AIBU to think that I shouldn't have bothered working and paying into National Insurance for the 35 years I have done so?

Understandable that you feel like that. The system seems very unfair. Take care

Exactly...

Exactly. Yay I get to work in a hot room, drive an old car, work out the logistics of work/kids/life, pay taxes and sell everything own if I end up needing care. Meanwhile my neighbours in the 8 years I have lived next to them have had brand new windows fitted, a new kitchen, new cars all whilst doing f all. What a joy to be the one paying for it!

Epitomises the unfairness of it all. As they say, 'Comparison is the thief of joy'.
I can understand why you feel as you do OP. Same applies to other situations. Someone in my family working FT to support his family is worse off financially than another who chooses not to. As I said, very unfair. Don't let it chew you up. Take care

I agree, the whole thing is thouroughly depressing. I work my arse off for very little, will never own a house yet pay around £250 pcm into my NHS pension, wtf am I bothering? My quality of life is totally shit and I could really use the money now. I will be screwed if and when I am ever able to retire and am suffering now for what?

If I live that long as am totally burnt out. Would be better off fucking it off and waiting for my pension credit to kick in

The problem is how NI was handled at the end of the baby boomer era

Bare with me:

Obviously the idea of NI is that you pay in when you can, and take out when you need.

Mostly, this means people will pay in when they're younger and working, and take out when they are old, retired and have more health care costs.

My parents' generation are now retired and taking out, but that generation never paid enough in to cover the obviously, predicted cost they would need.

Instead, during the 80s and 90s, they were only paying in enough to cover the costs of the older folks who were taking out then. The ratio of payers in to takers our was pretty good - lots of workers and not so many pensioners to put it over simply - so they didn't need to pay much NI, for the pensioners at that time to get a good deal.

Fast forward 40 years, and the ratio has flipped: in comparison there's now loads of pensioners and few workers.

Because the government is still forced to rob Peter to pay Paul (there's no other option now) there just isn't money to go round. Today's workers are taxed at a higher rate, and yet there's not enough money to look after our old folks.

I say no other option. The other way of improving the payers in to takes out ratio is mass immigration of working age people, but we all know how that has played out...

It didn't have to be this way. It was already clear 40 years ago what the demographics were looking like. The government knew how many babies were being born and would end up shoulding the cost.

Other countries, like Germany, planning ahead, got the workers in the 80s to pay more tax and saved / invested that money, which it is now using to fund better service for their older people.

So in conclusion, I blame my mum and dad's generation for voting for Thatcher's economically illiterate tax cuts! 🤦‍♀️

There’s no pride in dodging work your whole life.

You have worked hard and contributed to society. You have set a good example to your children.

It’s a shame that your workplace pensions haven’t worked out, because this is what would usually bridge the gap.

No, it isn’t fair.

I for one would prefer to work than not work and be supported by the state. No money, dependent on the government: no way to live, no pride. No choices.

I’m not sure I understand this. My dad worked his entire life from age 15.

He rented and drew a pension and got pension credit (no work place pensions) and help paying his rent.

Are you saying the system has been changed, and only people who have never worked get pension credit?

Well, people are now realising what they have voted for.

Unfortunately, the last government were too incompetent so people voted for change. But at least they rewarded work and saving.

Labour needs all the people on benefits to keep voting for them, so they will not care about wokers (unless they work in the public sector).

I agree OP but I don’t know what the solution is. Other than tighten the criteria considerably until only those who absolutely cannot work at all get benefits.

100% this. And we're meant to hear about people like your neighbours and say 'gosh, lucky me to get to work and support these people to make sure they're happy and get what they want!'

The basic state pension that is paid to people born before around 1950 is £169.50 per week, it needed 39 years of NI.

The new state pension paid to people born after around 1950 is £221.20 per week and needs 35 years of NI to get it.

It changed around 2010 but people on the old amount haven't been moved to the new higher amount, but that was a factor in bringing in pension credit.

Labour is now going to screw the working classes that have supported and voted for them. All politicians are lying bastards….end of!!!

Socialist Mumsnet? Are you fucking joking Have you seen the way social housing tenants are talked about on here. A recent thread about prisoners showed that the prisoners were more well thought of

well, not everyone can work for starters.

Well, it is better than life on the State Pension as you now get more benefits.

i wish I only had to pay 35 yrs! 😆

I agree OP.

However, this is socialist Mumsnet so you will get flamed for having such an opinion. But I hear you and feel your pain.

The old basic state pension was (and still is) lower than the new flat rate state pension.

Purely anecdote but today as I was working from home, in my full time job, in a boiling hot room, I had the pleasure of looking out my window to my next door neighbours who don't work sunning themselves in their garden. They don't work, have a 3 bed council house with one adult son living there, have newer cars than me (hers a 2023 plate, his a 2013 plate) whilst I rattle around in a 2009 car. They enjoy their hot tub and free time whilst I just seem to work and can hardly afford the bills this month.

No doubt in retirement, even though they seemed to have retired at 40, they'll get everything paid for. Meanwhile I'll probably have to sell my house to pay for care. They are people who know exactly how to play the system and have done it for years. No they might not own a house but why own when the council will pay for everything and you have the house until you die anyway, and won't need to "sell" it to pay for care.

It's a joke and there is no incentive to do well in this country at all. Jealous? More like despair.

When? When was the old state pension 25% less than the new one?