To think pensioners paying NI is a step towards equality

[jnfrrss]

Apparently it would raise 2 billion a year and help cover social care.

Mail comments are furious people, but isn't it a step towards a more equal society and taxing everyone more similar regardless of age?

Ni just seems like such an outdated system and in an ideal world it would all be rolled into one tax with income.

If pensioners had to start paying NI on their pensions, which I think is what jnfrrss thought was being suggested, those that get income related benefits would get more benefit. It might also mean that more pensioners would qualify for income related benefits as their income would be lower. So it might not save money.

I think it's fair for pensioners to pay NI out of their earnings though, but perhaps at a lower rate?

My parents worked bloody hard, my mother until she was 70, planned well for their retirement and are now taxed to the hilt.

I started work at fifteen and a half, I paid NI for 45 years so more than paid my share.

And I’m still working occasionally.

I think your definition of 'inequality' is skewed. You look at the word 'equality' and think it means 'identical;' and it doesn't.

70 year old women cannot physically do the same work as 20 year old men. Disabled people perform the same tasks as people who don't have that disability.
Treating people identically is nonsensical, doing it under the guise of 'equality' is disingenuous.

I'm with Chick.

It’s not pensioners who need to be paying more, but big businesses.

I didn't actually know until it was recently reported in the news that people over the state pension age didn't pay NI on those earnings. This seems fair to me.

For clarification, I am NOT (and I don't think the OP is either) suggesting that pensioners who retire and draw their pension and do not continue working should pay NI from their pension.

No, I want to see corporations and people on ridiculously high incomes paying more tax, not pensioners who have worked their whole lives and deserve a break.

I think they should be paying it for as long as they are still in paid employment, regardless of their age, which is what i think you are saying?

No these are usually the poorest pensioners. Those who really need to carry on working to pay the bills.

The reason people don’t pay NI on drawing their pension, is because they have paid it their ENTIRE working lives. In some cases modern day pensioners have paid more tax and NI than modern day workers ever will (e.g working from 16, not taking a career break etc).

WTF?

There is enough money to go round. But it's being squandered by the Tories on their ideological bullshit.

Austerity is costing us more as a society and economically than it saves.

We're still suffering from propping up the banks and the bankers rather than making them suffer the consequences of their actions.

And your suggestion is to take money off the elderly?

Shame on you. I'm not surprised the idea came from the Tories. This is morally bankrupt.

You expect working people to pay more even though they are far worse off and are highly unlikely to receive the same benefits???????

No, I expect people to stop voting for the Tories and demand better for everyone, not continue in this race to the bottom.

I think the simple answer is just abolish NI, and instead add it to tax. It would also give an honest headline figure for taxation.

And most in this generation started working at 15 or 16 full time. They have paid NI already for a very long time.

Absolutely UpstartCrow

The OP doesn't understand what equality means.

no they shouldn't be paying NI as they have worked there lives and most have put there share into the system.. instead of this being suggested why don't all the 'top earners' in the government take a pay cut and also not have ridiculous amounts for "expenses" and they can find some money that way instead of pensioners who have worked god no how many years for a measly pension amyway..think it's totally ridiculous and I'm only 30 and this k that they should be allowed to enjoy retirement instead of having to pay more NI

*I think your definition of 'inequality' is skewed. You look at the word 'equality' and think it means 'identical;' and it doesn't.

70 year old women cannot physically do the same work as 20 year old men. Disabled people perform the same tasks as people who don't have that disability.
Treating people identically is nonsensical, doing it under the guise of 'equality' is disingenuous.*

The intergenerational commission used that term, I think they know what they are speaking about. Your post makes no sense. It's irrelevant what jobs people do. This is just about working taxing people with the same income the same rate.

Tory ideology pissing money away:

www.telegraph.co.uk/education/2017/02/22/free-schools-costing-billions-whilst-existing-schools-fall-disrepair/

I’m 61, I pay NI on my earnings. There’s a lot of women like me born in the 1950’s who won’t get our pension until we’re 66 or 67. I’ve paid NI contributions since I was 16. So I’ve already paid it for 45 years, by time I get my pension in 2022, I would have paid it for 50 years. This is way over what you need to contribute for the state pension, which I believe is 44 years. My Mum died at 63, so I’m just hoping that I reach 66 to actually receive any. We have one of the lowest pensions in Europe, so most pensioners working as a previous poster said are doing it because they need to. Many women of my generation worked part time to bring up children/look after elderly parents. We won’t all live to be 90 unfortunately.

I like the idea of just rolling NI and income tax all in together. The separation between the two is artificial. Low income pensioners won't need to pay either just like low income people in every age bracket. And I think it's going to happen because of demographics and affordability. There are lots of things we're going to have to start doing because the working age population can only bear so much of the burden.

Yes, let's tax pensioners more so they have less money. They won't be able to turn their heating on in the winter, buy nice food and go on day trips and holidays to the sun. They won't be able to afford gym memberships and go out with friends and socialise. That'll teach those entitled b'stads who worked form age 16 for 50 years and paid tax and NI.

That 2 billion from taxing them more is a false economy.

The intergenerational commission used that term, I think they know what they are speaking about

or they could also be wrong!

totally agree with echt - and can we move away from this idea that all 70 year old are loaded and living the highlife - plenty of pensioners live in poverty

NI is your contribution towards a State Pension - if you've made sufficient NI payments you're eligible to receive a State Pension. In effect, you've 'bought' your pension. Once you've bought it, why on earth should you be asked to pay for it again???

and can we also move away from the fact that all pensioners fought a war/ worked down a mine/ worked every day of their lives from age 16-70.
Many didn't.