I will probably get flamed for this but ...

[glitterytrainers]

When anyone talks about pensioners they say that the person has worked all their life, deserve their pension, free bus pass etc. Do you think it is possible in the near future that there are going to be a whole bunch of pensioners who have never worked a day in their life? I certainly know a few who have never paid into the system but will get the same pension as me. And no, I'm not talking about disabled people or people with chronic illnesses or carers.

FFS. The UK state pension amount is pitiful, the age keeps getting raised.... they really do have us fighting over crumbs, don't they?

and what have I taken out of the system other than child benefit?

Have you paid privately for your children's education/births/medical care?

MaxNormal absolutely - and the French were in uproar and rioting about the pension age going up - we all just sat back and accepted it.

UtuNorantiPralatongsThirdEye I'm assuming you have then? You must be extremely rich.

Might not be that bad, glittery; I didn't start paying into a pension scheme until I was 47, I started drawing it at 65 (had state pension from 60), and it's a decent sum. My husband was still working part time up to 70 though, I wasn't single when retired.

If you're on your own there are various top ups: housing benefit, council tax allowance, £100 at Christmas towards fuel bills, free prescriptions. It's not that bad, please don't worry in advance because you may find you're OK when you retire. I do hope so.

Your comments are all,well and true you become of pensionable age

If they have not paid into the system I.e. No NI contributions, general tax out of wages, they will get a reduced pension.

Have you got a link to back your claims up please? Devil is in the detail

If you feel that strongly, contact you local MP and ask them to do something

There are many elderly - I mean 80/90s - who have never worked. Those people belong to a generation for whom work outside the home was not always expected or possible (due to bringing up kids etc).

Those in their 70s now were more likely to work, and those of my age group - I'm 60 - are almost certainly to have worked since age 16 and returned to work once children reached a certain age. Many have already retired age 55 if in certain occupations.

I'll be working full-time until 67 BUT I took a long time out with DD. I have a gap in my contributions which I can make up to get my full state pension. I'm not married. I've got a small occupational pension as well, which will be taxed.

I've been credited with NI contributions until DD was age 12. I haven't claimed any other benefits at all, ever, apart from CB.

I work in the charity sector in a low-wage area and frequently come across women whose income is low. They are mainly women with health conditions getting PIP or DLA, in Support Group ESA, in receipt of Housing Benefit and getting s couple of premiums on top.

I find there's a lot of resentment towards these women, some of whom have probably never worked. I have a cousin in this situation. She worked in a flower factory, became allergic to something, and has not worked since. She's 64. She'll get pension credit to top up her income to the state pension amount because she won't have enough contributions in.

It's becoming harder and harder to claim benefits though.

The OP's mother will be moved from DLA to PIP and it's a different benefit so she may no longer qualify. UC is taking over from old-style benefits and is stricter.

I'm assuming you have then? You must be extremely rich

I'm not the one complaining about the pittance that others have.

( I chose to wait untill I earned a decent wage and have only one child due to costs, I wanted my child to have the best I could provide them with.
Some of us plan forward )

Those in work contribute to their old age pension so I hardly see that as a benefit, more of an entitlement.

EngTech just been reading - if you haven't got enough NI contributions you get topped up with pension credit.

OP, NOONE gets 'lifetime' dla anymore. Benefit rules change for existing claimants not just new claimants.

There will be a small minority of people who have never worked and who you might feel are 'undeserving'. They tend to be in the most deprived parts of the UK. The areas with the scarily low life expectancy. They aren't going to be claiming much as a pension.

The people who are taking out more than they've put in from the pension pot are low and middle income earners. When the pension age was put in place at 65, the majority of people didn't live past 70. Now we've got lots of middle class people who live ten, fifteen years beyond pension age. You might think your NI contributions are a lot, but actually unless you're in the highest tax brackets the chances are you are reaping the benefits of someone else's hard work....

Btw, I absolutely have no issue with people claiming what they are entitled to and for whatever reason. People who have never worked/long term benefits claimants deserve a decent standard of living like everyone else.

