings is not counted against you. And each 500 over that is £1 knocked off your H' benefit. State pension is income and on its own it wont affect HB .Most pensioners get it but It does depend on individual circumstances,' means tested etc.

@Calm-locket

26 күн бұрын

@@caldwellfisher5288 Because I get a small private pension which takes me just over the threshold I can't claim anything.

@AdrianColes

26 күн бұрын

…you can’t loose “most” of it to tax. To do that you’d have to have an income of > £150k. What you mean is you lose 20% of it to tax. Which is what everybody pays when their income goes above a certain amount.

@TheDavecroft

26 күн бұрын

​@@AdrianColesCorrect. People seem confused about tax but it's really quite simple. If your income goes up by £10 you pay an extra £2 in tax, so you are still £8 better off! My friend just couldn't understand tax until I said to him 'would you buy a £10 note from me for £2? ' That's what tax is really, nothing complicated for the average person.

@caldwellfisher5288

25 күн бұрын

@@Calm-locket look up "age uk benefit calculator". Mainly shows HB and c,tax for pensioners.

I have been keeping very close tabs on my expenditures for the past few years in preparation for the retirement that is ahead and the recent spike of inflation has really put the cat amongst the financial pigeons. I don't know what magical mist the government is using to calculate it's inflation figures because my basic expenditures have gone up about 50%. Four years ago, my monthly outgoings were about £600 to £700 - now they would be £1100 but I have started cutting things out and trimming the food budget such that it's about £1000 per month. Important to note is that none of that is housing costs as I own my place and so have no mortgage or rent to pay. That's just food, gas, electric, water, council tax, car and house insurance, phone, petrol and internet.

@terrytunney4089

27 күн бұрын

A lot of prices of food have gone massively some prices have doubled in the last two years. More choices for the elderly heating or food .Both big killers of older people. Its a win win win. For the goverment more millions saved on pensions.

I am the same as you, I first saw this as a calculation on Facebook. A couple of weeks ago both Tory and Labour were saying the triple lock was unsustainable. But Sunak is promising £2000 to all pensioners thinking we will take his word and deliver our votes.

It's quite clear that the UK govt hates its population. Lowest pension in Europe. Having to work till you're 67 now. Mismanaging the NHS just as many older people need it to be working well. What you have to remember is the MPs have private healthcare and private pensions. The 'magic money tree' only exist for giving money towards wars. And dodgy contracts to dodgy people. Hoping for Labour (now the Tory 2nd team) to help with anything is forlorn i'm afraid. The days when Labour boldly challenged the establishment on wages, pensions, working conditions, poverty, and supprting the NHS correctly have long gone.

@06JOHNNYBGOOD

23 күн бұрын

Absolutely my friend.

If you tell the MP,s they would just blag their way out of it. It requires daily exposure in the media etc and maybe the lousy governments would do something about it. I was an apprentice electrician in the 60s and 70s and the current pension is about on par with 1970s wages.

@OldGeezersDiary

Ай бұрын

Thanks for this! You are very right!

@davidbarlow350

29 күн бұрын

Every time i email my MP ,about anything,i ask her to justify the State pension. It is the 25th worst in the world,from the 5th largest economy,even behind Iceland. I have asked the question over 20 times,and never received a response.(her pension will be over £50,000).

@franktheman963

27 күн бұрын

This is because it's a country run by absolute underhanded politicians and the media backed esbishment.and the people who work for them are mainly sheep that are probably never no what they all part of the system they have created.

@terrytunney4089

27 күн бұрын

@@davidbarlow350 The government want as much money they can save off us elderly who they want dead sooner than later. The money saved must be millions. What happened to the multi millions save due to the covid extermination of us elderly. Did it go into Party Funds ?. Have you seen the price of Gin and Tonics now.

Please note that the state pension is 2 systems, new state pension is £221.20, per week, however most of us are on the old system which is £169.50 Per week, £51.70. !! Why is this rarely mentioned?

@duncansmith441

28 күн бұрын

But if that is all you receive you can claim extra pension credit?

@Jj-ng8hh

25 күн бұрын

Those on the new pension rate will be claiming it 6 or 7 years after those on lower rate so who's better off ???

