When will people realise that pensioners have paid for their state pension.

[notsafeanymore]

Every time there is a debate about the cost of living pensioners get a bashing.
And some have also paid for a private pension.
It's people who have never worked that should be targeted first.
I'm not on about the disabled. It's people who are benefit cheats and have never worked.

They are getting much more than they actually put in

Oh I could have written that, I do agree with you. I sometimes think I wish I could have them back just for a day at maybe 3 and 4 so I could hold their hands again.

That’s not how it works
Their money, when working, paid for the pensioners of their day

I started work in 1981, there was no company pension scheme available to join. I just don’t recognise or remember any information, adverts, talks or whatever about taking out a private pension on my own. Also I had more than one financial professional in my close family who would DEFINITELY have encouraged me.

Having said that, there was no spare money at all after paying mortgage and bills so I might not have been able to do it anyway. Like I knew how important it was to have savings and there was no cash for that either. It’s a misconception that we all had it easy back then with our “cheap houses”.

When I got the opportunity to join a company scheme I took it without hesitation. This was well into my thirties. Now being a pensioner but not yet retired, I kind of wish I’d taken the clever route and got a civil service of NHS job, I would be so much better off, and would simply retire!

Ah ok, thanks - will educate myself (pardon the pun 😆) and look it up. I suppose I regard university staff as public rather than private sector, and I thought they got final salary pensions.

Private pensions weren’t launched till 1988

Uni staff, private schools we pay to attend
So not state

I paid into my companies pension for years. It wasn’t a choice

What will I get back

Precisely £0

Pension was used to prop up the failing company. The company and the pension money is long gone.