To be angry with people who describe the old age pension as a "benefit"?

It was a few years ago now but it’s not changed. Unfortunately the people the DWP employ on the phones tend to be ‘street to seat’ whereas when I started (I was there for quite a long time), we had 13 weeks training!

Surely the actual issue is that it was set up by the government on the basis that you put in and you will receive when you retire but when it’s not actually invested and is based upon economy and government spending at some point it will fail and the people who have paid in will not receive a state pension. It’s a bad design that only works in a growing economy. I also think it’s frustrating when it’s described as a benefit as technically if they hadn’t taken that percentage and people had invested then it would achieve said pension for them and they wouldn’t be accused of being a drain on the economy that they’ve paid into all their lives. Otherwise just call it income tax rather than national insurance.

Each person can check their own state pension information here

Date due to be paid
How much due to be paid - However some people can claim other money on top, depending on their circumstances
Eg
Pension credit
Rent for accommodation
Council tax reduction
Attendance allowance

www.gov.uk/check-state-pension

because they see people who claim benefits as scroungers. They dont want to be lumped in with that group

Each person can view their own National Insurance record here

It shows each individual year
It shows
Fully paid
Part paid
No payment
So if a person worked or claimed benefits the info is here

https://www.gov.uk/check-national-insurance-record

You are 100% correct and I, as a pensioner, do not understand why some pensioners resent the word 'benefit', when they do benefit! I was happy to pay contributions while working and am now happily receiving my state pension. What's the problem?

The simple face is the State Pension is - and always had been - a contributory benefit. And it has always been the case that current contributions from current tax payers pay for the State Pension. Nothing in your rant acknowledges those fundamental facts.

Yes it is a benefit. What does your bank statement say if you claim pension? Does it say DWP? Because I am on Universal Credit and it says the same.
We are the same. We are getting benefits from DWP.

No shame in it. I do think people try and separate it as they think people on UC are workshy scroungers.

The other poster is correct. The initial post is both stupid and steaming with anger so I can't blame the responder for being a bit patronising.

Maybe because it's such a complicated sounding system is why people like your mother and the OP get so confused.

Where I live we just pay straightforward tax, and it goes towards everything.

Completely off topic, how I hate the word "pension", it sounds so old fashioned and when combined with "old age" it makes me shudder. 😬

Sorry @FlubandSlub but it's a benefit. You can be as angry as you like but it doesn't change the facts.

Can we ask also for patronising as shit thread policing posts to be taken down? 😉

Why are you so defensive about receiving a benefit? It doesn’t mark you out as “less than”.

I get that it is disappointing if you thought you would retire at 60 and the age went up. But so has everyones. Mine has gone up twice in my working life and I expect it to go up again before I actually retire. I never understood why women got to retire earlier anyway, and the claims that people did not know about the changes does not ring true.

NI doesn't just pay for the state pension. You are forgetting, the NHS, contributions based benefits, maternity allowance, and social care for starters.

More than 50% of households take out more than they contribute.

Yes exactly

I’m sure if I hadn’t gone back to work in the 00s when ED was 6 my n.i. Stamp wouldn’t have been paid and I would’ve had to pay extra N.I. Contributions

Well, surely state pension IS a benefit for those who have not worked or contributed. For those of us who have worked and paid in all our lives it's no less than what we expect to receive by having paid such contributions for many years (not that we had much choice).

It is a benefit. There's nothing wrong with being on benefits of you need them. That's what they are there for.

My state pension age has increased too

https://www.gov.uk/national-insurance/what-national-insurance-is-for

Info here

https://www.gov.uk/national-insurance

National Insurance not only pays for State pensions, but for other benefits too. It goes into a big pot for communal use.

Pot pays for

Job seekers
Maternity
Child benefit
Non working people
NHS

People also have the opportunity to pay into a private pension too.

Do you claim Child Benefit? You will get NI credits for the years you claim Child Benefit. Certain disability benefits such as Employment Support Allowance also give you NI credits. PIP or DLA do not as they are not means tested.

I wonder how common this view is. My mother holds it. I mentioned once the issues countries face with a growing retired population, and she seemed confused as she thought like the OP that that money was saved away somewhere.

“When I started my working life, aged 16, I entered into an agreement with the government for them to save my pension money for me.”

That agreement has been varied every single election since. With the publics consent. Because - shock horror - that's how things work.

OP - I think you need to re-educate yourself on the welfare state - it’s definitely not a savings bank, but a “social security” system and is paid for by the working population for the most vulnerable in society (including the elderly). I agree with you about lack of fairness, like you I’ll be waiting until 67, despite working (or studying) for over 45 years and never claiming benefits. Our adult children will probably have to wait until age 70 at least. We’re all living longer than our parents’ and grandparents’ generations so something has to give. I also think it’s right that men and women have an equal retirement age - we can’t expect to retire several years before men and yet still be seen as equals - society doesn’t work like that.