Keir's first day....

[CurlewKate]

Looks pretty good to me! What are people's thoughts?

Complete failure of society.

@likethislikethat "As for the rest of Liebour. Wait and see, then regret"

Such a clever pun! Did you think it up yourself? You could probably do something similar with Tony Blair if you thought about it....

But @ArseInTheCoOpWindow , they were my pennies to save, after paying the taxes due on on the earnings, which were paid in the year they were earned. Double dipping into already taxed income is not going to go well. That is quite seriously the ground at which DH and I start to consider going to Portugal where the sun shines and the D7 retirement visa allows you to pay tax on global earnings at 10%. Healthcare is on top of that of course. But after 12 months, you can join and pay into the national co-pay system. There are quite a few similar schemes around the world, designed to appeal to retirees with reasonable assets. For the record, we are not wealthy: we have a nice house to sell, bought 25+ years ago, and lived off a local engineering business, which DH started 35 years ago, and what I earned.

@Papyrophile by what mechanism will you settle permanently in Portugal?

D7 retirement visa.

Renewable annually, until one has enough years to apply for settled status.

It's good to know that there are still some options for people despite the idiocy of Brexit.

The state pension is not a government handout, it is a scheme we pay into all our working lives so that we have money to live on when we retire. Money in, money out. It's a state insurance policy. Rich people also pay in, so they too should get their state pension just like everyone else. And no, I'm nowhere near rich.

There are non-employment options across most of the EU as long as you are not seeking paid work in the local economy. Obviously, there's a ton of paperwork involved, but it remains possible (not necessarily easy). But if you take your own work or income with you, and are not going to be a cost to the host nation, there are still options.

Sadly that doesn't help young people - they have really been shafted by Brexit. And it looks as if our new government is too cowardly to do anything about that.

No, it doesn't help young people and it's designed to exclude them, unless they work remotely. Look at non lucrative visas which allow digital nomads to do work that originates outside their country of residence. Most of Europe has dreadful youth unemployment statistics. Retirees are fine, because they don't want jobs but are bringing pension incomes and savings from elsewhere. They will buy and improve cheap properties in deserted villages and slowly breathe life back into those communities. Will they get their money back? (probably not) but the quality of life is nicer.

But settle somewhere cheap near an airport with a good service to the UK, and accept that you'll fly more than the Green party would wish, and it's not impossible to make it work.

Sure you will, how's Brexit going for you?

It's fine as long as you don't mind sharing your hospital ward with trans women, toilets etc

I've worked since I was 16 and I've been paying tax/NI for 60 years and still paying as is only right for my circumstances. I didn't grumble about retired people receiving their pension paid for with my taxes. In return, I expect my state pension to continue as contracted.

I don't think the new government has said anything about means testing the state pension @HowIrresponsible ? Do you have a link?

Of course she/they doesn't/don't

Looking forward to following his progress.

What a silly statement..designed to show how progressive you are but really..if everyone around you started to believe they were houseplants..you would respect that? Its nonsense

So you know nothing about them then! Glad we established that

NHS has been career average for years.

Correct, and how long would you have to have worked in the NHS to lose your state pension. A huge amount of people aren't clinical and haven't always been in the NHS/had good pension provision.

Have a look at the Mc Cloud judgement many of us have 20+ years in the final salary scheme.

The whole world has become a different place in the last 14 years, huge global migration issues, wars, terrorism, pandemics, changes in governments/regimes, etc, etc , name one country where the current generation has improved over the last?

The liebour thing is ironic, gived the lies and scaremongering being spread on MN right now.

I heard Keir and Ange are going to take your first born away once they've finished means testing the state pension.

In reality, the over 65s and those near pension age are the voters Starmer will need to get another term. He is highly unlikely to introduce such a measure.