General Chat

Did anyone else realise this?


Radical reform of the pensions system would create a blatant ‘apartheid’ between those who retire under the new rules and those forced to continue under the old.

Current pensioners would not benefit from the planned increase to £140 a week for every individual.

And incredibly, someone retiring on the day the new rules came in could receive over £100 a week more than someone retiring the day before.

Under the proposals revealed in yesterday’s Daily Mail, ministers plan to replace the current basic £97.65 a week payment for a single pensioner and £156.15 for a couple with a flat-rate benefit of £140 for each person.

To help pay for the proposed increase, all existing means-tested top-up payments for poorer pensioners would be abolished.

But the reforms would apply only to those who retire after the date when they are introduced.


Read more: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-1323761/Pensions-apartheid-Current-OAPs-qualify-rise-140-week.html#ixzz13StXhm17

Hmmmmm, so once again there really is no point whatsoever for anyone to work and pay towards their pension!

The way it works now - and the new system will give the same end result -someone who has worked, for example, for 10 years and paid into the state pension receives a reduced pension which is topped up with pension credits to the minimum level of £132 for a single person.

Someone working and paying into the state pension for 30-40 years receives £97 and is topped up with pension credits to £132 for a single person.........can't see the point of working myself!!!

The whole tax and benefits system in this country is in need of a very radical overhaul in my opinion........there is no incentive to work the way it is now.

Mary

I didn't till I read it today Ann,

so for 30 years there will have to be a 'dual system' apparently, the continuation of means testing for current pensioners and the £140 straight payment for new pensioners...which makes a mockery of the claim that abolishing the means testing system will finance the higher pension...deep sigh lol.

I do wonder whether these politicians think their new laws through before they open their mouths. What a way to lose votes though, if it is due to come in in five years people will be well aware at the next G Election.

nudge this up in case anyone missed it.

My mum paid into a pension, but because she's married, she loses most of it in tax.

Two people receiving £280 a week would manage, but I assume that if there's no means testing, a person who lives alone would be expected to live on £140 a week, with no 'top ups'. How can they afford to pay rent etc.?
They'd just about scrape by if they owned their own house and had no mortgage.
....or are all pensioners meant to 'shack up' together!!!

Strikes me it's another blow against women - who tend to live longer than men.