AIBU to think that I shouldn't have bothered working and paying into National Insurance for the 35 years I have done so?

[HauntedBungalow]

When all I will get is the bare State Pension. Whereas other people who did not make these contributions and/or did not work will get Pension Credit plus all the other nice little add ons like Council Tax Support, free boilers and now Winter Fuel Allowance? AIBU to think I'm a mug for bothering to work all those years?

I absolutely agree - it’s really disheartening.

Yay, what fun! And how lucky are we to get to do this.

I think you know what I mean. You or @HauntedBungalow asked when you stop paying NI - you stop paying it at state pension age.

Here we go again with the 'only x per week' argument. That's £16 per month.

Thanks for sharing your story. I do believe that there are many genuine people who need support and should never be in a position of living in poverty or without care and dignity. However, I know so many people who are playing the system and seeing benefits as their life long entitlement, no intention of coming off benefits, the people who I am referring to are experts at what they are entitled to. I am in awe at some of the conversations that i have been privvy to.
How can you afford to go on holiday if you are on UC and only work afew hours a week.
I could go on but enough said.
I totally support those who genuinely need help.

I find that awful

Does she not have any conscience that she is being dishonest and her sons too for that matter

I find people just ignore the overlaps in society, those people who despite working and having low paid or having to work part time who are barely better off than those who do not. The same with owning a house, there are some pensioners who are trapped by owning a cheap house without the money to repair their home, who would otherwise be entitled to housing benefits and no maintenance, they’d have been better selling and renting before pension age, which would cost the state more in the long run.

Been weighing this one up🤔 some of my family never worked...house paid for, repairs taken care of, money for fags and booze. Now on full state pension...this is in Bristol so no issues ever about lack of work opportunities.
I will not receive a full pension. I have a private pension that I that's me paid for by the sweat of my brow, not mucking about in school (which is one of the worst schools in Bristol btw and always has been) of working 70 hour weeks, of dragging myself to work with flu, depression, etc.
Of getting to.work wherever the weather, of working knelt in snow. Paying national insurance for 37years so far.

And when I end up in a care home, the best locally also houses people on assisted places by the council, so I will have to pay extra fees to subsidise lazy fuckers who never bothered to do an hours graft...bitter...not much

But at least they rewarded work and saving.
🤣🤣🤣

Same as the last Labour government, its nothing new.

And still a lot less than the other things that hang off Pension Credit. You're ignoring the main point - it's not a new thing for people on an income slightly too large for pension credit to be worse off than people on pension credit. It's happened all through 14 years of a Conservative government

Are you suggesting that disabled people can't have successful careers - strange!

Just the same as anyone else in my opinion - find what you can do ing life, family is the primary support, followed by a very meagre safety net.

As a very clear and well known person: Professor Paul Shellard, who was a student of Professor Hawking said, “He identified what he could do well, exceptionally well, and focussed on that, not what he couldn’t do”

This is what everyone should do - I don't think we need to consider disability, just focus on ability, like Professor Hawking.

If your boiler is knackered and you are over 60, get in touch with your local council. Under Green initiatives, it a fault in your particular council if there isn't a funding pot. Have you applied?

This is how I feel and I am a pensioner!

So exactly what is your point, given is blatantly obvious that disabled people exist?

I just treat everyone the same.

I honestly and truly don’t understand how people can think they would be better off on benefits. When I was widowed I looked into giving up work to take care of my (pre-school aged) daughter. I would have been eligible for every element of UC and I still would have been significantly worse off than I was staying at work in my fairly averagely-paid job. Similarly my mum is severely disabled and my dad is her full time carer – so they’re entitled to full DLA and carer’s allowance – and it barely covers their bills, everything else is paid for out of their savings.

What are these magical benefits that are allowing people to buy new windows and hot tubs?!

Not that it'll make you feel better, but given your kids had a state education, you've probably net still benefitted more from the government than you've paid in taxes over your life.
I pay in, have no kids and am very unlikely to get anything close to your pension when I retire at 69.

Not the case. I have been living on my private pension since being made redundant 5 years ago at 59. I don't pay NI on my income. Just tax.

Rather than having a go at people poorer than you who will get extra benefits, maybe it's better to use your energy to be annoyed at the Governments for putting you in this position. If you just get jealous annoyed at people who get benefits that's exactly what the Government were aiming for. Then people with private pensions will moan about you because they have to pay more, then eventually no one will get benefits, not even you.

But by paying into a private pension you are potentially getting far more than someone who’s never worked…..my nhs pension is more than the state pension …..so by working all those years …..i have more than someone who has never worked

Frankly someone who never worked should be destitute - why are they getting anything? Just leave it to charity of those who feel so inclined.

I hear you

for the first time in my working life I really struggled financially for a variety of reasons so whilst I was looking for a new job I swallowed my pride and explored what I might be able to get in terms of support

nothing

as a single woman with no kids I was entitled to nothing …maybe I should have just popped a few out and then I wouldn’t have to have worried about working and paying tax and NI, my council tax and rent etc