Pensions to rise with inflation - but what about working people???

[doris9034]

BBC Website: "Liz Truss and Chancellor Jeremy Hunt jointly agreed to guarantee that the state pension rises with inflation next year - thereby maintaining the "triple lock" - ahead of PMQs this morning, Downing Street says.
In a huddle with reporters after PMQs, the prime minister's official spokesman said the decision reflected the "unique position" of pensioners who are "unable to increase their earnings through work"

But I - and millions of others - are also unable to "increase our earnings through work" because we are in the middle income bracket, our employers do not have the capacity to raise our earnings in line with inflation and we don't qualify for any state related benefits.

So, whilst I 100% don't begrudge the helping of pensioners (many of whom are probably among the better off anyway), I can't help but feeling a bit annoyed that it always seems to be the ordinary working person / family that never gets any respite from the ever increasing cost of living.

But benefits won’t increase at the same rate will they?

You are spot on!

I think all benefits should be triple locked.

I don't think they've announced that but the point is it is what we should be demanding and fighting for and of course pay needs to rise as well.

Why would it be better to make pensioners worse off than to make everyone on benefits better off. It is falling for the govt plan of setting people against each other.

I agree but those are the people who keep the tories in power. If they cut them loose it's really curtains.

I don't think they've announced that but the point is it is what we should be demanding and fighting for and of course pay needs to rise as well.

But those policies are less popular with those with have the voting power.

Because generally speaking pensioners are the wealthiest demographic and are enjoying a retirement we will never have?

I don’t deny that there are many poor pensioners but I know a lot of elderly people sitting in very expensive mortgage free homes, with savings. With pensions, tv license help and the winter fuel payment they are more than comfortable.

The same people refuse to put the heating on because it’s too expensive and moan about being poor.

I just this could be means tested somehow. We are a country of such extremes, no one should be suffering.

Spot on 👍

I dont doubt that many of today's pensioners have spent a long time working to earn those pensions but most of them will have received them at a younger age than those of us yet to retire so although may have worked hard but unlikely not as long.

In an ideal world of course we'd triple lock pensions but if we want something left for the rest of us, something has got to give. All very well saying they've worked hard and earned them - those people in their 20s and 30s working hard now will be lucky to see a pension at all.

You seriously think that many of our pensioners are better off? You could argue that covid and the Ukraine war have taken over temporarily but otherwise, our demographics of an aging population is the single biggest problem we have. You will be a pensioner one day, we all will be. I bet you'll think very differently when it's your money that is under consideration.

The issue is, I suppose, how do you distinguish between the two for the purpose of the triple lock? I genuinely don’t know.

On a £40k income your mum will be paying more than half her state pension back in tax. The taxation system is redistributive.

But pensioners are the best off demographic.
Not wishing poverty on them, but why should they be the only ones protected.

@ancientgran If you feel strongly that we are all in this together, you could always donate the increase to the food banks that other* (less politically-protected) benefits claimants will have to rely on.

*State pensions are every bit as much of a handout as Universal Credit.

My parents are pensioners. They live hand to mouth.

State pensions are every bit as much of a handout as Universal Credit.

Hardly

Exactly my point! Thank you!

So you'd rather complain about what pensioners get rather than complain, and fight, to get adequate help for all.

Well that's a good plan. Let's all drag each other down, the current government will love it.

By the way I'm 70 next birthday and still working but looking forward to my retirement one day.

if inflation went to 10% next year that means my pension would increase by £7.40 a month and im still working even though im 66 because i couldnt live on my pension alone do you really begrudge someone whos worked for 51 years since she left school £7.40 a month and by next year prices will have increased way beyond that paltry sum

No they haven't! You don't understand how pensions work do you?

Current pensioners funded the pensions of the war generation that came before them (who actually needed and deserved it). It's not a bank account that you pay into and can then withdraw!

Todays baby boomers are, as a generation, much better off than todays young people, so why should todays workers be funding inflation linked rises for pensioners, when they aren't even receiving inflation linked rises themselves? Especially as they won't receive the same benefits themselves during retirement.

There are many people who work all their lives, pay NI and tax and then die before they get their pension, so don’t begrudge people who do live to get it especially now they are having to work longer to get it!

Pensioners have had adequate help. That’s the point.

hahahahahahaha

the maddest ‘logic’ yet!

I am a working pensioner, when I was working age I paid NI for one month shy of 51 full tax years not for my own pension but for other peoples, now it's my turn to get mine, I now pay more tax alone than I did tax and NI combined when I was working age, in fact the extra tax I pay equates to a weeks' worth of my state pension every 4 weeks and that does not include the tax I pay on my private pension, I am well aware that is working age people who pay my pension but I also pay into the pot that helps support working age benefit claimants I have no issue about that at all people need help, yet every time the state pension is mentioned it aways young working people are paying for my pension and nothing ever mentioned about tax paying pensioners like who are still paying into the system that benefits everyone

The thing is though, for every pensioner like my mum, there are (at a guess) another 10, trying to scrape by on the state pension. Many of them in ill health, unable to afford to put the heating on or the TV for a bit of company.

This is my dad and the vast majority of the people his age in the community where I grew up - working class, south of England.

He was a farm labourer until his heart attack at 55 then had to go onto benefits and eventually was old enough for his state pension. He left school at 15 and earned a pittance on the farm where he worked almost his entire working life. There was no,option for an occupational pension and his employer didn't have tied cottages for workers. He worked for a company doing agricultural contracting for a few years, but the company went bust, so he ended up back on the farm.

He and my mother did buy the council house where we lived, but lost it when interest rates soared in the 90's. Since then he's been in private rented - I bought an investment house some time ago so he rented that at a knock down rent....I couldn't afford to subsidise him by paying it all without some help towards the mortgage.

He has now given up the house and moved in with me as he can't afford to pay the rent, heat the house, feed himself and pay the energy bills. I can't afford for him to not pay rent, so he has to move out and live with me.

I'm earning ok and will have some income from the house from another family member, but it will only just cover the mortgage as they are in NMW.

While the rich old Tory exists, they are, like younger people, only part of society and a great many more people are struggling.

My dad never voted Tory in his life. He is a Lib Dem, through and through (as most of the SW was).