To be annoyed pensioners effectively now get a bigger personal allowance

If you have a DC pension which you are not taking so it's not taxed because it's only taxed when you take it, if you don't take it surely the only pension you have for tax is the state pension so you could avoid paying tax on the state pension and still have a private pension sat there. It's probably only worth doing this if private pension is small

I don't think so, I was a civil servant so was in a final salary scheme and my pension is based on my final year's pay. I suppose I could have invested my NI savings but I didn't. I have no complaints about the pensions I get as I believe I've got what I paid for.

I did get the feeling it wasn't planned well or thought out, it was more Oh Shit, what are we going to do, oh, we won't tax these people.

Presumably you get a higher works pension ?

I paid contributions for more than 35 years but get less than the maximum because I was in a contracted out scheme (i.e paid a lower rate of NI) for many years. Disclaimer - I have no complaints about this.

Mainly older women, retired before 2016, who were SAHMs pre 1978, or paid reduced rate NI. The highest number of poorer pensioners are women on their own.

Younger generations have had far more info, plus the introduction of NI credits has helped.

Is this in England?

Yes, though the missed payments can be made in some cases, but for others they can’t.

What circumstances do you not get the full state pension under? Is it when you haven't paid enough NI contributions?

Looking after the elderly is a sign of a caring society, we really need to hold onto these basic pillars of humanity.

Not if they have over a certain level of savings

So unfair

Then they will get pension credit?

For some, the reality of being an OAP is very different!

Exactly, but we keep being told we don’t understand it. This situation is unfair.

Not everyone gets the full state pension!

Ah, thanks.

If the private pension is very small it can be... As they would need to pay tax on the total amount over the threshold:

1. the amount of the state pension over the threshold
2. the private pension

Whereas those that have state pension only, will not pay any tax. Therefore, if the amount was small, those with state pension plus private pension would get less than those on state pension alone.

That's as I understand it- and the assumption is that pensions that ONlY have the state pension get the benefit of no additional tax above the threshold.

How can a private pension plus full state pension be less than just the full state pension?

tt's the same with everyone over 60 automatically qualifying for free TFL travel - this should be stopped, this culture of giving away free £ is mad - someone else is paying their fares MADNESS we should all be treated equal.

My first was born in 71, the last in 1991. I still had more than enough contributions. Left school at 15 and stopped paying NI at 65, first group to hit 65 for SRP. So even after taking 5 years of reduced NI I still had ten years spare.

Sometimes we make the wrong choice, I could have stayed on the reduced NI for another ten years, no use fretting about it now, we made our decisions and live with them.

If I could turn the clock back if have more time as a SAHM but it can't be done.

There is an article in the Daily Mail money section about this and fairness, I didn't realise that this seems to be only those on the new state pension and not those on the old state pension that pay tax on just their pensions. It also mentions people with very small private pensions paying the full tax and also not being fair towards working people that pay tax and NI.

@TheignT My first DC was born 1970, before HRP, and no family allowance/child benefit for no 1. The second was 1972. They were both at school by 78. Much of the work I did was temping, DH worked away a lot and I couldn't commit to permanent for years. No Internet back then, info was much less available for many of us. Lots of older women with bits of pensions, we should have been more aware.

However, my point about income tax still stands.

Home responsibilities protection for people with caring responsibilities started in 1978 so goes back quite a way. Actually being low paid and part time meant you'd save little if anything. Many women made a big mistake opting for it. I paid it for five years but only because I was pretty sure I'd have more than enough credits.

I guess working in payroll meant I knew more about it.

People like me then? There’s an assumption that we all get the same in state pensions. However many older women have gaps in their contributions, there were no NI credits for being a SAHM when I was a young mum. I also, like many others paid reduced rate NI, because of low, part time incomes.

I don’t get a full ‘old’ basic pension, about £4.5K pa. My occupational pensions add up to under £8k. Combined, they're just under the threshold. However, if they increase at a similar rate to the new state pension, and go over the threshold, I will be liable for income tax, but someone with exactly the same gross income, if it is all state pension, won’t.