Yeah, £200/wk is sickening low !! Good Luck !!

We are behind bosnia, lichtenstein,iceland ,and Hungary to name a few ,when it comes to state pension, we also have the highest retirement age,the quote everybody is living longer is actually factually incorrect,the average age in the uk is actually falling significantly thanks to austerity and benefit caps and the decline of the NHS,, more tory dishonesty

Trust me. The number of well off pensioners is dwarfed by those struggling.

UK state pension is designed to alleviate absolute poverty, not relative poverty. Folks are expected to make their own arrangements to top up to a livable amount. Every time HM Gov has tried a wage related pension ie serps or state 2nd pension they've got frightened by the numbers and got back to an absolute poverty avoidance pension. God knows what will happen when generation rent hits retirement..

@TheDavecroft

26 күн бұрын

They should be ok as they have to be auto enrolled into a pension scheme by their employers now. Unfortunately the temptation to take the money out early will be too strong for many. They'll probably think they can retire at 50 with a £100,000 pension pot!!

I only get the basic state pension , which is a mere £169 a week . I get this lower amount because I was born before 1952 ...( lucky me ) . The way the triple lock works for me is that my pension will always lag behind . A percentage increase on a smaller amount results in a lower increase and the gap widens with every year. The UK also pays one of the smallest pension of anywhere in Europe.

@dogkicker100

29 күн бұрын

i get more i worked 49 yrs so far 1 yr left , i paid full tax and ni since 1974 when i left school but even so its still pittance but even if you do get more its not for you its for your local council , note your letter you get of ct increase the week you get a pension rise , so i am no better off than you as my bill will be bigger and i will get less pension credit , the whole sytem is a complete scam

@davidbarlow350

29 күн бұрын

It pays the worlds 25th worse pension ,even behind Iceland. This,frankly is bloody disgusting from the world's 5th largest economy. I have asked my MP about this ,over 20 times,and never had a response.(her pension will be over £50,000).

@dogkicker100

28 күн бұрын

@@davidbarlow350 same as lots of others police ,civil servants even armed forces ,but not the citizens , no poverty for them but dont think starmers going to change anything

@mikeroyce8926

27 күн бұрын

Ask Age UK to work out if you qualify for pension credit (receiving it can save you paying council tax).

@denisescally7090

27 күн бұрын

@@davidbarlow350 Yes and she probably won’t have to wait till 67 to get it??

it is about time we spoke up , I have listened to the rubbish uncle Rishi saying we are getting a lump sum but it is only what we are entitled to with the cost of living increase due to the triple lock system .This year I am going to struggle , I live alone and the cost of heating ,water rates , council tax , and food prices I am afraid no luxuries this year and no holiday trips , this is what I worked 50 odd years for , unelected millionaire prime minister giving the imigrants more money than OAPs giving the French money to stop boats crossing the channel giving money to a war which has nothing to do with us and killing old folks in this country because they can not afford to heat their homes and feed themselves vote for them your having a laugh.

@OldGeezersDiary

29 күн бұрын

Thank you, Bernard!

@leeyoung9469

29 күн бұрын

I was onboard with you until you mentioned immigrants. They don’t have a pot to pee in and you include them in your critique. Nothing to do with immigrants pensions have ALWAYS been rubbish in the UK. Blame those who are responsible!

@OldGeezersDiary

29 күн бұрын

@@leeyoung9469 There is no mention of immigrants in this video clip.

@leeyoung9469

29 күн бұрын

Really! ‘Unelected PM giving more money to immigrants than OAP’s’.

@davidbarlow350

29 күн бұрын

@@leeyoung9469 When an immigrant is costing £55,000 to be put in a hotel and a pension is at £9000,i think it's in order to criticise. These people "without a pot to pee in"have paid smugglers thousands of pounds to get here,while passing through safe Countries. Immigrants have contributed nothing,whilst a pensioner has contributed for 50 years,so don't give me a bloody sob story about these scroungers.

