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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

OP posts:
VWT5 · 08/04/2024 22:32

GoodnightAdeline · 08/04/2024 17:17

My AIBU is that we are not in a financial position to be paying more to pensioners

For decades OP, we weren’t in a position to be paying the pensions of your grandparents (or grandparents or parents, or both, depending on your age) but we didn’t grumble endlessly about it - as seems to be what happens now…

(I won’t go into the fact that some of us couldn’t afford to have children and other major life decisions we made like that).

Original poster
GoodnightAdeline · 08/04/2024 22:27

AllPrincessAnneshorses · 08/04/2024 22:17

Funnily enough that was ALL of us.

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Austerity was for me was it? Or was it the government putting us under the cosh to ‘make things better in future’ (with varying degrees of success)

OP posts:
JesusMaryAndJosephAndTheWeeDon · 08/04/2024 22:21

AllPrincessAnneshorses · 08/04/2024 22:17

Funnily enough that was ALL of us.

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Some of us started our adult life in a world where the government invested money in the future of the country and its citizens.

Those who came of age during austerity probably had the benefit of schemes like sure start and the child trust fund while growing up.

JenniferBooth · 08/04/2024 22:19

AllPrincessAnneshorses · 08/04/2024 22:17

Funnily enough that was ALL of us.

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Yes and lockdowns didnt come without a price either,

AllPrincessAnneshorses · 08/04/2024 22:17

GoodnightAdeline · 08/04/2024 22:11

Lived under austerity all of my adult life to save the economy and was under house arrest for months to prevent a virus overburdening public health services and spiralling us into yet more debt. You?

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Funnily enough that was ALL of us.

AllPrincessAnneshorses · 08/04/2024 22:16

toomuchfaff · 08/04/2024 17:15

Not quite understanding what your AIBU is?

Are you annoyed that pensioners are getting an increase? Their gain isn't your loss? What are you moaning about?

Probably that those awful boomers haven't had the courtesy to die yet and save her taxes.

smellpretty · 08/04/2024 22:15

Runningonjammiedodgers · 08/04/2024 21:59

Can someone explain pre 2016 rate to new rate? Why does pre 2016 people (especially couples) get so much less?

Because there was a second state pension paid in addition to the basic state pension for those who had accrued it by paying the earnings related NI contributions, or from a private scheme if they elected to opt-out and not pay those extra contributions. Anyone who does not earn as much as the current state pension from other sources can claim the means tested Pension Credit.

Original poster
GoodnightAdeline · 08/04/2024 22:11

ShyMaryEllen · 08/04/2024 22:03

Excellent. You are doing the basics for your own children. Now can you answer my earlier question about what exactly you have done to improve the lot of your children's generation when they are adults? The things you seem to blame so-called 'Boomers' for not doing?

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Lived under austerity all of my adult life to save the economy and was under house arrest for months to prevent a virus overburdening public health services and spiralling us into yet more debt. You?

OP posts:
VestibuleVirgin · 08/04/2024 22:09

GoodnightAdeline · 08/04/2024 17:17

My AIBU is that we are not in a financial position to be paying more to pensioners

When you've pais 44 years of national insurance contributions and are still only getting about £900 per month to live on, come back with your moany mouth

ShyMaryEllen · 08/04/2024 22:03

GoodnightAdeline · 08/04/2024 19:50

I do afford them. I house, feed and clothe them myself and don’t claim child benefit. Or any other benefits.

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Excellent. You are doing the basics for your own children. Now can you answer my earlier question about what exactly you have done to improve the lot of your children's generation when they are adults? The things you seem to blame so-called 'Boomers' for not doing?

Original poster
GoodnightAdeline · 08/04/2024 22:03

Heatherbell1978 · 08/04/2024 20:45

How what? If you’re sat in a 1million pound house with a private pension no way should you be claiming state

So how does this work. If I'm living in a draughty 3 bed semi in London which just happens to be worth £1m because the property market is nuts, I shouldn't be allowed a state pension?

You should sell the house, IMO.

OP posts:
Original poster
GoodnightAdeline · 08/04/2024 22:02

Growlybear83 · 08/04/2024 20:22

I wouldn't call it a hell of a break - it was fairly normal at the time I had my daughter. There was no free nursery provision and the vast majority of children in my daughters class had stay at home mothers until they moved up to the juniors. During the time I was off work, my husband was still paying national insurance and tax which helped to fund the cost of education, university and college fees, and other benefits. I was not a burden on society during that time and I think 43 years of me working and paying tax and NI does give me some entitlement to the paltry amount of pension I'm now receiving. Could you manage to live on that amount OP?

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That’s nice for you.

OP posts:
Original poster
GoodnightAdeline · 08/04/2024 22:02

BabaBarrio · 08/04/2024 20:21

Sorry, delete the first privately. The 2m was all renting, private, social and sheltered.

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Yikes, that’s one hell of a mistake on your part.

