Critics of so called baby boomers

[Pixxie7]

What is wrong with you people comments like waspi women are grabby and baby boomers have all the wealth because they bought their houses for a few thousands. I started work at the age of 16 with a salary of £7 a week, worked all my life. Did not have access to pension contributions until I was 52. Paid nearly 50 years of national insurance, which was for my pension which is not a benefit but a right, only to have nearly £50,000 stolen by the government. Imagine how you would feel if this happened to you.
Not saying you have it easy but you have far more opportunities than we ever had.

I'm intrigued by what the WASPI campaign is aiming at as they keep saying they are fighting for women born in the 1950s. My school year is the one born in 1959 and 1960 so are they fighting to get money for one schoolfriend born Oct 59 but not for another born in Jan 60? How does that work as we have all worked the same years and had the same information?
I started work with the idea I would retire at 60 but fully understand that the country cannot afford to pay for so many for so long and I agree we were well informed of the changes. Working in the NHS my workplace pension is only payable from state pension age so I will have no retirement income until I am 66. Some of my year group have retired at 60, mostly those in teaching, but the rest of us are still working

I also wondered that as my sister is in that year. They say they have to have a cut off somewhere. I agree it isn't fair.

Presumably because you had insufficient income to service a mortgage

I did eventually get a mortgage but it was very difficult.

I'm glad you were successful eventually, Hydrogen.

Just reading that even in the late 70s single women were sometimes required to get a male guarantor for a mortgage (because it was believed they were less likely to work full-time long-term)?

I have a vague memory of this happening to someone I know, but cant remember for certain. But it really was a different age then in terms of women's financial position and the expectations of them in terms of financial provision for themselves. For example I think married women could 'opt out' and pay fewer nics in return for a lower pension. Obviously many waspis were just coming into the work place at that time - it was a different culture, much more common for women to give up work long term, altogether.

My school year is the one born in 1959 and 1960 so are they fighting to get money for one schoolfriend born Oct 59 but not for another born in Jan 60? How does that work as we have all worked the same years and had the same information?

For them, it wouldn't make much difference as they both can draw SP on their 66th birthday, having previously been given an age of 65. For the children with the late August 1960 birthdays, SP age is 66 years 5 months. The campaign is mostly to do with the changes to the Pension Act 2011 which affected women born from April 1953 to 1955. For my own school year (born Septemeber 1952 to August 1953) there was gap of 34 months between when the oldest and youngest can draw SP.

Just to add, to the various people who say there won't be a state pension by the time they retire, I am not so sure - it will ultimately depend on what the voters say!

Of course voters may vote for means testing - but maybe not. I didn't get the impression that the recent floating of 75 as a state pension age (or whatever it was) was going to make its way into the next manifesto. (Obviously I realise governments do things that are not in the manifesto sometimes! Can't remember if the increases we're talking about now were)

All of these problems are the fault of the government. Long term - it's the fault of every government we've had, Labour and Tory. They love it when we fight amongst ourselves and point the finger of blame at each other.

For my own school year (born Septemeber 1952 to August 1953) there was gap of 34 months between when the oldest and youngest can draw SP.

My school year too. It illustrates the total unfairness of the transition arrangements and I think it’s this aspect which has particularly enraged us. I could cope with the delay in getting my pension and completely agree with equalising qualifying age but I missed six months pension payments by 7 hours, thanks to lunacy of the transition arrangements.

I don't think that can be right, Alsohuman; the biggest gap I can find between 2 consective DoBs is 4 months for women born between 6 May 1953 and 6 January 1954.

@TinklyLittleLaugh we have to pay tax several times on the same income (corporation tax, income tax and dividends tax). While I would love for us to both have salaried jobs (and only pay tax once so it’s not so bad) they simply don’t pay enough to cover living expenses.

Velveteen You pay yourself your salary out of your profits. You only pay Corporation Tax on the profits left. Also Dividends are taxed at a lower rate than normal salary.

Not at all this whole debate on previous comments made about waspi women are grabby.

Unfortunately it’s not that simple as we all know women’s inequality has been rife but the women born in the 50s were particularly disadvantaged. Similarly the same argument could be applied to women born in 1949 and those born in 1950.

Agree with you Toastymash. We need to hold them to account and not blame each other.