Because my husband is younger then me by 4 years , when i retire we will have to survive on just my state pension..... he can't work because he is my full time carer. But we will not be entitled to housing benefit or pension credit to help pay our rent as they class us as a 'mixed age couple' which excludes you from claiming..... neither can we get universal credit as that is a working age benefit and neither of us can work. So we jointly will be on half the living wage and having to pay rent from that. I hope this government is proud of this, i have worked all my life and now instant poverty

@TheDavecroft

26 күн бұрын

You say that 'when you retire...' but you also say neither of you can work, so I am confused. Also I have never heard of a thing called 'mixed aged couple' stopping you getting certain benefits - surely most couples are mixed age! And it would have nothing to do with refusing you benefits anyway, it's based on financial circumstances, not on the fact that you and your husband are different ages.

@twish1999

25 күн бұрын

@@TheDavecroft You are wrong. If one person is state pension age, and the other person is younger then you are forbidden from claiming pension credit or housing benefit because they class you as a 'mixed age couple'.... when you both reach state pension age then you may claim pension credit and housing benefit. .This is to 'encourage' the younger partner to work full time, which is fine if they can.

For 1 hour physical labour I bought a box of washing powder and a pkt of toilet rolls

The UK State Pension assumes zero rent or mortgage by retirement age. Then if a couple on full SP £1800 ish is enough - just about - especially if near a bus route (free bus pass) and can do without a car. With a car or if single life is not so easy on £900 a month. Only food and council tax are cheaper than for couples. To be fair it's £898.36p that I get every 4 weeks NOT monthly. That is 13 times a year not 12.

Some people don't ever live, they merely survive. It hasn't just happened, it has always been the same and it will never change. This is the system that has been built around us over centuries, and we can like it or get over it.

@denisescally7090

27 күн бұрын

Or do something about it. Did you see the protests and strikes in France when they were going to put up the state pension age from 62? We are at 67 and rising!

@pabo-qv3nx

25 күн бұрын

​@@denisescally7090 Exactly but we the British are divided whereas the French are United.

I have a reduced state pension which is just £700 per month , ( that's just a third of the minimum wage) I'm expected to live on that with a little few pounds pension credit top up... this after paying into the system for 50 years...

Bang on mate👍

The government truly doesn’t care how you live. They would probably expect you to downsize your accommodation in order to pay the council tax. Make more room for the immigrants.

The UK state pension is one of the lowest in Europe. Gordon Brown commenced his chancellorship in 1997 with a fairly secret raid on the occupational pension industry from which it has never fully recovered. I have been living on the state pension and a small NHS pension which total to £1100 per month. I can manage on this as my wife has similar income and our mortgage is paid off. However I think many pensioners who pay rent must struggle and end up getting benefits to help them out. I think mass immigration is totally destabilising to this country. It has made housing so expensive that future generations will reach pension age with very little security over housing costs. The pie is being divided up ever smaller as millions come to this country and take jobs and housing. But many people support this policy. Both that pension raid and mass migration really got going under the Blair/Brown government. They never cared about the effects of these policies on the elderly British population. I wonder what the next Labour government has in store for the elderly? It probably won't be in their manifesto when that eventually is announced.

Don't pay your utility bills or your water rates or your general rates what can they do

Can't afford taxi fares to hospital appointments! Pensioner poverty, it's a complete nightmare. Tried all the helplines, they just don't work.

People with base pension, no savings and struggling can get additional help. I’m also only on state pension however I paid the big stamp as they called it for many years so I got almost £4000/year more than the base however most of that is taxed so minus around £800 although I’m not sure how they will take it as the statement said I don’t need to do anything. As for heating, I’ve plenty of clothes so I won’t freeze 🥶 now I’m trying to think of a way to earn a little extra money doing something that I enjoy, however it won’t be easy 😅 As for the £5/hr for the ship workers, it depends where their home is and you will probably find that they stay away from home for long periods and go home pretty pleased with themselves, I know people from the Philippines and Thailand that do this.

I was one of those people who, on the advice of my father, joined the company pension scheme. Now having worked for 5 different companies I have 5 company pensions. I retired 10 years ago at 60 and my state pension came into payment in 2020. Sadly, my wife died from the dreaded cancer just over 4 years ago and never received her SP due to the government rule change. I now receive a widower’s pension from her company scheme. So I receive 7 pensions, including my SP, which amounts to a tidy sum above the UK average salary. No government of any colour is going to increase SP to the living wage. They’re more likely to means test it and I guess I’d be a loser in that case.