Just pointing out that you can't really play the "Ive paid in more/taken less" argument as there will always be someone who thinks the same of you, always someone above you.

UtuNorantiPralatongsThirdEye bully for you - not everything can be planned for and I certainly didn't plan twins!

You chose to have more than one. One is sufficient.

When I began working in 1974 I wasn't allowed to pay into the works pension until I was 25years old as it was assumed women would leave to have children before then. This was Lloyds bank.

Many women will have lost pension because of discrimination.

35 years contributions for full state pension at retirement. If you want better you need to pay into a private pension or other investments to keep you in retirement.

Pensioners today won’t starve because of Pension Credit. I know this because a friend of mine who only worked for 3 years before she married now has her meagre pension topped up by pension credit. This also entitles her to free NHS spectacles and dental care, help to heat allowance on top of normal fuel allowance. Plus she is exempt from paying any council tax and has reduced water bills.

Swimtobreathe oh I do know that higher tax earners will be funding more of the pension, which I don't necessarily agree with. And my mum has been told she is guaranteed her Disability Allowance for life - I have seen the paperwork.

My grandmother never worked after she was married. She lived until she was 90 and took a massive amount from the system in terms of medical treatment and care. People who have never or barely paid into the system have always existed

UtuNorantiPralatongsThirdEye I've worked bloody hard all these years but couldn't work full time because of 3 children. Do you not think if I could have afforded 3 lots of childcare (including twins) I wouldn't have worked full time?

But other who have not had children could complain that you chose to have children therefore had to work part time so why should you get the same state pension as them. Also others who have paid in more than you because they earn more could argue that e.g they studied for years/ did more exams/worker harder to get further up the ladder, put in extra hours so they got promoted etc etc so why should they get the same as you on a low paid wage.

I think it would be more helpful to look at the state pension as just another benefit, so if everyone gets this bare limit (like you would if you were on JSA etc), it's only enough to help you survive basically (like benefits are), to have any decent/spare income in retirement years you need to pay into an actual pension otherwise you need to accept that you will live the standard of living for all your retirement years that people on benefits have to do. The state pension only allows you to claim the equivalent of benefits really, stop seeing it as the equivalent to a private pension then it will stop bugging you as much. I suspect you are envying her of being able to afford to only work 2 days a week and this is the only way you can justify it. I don't blame you really I get envious of people who are lucky enough to afford not to work or work less.

I kick myself for coming out of a work pension after a few years when I was younger as I needed/wanted the lump sum. Fortunately I went back into it and wouldn't dare ever do that again.

@glitterytrainers My advice is you make an appt with a good financial advisor. They will help you invest in a private pension. I am a lot older than you and started one recently.

I do though think you have been short sighted to get to 54 and not realise that the current SP ( which will rise to £10K pa soon) would be your sole income if you have no pension through your work or you have no husband who has a pension.

You had 3 children (no one made you!) so you could have worked for longer with only 1 or 2 children, or chose employment where you received a pension, or set up your own.

The state pension is a minimum amount available to the elderly who have not saved, or worked in a job with their own pension.

My mum is in her 90s now and didn't work much full time but my dad paid an extra NI contribution all his working life, which has now given her an additional sum - around £250 a month- on top of her state pension and my late dad's occupational pension.

If you are divorced, you could (have?) claimed from your ex for part of his pension - have you looked into this?

You are not being unreasonable. There isn't much incentive in this country to work if you are low paid worker and there are many people who have never worked a day in their lives; I know this on a personal and professional level. Of course there is those who can't work but as you've said, we're not talking about them. It is very unfair but until we get a government that actually does something about it, I mean real action) then there is nothing that can be done about it unfortunately.

OP first you say:

Am I not allowed to have the opinion that because myself and my husband have worked our whole life that we should get a better pension than someone who hasn't contributed?

and then

I don't really care what other people get

right you are

JinglingHellsBells I do have a husband and he has paid into a pension scheme. Had one child and had twins - went from one to three - they wouldn't let me send one of the twins back unfortunately - doesn't work like that!