OP posts:
Original poster
GoodnightAdeline · 08/04/2024 22:01

Iamtheoneinten · 08/04/2024 20:48

Well if they don’t then it will be the fault of your generation, the pensioners of today will be long gone. Because as you said, it’s not a savings scheme, it’s not being kept in a vault for you. You’re 32 , unlike pensioners, you’ve got years ahead of you to make money, and if you can’t make enough money and pay enough tax in to the system to ensure your future in the welfare state, then work harder - and for longer. Simple.
Apparently.

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You’ve just contradicted yourself.

OP posts:
Runningonjammiedodgers · 08/04/2024 21:59

Can someone explain pre 2016 rate to new rate? Why does pre 2016 people (especially couples) get so much less?

JenniferBooth · 08/04/2024 21:59

converseandjeans · 08/04/2024 21:43

@Anonymouseposter

The very rich are okay, poorer people get their rent paid and pension credit, people with small private pensions are no better off for having them

Yes it seems that saving what you can seems pointless when you can get pension credit anyway. Also paying off a mortgage just means you have to pay for old age care as they expect you to sell it to pay care home fees. If you don't own a house then care home fees are presumably covered by the state.

Luckily most people prefer to pay off and own their home & pay into a private pension. Otherwise we would all need pension credit

And if those care workers did the same and all walked out of the job to go for a better one who would actually do the looking after in the care homes. It is people doing this so you dont have to who will need pension credit when they get older

AND YET..............some seem ok with having elderly relatives cared for by people they look on with contempt for having a low paid job!

Original poster
GoodnightAdeline · 08/04/2024 21:59

nothingsforgotten · 08/04/2024 21:13

I don't like to burst your bubble OP, but you can make it as clear as you want, you can rant and rave all you want, you can put forward your wild theories all you want - but you have NO influence whatsoever so you might as well crawl back into your pit. 😂

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Are you ok? Who has been ranting?

OP posts:
Narwhalsh · 08/04/2024 21:55

Anonymouseposter · 08/04/2024 21:17

If the state pension was means tested there would be a disincentive for people to pay into occupational pension schemes. People have sacrificed income at a time of their life when they had mortgages and children to pay into private/occupational pensions. Why would they do this when it would just mean that they lost eligibility for the state pension. There are already some disincentives for saving. The very rich are okay, poorer people get their rent paid and pension credit, people with small private pensions are no better off for having them. Means testing would make things worse for people at the margins.

I think this is where we need a huge cultural shift. Saving in your working life for a comfortable retirement and for your later life care should IMHO be a base level expectation. It’s for YOU at the end of the day!!

JenniferBooth · 08/04/2024 21:52

GoodnightAdeline · 08/04/2024 19:51

Why would they be? Firstly pensioners as a group are much better off than working people, the vast majority have no housing expenses which is the biggest expense. Those in hardship receive pension credit, and affiliated concessions and usually other benefits. Very few pensioners live solely on 11k a year, with housing expenses to pay.

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Since May 2019 they dont if they have a younger partner

Narwhalsh · 08/04/2024 21:47

Elvis1956 · 08/04/2024 21:17

Op, the state pension is funded today, by people paying national insurance. There is no pension pot like a private scheme. Therefore when you reach retirement age people born this year and next, and next rtf etc will pay your pension.

I, as a NI payer don’t pay £11.5k per year. I pay £4k (higher rate). So you need AT LEAST 3x (high rate) workers for every pensioner, IF NI was used to only pay for pensions (which it doesn’t).

In 2020 there were 280 pensioners to 1000 workers, 2.8 pensioners being supported by 10 workers and the number of pensioners is going up. It’s very clear to see where the issue lies…

converseandjeans · 08/04/2024 21:43

@Anonymouseposter

The very rich are okay, poorer people get their rent paid and pension credit, people with small private pensions are no better off for having them

Yes it seems that saving what you can seems pointless when you can get pension credit anyway. Also paying off a mortgage just means you have to pay for old age care as they expect you to sell it to pay care home fees. If you don't own a house then care home fees are presumably covered by the state.

Luckily most people prefer to pay off and own their home & pay into a private pension. Otherwise we would all need pension credit

D0v3Gr3y · 08/04/2024 21:30

Otherstories2002 · 08/04/2024 21:24

Yeah that’s what I said.

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Well you haven’t said anything bar some vague nonsense amount house prices being used to means test.

So fire away, tell us how it’s going to work.

Otherstories2002 · 08/04/2024 21:24

D0v3Gr3y · 08/04/2024 20:55

Ah so everybody should be on interest only mortgages or simply aim to not pay their mortgage off in order to keep a state pension. Sounds like great financial sense.😂

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Yeah that’s what I said.

smellpretty · 08/04/2024 21:23

More ageist nonsense on mumsnet. The increase is in accordance with the current government's policy on indexation of the state pension.
As with any other policy, if you don't like it you can vote for someone else.

tttigress · 08/04/2024 21:18

It tricky. On the one hand in can't be much fun living on £11.5 k.

On the other hand, the UK debt levels are going up every year. We are going to be so screwed in about 10-20 years time (assuming you don't think we are screwed now).