A person needs to have paid 35 years National Insurance to get the full state pension. Assuming you start work at 16 that means by age 51 you have the qualifying years yet if you continue to work to the current state pension age of 66 years, so another 15 years working you do not get anything extra. The state pension should be paid as you get xxxx amount for every year that you have paid into it.

@caldwellfisher5288

26 күн бұрын

When you are unemployed the benefit system pays NI (used be be called stamp) in for you, so you could work 10 yrs and be unemployed 25years and still you would have made enough contributions.

Unfortunately using cheap foreign labour to suppress wages is SUPPORTED by Labour who will soon be in power. If a pensioner needs £440 a week to live on then so do people on the dole so nobody's realistically gonna get off their arss unless min wage is at least £700 pw and then who's guna be a teacher or nurse when they can earn MORE than that in Asda? Maybe the incoming govt will take us down this route. We'll see. You're sure looking well, senior or not. Thnx for the vid.

I have always been skint I'm used to it

When I started work in 1963 paying tax and N I contributions Spain was a third world country it now has the one of the best pensions in Europe we are the 16th

I'm 72 and in the same situation as you are. I dread one of us "going"! But what makes you think Labour (or anyone else) will help us out of this? Man, you must have been smoking whacky baccy for the last few years. We are known as Useless Eaters. We are fully expendable, despite having paid into the pot all our working lives (unlike a certain demographic I could name).

Couple of points. I wish the main political parties could get together for once and agree upon a sustainable pension based upon a fixed percentage of average earnings, rather than the unwieldy triple lock. Secondly, I believe that many of the unemployment and health related benefits are even lower then the state pension. Seems that this government find poverty and hunger acceptable as part of it's economic strategy.

i know a few on pension credit who pay very little rent and do very nicely, how does that work ?

@TheDavecroft

26 күн бұрын

Pension credit is a benefit, so it also means they are eligible for things like free council tax and rent rebates. That is the problem with the benefits system, it can often discourage people from taking responsibility for themselves - why struggle all your working life to buy a house and pay into a pension when those who don't bother get looked after by the state?

@howardthomas3862

26 күн бұрын

@@TheDavecroft this is my point exactly

it is going to get even worse in future years a lot of pensioners will be paying rent as well.

We dont live we try to survive!!! I get a private pension from my late husbands works which is taxed, my state pension has been reduced because of this. I cant get any benefits because of this private pension as it takes my over the threshold. The pension increase I got doesnt even cover my rent increase, my electric bill is more than my food bill!! My late husband worked all his life, paid into the system, he died before reaching pensionable age and I cant claim a penny from it!!

@fruitandlemon

27 күн бұрын

Private rental sector is a nightmare my rent went up £150 per month arguably because of the rise (to historically normal) of mortgage rates and the tax changes to private landlords. My state pension doesn't cover rent and council tax let alone anything else. (Paid NIC 35 yrs plus paid for additional years still dont get the max state pension under new scheme). Being single, which a lot elderly people are, is the most expensive way to live.

@Calm-locket

27 күн бұрын

@@fruitandlemon I'm fortunate enough to live in sheltered social housing but on top of my rent I have to pay community charges! Worst move I ever made!!

No Pension should be taxed you have payed tax all your life

@TheDavecroft

26 күн бұрын

Not everyone has. People who have been on benefits usually haven't paid much tax.

You maybe not skin….but you made a choice to try and save even if it was difficult. Some don’t bother to save and expect the government to pay for them and the government will do this gladly…shame on them

@OldGeezersDiary

27 күн бұрын

For most ordinary working people, saving for a pension wasn't even mentioned for much of the time when I and many others were growing up. The issue in many ways is that the transition between state-funded retirement has been incredibly badly managed.

@TheDavecroft

26 күн бұрын

​@@OldGeezersDiaryfair point but then our parents did not expect all the 'goodies' that people want nowadays. My dad pottered about in his shed and walked to the shop for his paper every day, no car, no holidays, that was his retirement. And his generation didn't live for 30 years in retirement like people do nowadays.

