to think the state pension 145ish isn't a pittance but JSA at 75ish is

[ladygingina]

I commonly hear that the minimum state pension is a pittance from people. If that really is, then what does that make JSA that is almost half the rate?

and you are right working at low pay is just as bad. If my relative worked 16 hours per week at min wage she would be no better off even with tax credits as she would have to pay rent and extra council tax.

miss i have checked online and it says you only qualify on your retirement age. will double check. thank you.

I checked further and In greater manchester 60 is the qualifying age but in some areas it is state retirement age. Bloody stupid regional differences.

Here you only get a bus pass at retirement age. It used to be 60 for both men and women which meant a lot of people who were still working got a free bus pass. You can only use it at certain times of the day though, and it isn't much use if you live in an area that is not well served by buses.
One anomaly is free prescriptions which are still available at 60. I am not sure why they haven't linked that to pension age.

I just struggle a bit when people say "my parents have worked hard all their life, of course they should be getting a pension, rather than those who haven't worked."

I take it a bit personally as I had to stop working a couple of years ago due to a severe progressive illness. It's incurable, and will get a lot worse.

While I had to very sadly stop work, I do try my best to keep busy, and do voluntary work, or even when I'm stuck in bed for weeks on end answer queries for upset people on forums, etc in my specialist areas where I can help. (I don't mean a forum like Mumsnet, but don't want to be too specific).

When I get to 65 - should I have nothing? Or just a lot less than someone who has been lucky enough to be able to work?

It means a life-time of being stuck financially. Disability benefits and thankfully more generous than JSA. And while in my current situation my benefits cover my bills, and the treatments the NHS won't cover - it doesn't cover a weekend away, or the chance to own a home, etc. I'm not saying it should, but it's kind of a sad way to live - forever. Knowing nothing will change.

The state pension has changed a lot. I'm glad my dh opted out of SERPS for a while because that meant that when he died I actually got a pension from that money that had been paid into a personal pension. If he had stayed in SERPS, it would have been wasted like all the money he paid into SERPS later and also the money he paid in voluntarily to make his contributions up in a couple of years when he hadn't earned enough. Now there is independent taxation there is no widows pension for new widows. £2000 bereavement allowance doesn't go very far towards the cost of a modest funeral these days. I was a SAHM for a number of years and thought that we would be ok on retirement on dh's pension. State pensions are a lottery, some live a long time, some pay in a long time and die before they can claim. I'm shocked at the amount of sanctioning that is going on which leaves claimants reliant on foodbanks, and the situation whereby you are disqualified from benefits for 3 months if you have been out of the country.

I think pensions and pensioner benefits will have to change. My whole family include my child my parents and grandparents. My generation are the only ones working.
My parents retired at 60. Given the fact all my grandparents are pushing 100. My parents will too hopefully. That means 40 years retirement on a huge state pension. Winter fuel allowance too. And my parents own two houses.I always joke which house the fuel allowance actually heats! Baby boomers with loads of money have got to play fairer if we are all in this together!

Huge state pension = £113 per week.

My dad worked for the gov so gets a pension from that as well so over £30,000 plus state pension

I am 70 and get £84 per week (too old for home responsibility) I am a carer for 2 (16&9) and get no carers allowance!!

BTW I do think JSA is horrendous, how do they manage . Thank God for food banks!! It is 2014!!