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.

There are hardly any jobs for young people since Rachel Reeves rigged the system ever more against them by raising employers’ NI contributions.
I am, at 53, nearer to pension age now, but I am aghast at those older people who are so defensive, criticising our youth when our youth have been shafted in the employment and housing market.
Those people talking about the younger generation in that way just sum up the“I’m alright, Jack” attitudes that have allowed this shite.

People seem to focus solely on the State Pension in these discussions. My point is that any serious conversation about affordability, sustainability or fairness needs to consider both the State Pension and unfunded public sector pensions.

This country spends far too much time blaming different groups for its problems and not enough time holding successive governments accountable for poor stewardship. Sure, some problems are the result of poor personal choices, but more often they stem from those running the country. Too often, the costs of incompetence, short-term thinking and policy failure are spread across taxpayers and future generations, while those responsible move on without remorse, free to enjoy taxpayer-funded defined benefit pensions and the security of a taxpayer-funded State Pension.

Rather than pitting pensioners against workers, public sector against private sector, or one generation against another, we should be asking why so many policy failures carry so little accountability and how those responsible can be held to account when things go wrong.

I specifically said unfunded,

Don't get me wrong we need to reform the state pension, I just think the attitude of ‘take it off ‘em’ is less than helpful. Look at the unholy row about removing the winter fuel allowance which was a perfectly reasonable stance in the context of the triple lock.

It wouldn’t matter if 100% of them were healthy and working. There’s not enough of them to pay for the ageing population of pensioners who outnumber them massively.

I think it would be sufficient if people could acknowledge the reality others are living with, rather than having done rather well out of a system, and wanting to be seen as the victim when someone who is a loser in that same system points it out.

With changing demographics we cannot afford a state pension and the NHS model. The only option is a shed more tax.

No leader can do the impossible….

100%. Instead of blaming the losers for their situation.

Exactly, what is it that people cannot understand?! It’s so frustrating and I think a big part of our ever changing politics the last decade or so, people want a utopia that no party can give them.

The Labour changes to the private company pensions in the 2000s really caused problems for people like me now in my 50s when final salary schemes closed.

Why is there never any discussion about public sector pensions? A huge burden on the tax payer too?

I worked for 34 + years , some of it part time , most full time. I am not entitled to to a full state pension and receive £911-20 , I retired age 66 .
My sister in law stopped working at 19, her husband and her raised 5 children , both never worked and claimed benefits . She receives the full amount of pension , free dental care etc and additional benefits poll deductions etc . Somehow it just doesn’t seem right 🥲. I don’t think some people realise not everyone gets a full pension, the only way we manage is because we bought our own home so no mortgage but paid the mortgage at 15% interest for years and years so we never had it easy then either !

State pension is based entirely on NI contributions. If you have not paid enough you will not get the state pension.i know because when I was working I asked for a pension forecast where it was stated I had paid enough to receive the full pension. I paid those contributions for me from the age of 16 - 68. My DH gets. Reduced pension as he was made redundant in his late 50s and had not paid enough contributions. It is a myth to say our contributions are for the next generation. I would advise everyone to get a pension forecast to check they will get the full amount.

but paid the mortgage at 15% interest for years and years so we never had it easy then either !

15% of a lower value is the same as 6% of a higher value.

I disagree. Where there is a Will there is a way.
And you can keep your grubby hands off the NHS too. Yes, it needs change. But I realise that all some people want is a shed load of deals. New medical insurance anyone ? New pension fund anyone ? No thanks.

State pension is based entirely on NI contributions. If you have not paid enough you will not get the state pension

Except you don’t necessarily have to pay anything to get a contribution stamp….

And I stated the ones that are unfunded. Unlike local authority pensions.

They literally can’t- the economics of childcare now, mean only the highest paid earn more than their childcare costs. So they leave the workforce. The days of childcare being affordable, paying a neighbour to babysit or whatever, are gone.
My mother never paid for childcare.

@Monty36 whst does that even mean? Explain how you can have better public services with less tax? And my hands aren’t grubby for pointing out something isnt sustainable, such hyperbole!

It perfectly demonstrates how some of the electorate cannot comprehend reality though.

Also, the way companies set up their pay structures now is not helpful.

I’ve got 2 jobs. Luckily the 1st job has some benefits. The second job literally stated in my contract that I have no benefits. It’s purely stacked in their favour. Some of my colleagues do this full time. How are they meant to save for their old age?

So no jobs, no benefits, no way to buy a house and save. Oh, and when you reach retirement age, screw you then too.

I think we all need to admit that Britain is now a 3rd world basket case.

And also if you don't qualify for a state pension but have no other income you just get pension credit.

Have they fuck 😂 do you know how much you’d have to pay in to draw £700 a month in a private pension?

plus they were the generation that often only had one adult working in the household with a “housewife” not paying any tax.

There are hardly any jobs for young people since Rachel Reeves rigged the system ever more against them by raising employers’ NI contributions.

I do find this point interesting as we see it a lot. But when people talk about European state pensions or healthcare they tend to overlook that businesses are charged higher social security taxes.

The government needs to reduce welfare and stop borrowing to pay for it. Too many people are claiming benefits for their mental health when they need to be encouraged to get a job and pay their own way in life. Or at least do some voluntary work or education course. There’s some genuine cases out there but there’s a lot who are simply taking the piss. If the government are going to keep handing out benefits like money grows on trees then they need to start monitoring the way the recipients are spending it.
Targeting pensioners is not fair especially when a lot of those pensioners have worked hard all their lives and paid their NI / taxes. A lot of pensioners will eventually end up going into care homes and lose a lot of money / assets to pay for care home fees and the ones who spent a lifetime on benefits and taking the piss get the same care for free. There’s no fairness.
People who thinks it’s ok to target pensioners now forget that they may well live long enough to be that pensioner who eventually loses everything.

Pensioners have NOT paid for their pensions. They paid the pensions of the people who were drawing them at that time. Current pensioners' pensions are being paid for by the current working population.

You post is totally incorrect..

with regard to salaries, unfortunately i cannot open the link as it will not let me choose cookies, just sats there has been a problem, and i don’t routinely Accept.

I recall whole swathes of public sector employees needing an uplift in their salaries when it was noticed they were earning under minimum wage when it started many years ago. While being told by the world they were well paid for the role….. clearly not.

So rather than by going on what companies say, i compare the wages i know of with what friends and family are on in compatible roles. perhaps not scientific but very real.

i dont think we should reduce any pensions. We should crack down on tax evasion.