You are an older geezer than me.

esa and jsa are a lot less than a pension, less than £100pw so if pensioners struggle what do people on esa/jsa do?

@dogkicker100

29 күн бұрын

no they are not , the pip payment you forget to add ,sick and disabled &unfit for work get 2 payments pcm

I'm sorry, I can't really hear you.

Retirement? Guess you have to work until you drop.

@TheDavecroft

26 күн бұрын

Not if you save some of your wages for the future instead of spending it all now.

@beautynotstatic2419

26 күн бұрын

@@TheDavecroft is apparently disaffected by the rising cost of survival.

@pabo-qv3nx

25 күн бұрын

​@@TheDavecroft First of all it's very difficult to save as majority of people are surviving hand to mouth. And if you do save you get penalized for having savings.

I agree it's not enough to live on. However, the government purse is already overstretched. The onus is on the individual to invest in a 401k if they dont have a work based pension. I now live in Thailand, where the state pension is 12 pounds a month.

@terrytunney4089

27 күн бұрын

The evil cult running this Country have wasted our money on brain dead leadership races.

@denisescally7090

27 күн бұрын

I think we are working out that the Government won’t be looking out for us and most people starting out now will have a Pension pot of some sort. It’s the people caught out believing that the state pension would be a liveable amount. Which it isn’t today in the UK.

@trevor5526

26 күн бұрын

@denisescally7090 To be honest, it never was. I still remember my grandparents' meager existence in retirement back in the day

@amandahudson2038

26 күн бұрын

When you retire you are humiliated and loose your right of privacy if you have any dealings with government departments, councils or nhs. They did try and kill us all off so we would not have to endure a long ,moneyless retirement. Looking forward to the pigeons coming home to roost as happened with the poet office. Tories should never be in parliament again EVER AND LABOUR SHOULD BE AVOIDED LIKE THE MEDICAL INTERVENTIONS THEY HAVE BEEN INSISTING ON.

If the state pension had kept up with inflation it would be around £1600, a month.

@sayitlikeitis8759

27 күн бұрын

Which, just by coincidence, is the same amount as the UBI trials taking place in Wales atm ……

@TheDavecroft

26 күн бұрын

It does keep up with inflation as measured by consumer price index. Sometimes it goes up considerably more than inflation thanks to the triple lock, eg. this year the state pension went up by 8.5% even though inflation was 6.7%.

Short answer: they're not.

Get people to stop voting Tory that's the only way

what you should do is provide for yourself over your working life if you didn't then that's on you

@OldGeezersDiary

27 күн бұрын

That wasn't the for much of the time when I and many others were growing up. The issue in many ways is that the transition between state-funded retirement has been incredibly badly managed.

@micky1up

27 күн бұрын

@@OldGeezersDiary again you should have provided for yourself in the future all the mechanism's were there even when you were growing up

@denisescally7090

27 күн бұрын

@@micky1up Private Pensions weren’t a thing in the UK until 1988. NI contributions were a mechanism in place to give people a dignified retirement, not luxurious, and that was the long held belief.

@TheDavecroft

26 күн бұрын

​​@@denisescally7090 many firms offered good private pensions, often final salary based. And even if people did not have a private pension they got extra state pension (SERPS) based on their NI contributions. SERPS could be a pretty decent amount.

I think that Tories hold an idea in their heads of what an ideal pensioner looks like and they just project that image onto pensioners in general, such that if you're a pensioner and struggling you must be doing it wrong. It goes for pensioners and young people alike, and plenty of other demographics they really don't care for. It's an unthinking way to think but that's the Tories for you, they don't really care beyond saying they do. What a state our country is in.

Just know we're heading fast towards the end times. It's all in your Bible.

The answers your not all planned

@OldGeezersDiary

16 күн бұрын

Not sure what you mean, Keith.

They don’t want to give any state pension let alone raise it. To be fair that living wage is to pay for people who still have a mortgage, kids etc, which a pensioner shouldn’t have

This will be controversial, and I don’t mean to suggest everyone is the same but … when people reach retirement age, you should have paid for your property.. so no mortgage no rent, people should start paying into their pension when first starting work… then they will have about the same amount to live on as when they were working with the same amount of disposable income minus the mortgage. when timing retirement properly to match your mortgage being paid off, adding your private pension (which you should be fully paid up for over your working life), adding the state pension, adding a private pension lump sum … should give you a very comfortable retirement. If people don’t think this through when they are younger, then retirement will be awful .. but that would be their fault for not learning about money and perhaps making bad decisions.

@Lookup2Wakeup

27 күн бұрын

As a Baby Boomer, when I was young, we all knew that it would be very difficult to live on the state pension when we retired. Pension rules have changed in our life time to make it easier to save into a pension. We all had this opportunity. I paid into my pot for 37 years through redundancy, Equitable Life failure etc. lots of my mates & relations told me it was a waste of time paying into a pension. Now my pot is valued at £445k, plus I've drawn down £70k over the last 7 years. Poor life choices have consequences.

@denisescally7090

27 күн бұрын

@@Lookup2WakeupI bet your mates and relations were more fun to be around though 😅

@veblen674

25 күн бұрын

@@denisescally7090 It's unfortunate, but many people cannot resign themselves to "defering consumption" during their working lives. Pension considerations are often put off and off until it's too late. We live in a society where everyone is pressured to consume, be it cars, holidays, going out to restaurants etc. etc. Whilst "keeping up with the Jones" may well make you more socially interesting in middle age - there is often a price to be paid.

I live in a small council flat, Im single~ Yes 221 per week, as you say~ BUT what you have left out is that as a pensioner you get Housing benefit, which in effect makes my rent and council tax combined~ £12 a week. So 221 minus 12 is £209 per week for everything else. that's equivalent to =/120rent/25 c,tax/and the 209 that comes to around £354. leaving 209 tax free for everything and anything else not mentioned. Also free bus travel for life. That's not too shabby. . If you earn £11 x 40 hours thats £440, minus tax(40) minus NI (£8) minus full rent (£120)minus full c,tax (£25)minus travel to work/work related(£30 or more with a car)~ you will end up with a similar figure Around £217 left over for all else. So about the same as working...only you dont have to work, and you dont need the expense of a car to get there.

It is a misconception that you “paid in” to the state pension. When you were of working age your taxes/NI went to support the pensioners who were retired at the time. Newsflash, there were many fewer of them and they did not live as long. The poor young folk of today have to support (through their taxes) a growinga ageing and economically inactive population, whilst their own pension ages go up and up. Housing is totally unaffordable for young folk (I was lucky to habe hought my home in the 1990s), whilst a large number of pensioners own their own properties. Your circumstances may be tough, and I feel for you, but the inter-generational imbalance is heavily skewed towards the older generations (who, let’s be honest, also did-over the younger generation in recent times with their economic prospsects too).

@TheDavecroft

26 күн бұрын

Housing isn't really 'totally unaffordable' Yes, it's more expensive than 50 years ago but up north you can buy a little place for not much more than £150,000, easily affordable for a young couple on average wage of £30,000 each.

@denisescally7090

25 күн бұрын

There was no ‘doing-over’ of anybody by the present day pensioners especially of our youngsters whom we have tried to do our best for. Global capitalists are the ones that have deliberately brought about this dystopia.

Top tip,….dont turn your fridge on put your milk in a draught…

I suppose the idea is that firstly, pensioners have had a 40 year working life to save some extra money to supplement the state pension, they have always known that it would not be enough to live comfortably on. Secondly, pensioners usually don't have a mortgage to pay. Thirdly, there is simply not enough money to pay everyone a pension for maybe 30 years or more. Most people receive far more from the state pension then they have ever paid in in National Insurance, for example in the last year of my working life I paid around £2,000 NI, as a pensioner I get over £11,000 a year from the state.Fourthly there are not enough people paying tax and NI to support an ever increasing pensioner population.

Well I wouldn't worry. People don't want to work and Brexit, voted for by pensioners, will stuff us further. So soon no pension. The more pensioners get, the less workers get. Pensioners need to have made provisions for themselves, just like everyone.

@coastliner5848

27 күн бұрын

"Brexit voted by pensioners" - cry harder