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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

To think we shouldn’t have to contribute to soch if we don’t intend to use it?

737 replies

slozenger · 27/01/2026 22:03

For example, I don’t want a state pension - so I should surely be able to opt out of soch based contributions percentage. And just pay a lesser amount to cover anything I do take advantage of.

OP posts:
InterestedDad37 · 27/01/2026 23:39

Ah, so 'soch' is the first syllable of 'social'. Yeah, my gran used to talk about that down the gavva. You MUST know what the gavva is, my gran used to say it all the time! You know, the gavva!

slozenger · 27/01/2026 23:39

SabrinaThwaite · 27/01/2026 23:37

I’m just a few years younger than OP. I’ve always called it national insurance. My parents and grandparents called it the stamp.

Well someone commented that lots of Scottish people call it the social as well so take that?

OP posts:
LowdermilkPark · 27/01/2026 23:39

I opened this to see what ‘soch’ is. None the wiser.

slozenger · 27/01/2026 23:39

InterestedDad37 · 27/01/2026 23:39

Ah, so 'soch' is the first syllable of 'social'. Yeah, my gran used to talk about that down the gavva. You MUST know what the gavva is, my gran used to say it all the time! You know, the gavva!

I don’t… I’m afraid I don’t.
But regional or class based I guess?

OP posts:
Beekman · 27/01/2026 23:39

Memento Mori, OP. What do you think you’re going to die of? Hope you get good care and treatment from the NHS that you don’t want to fund.

Delphiniumandlupins · 27/01/2026 23:39

slozenger · 27/01/2026 22:53

Well I defiantly am a net contribution because I earn over 17k

Jumped the shark

FrodoBiggins · 27/01/2026 23:40

Grammarnut · 27/01/2026 23:28

But you have used the health service. You benefit, for example, from having diseases that you might catch and die of being cured and prevented by the NHS. You benefit from the vaccination programme used in this country which confers herd immunity as long as 95% of people are vaccinated. You benefit from a healthy work force. You benefit from the fact that your wages are not partly sequestered by your employer to pay into private health insurance that you will lose if you change jobs, which means you are able to be paid a higher wage.

Someone who understands public health 😍

OnYerselfHen · 27/01/2026 23:41

slozenger · 27/01/2026 23:38

I wouldn’t go

amazing! So you'd just ignore that innate sense of self preservation? You'd rather die?

Rayburn · 27/01/2026 23:41

LowdermilkPark · 27/01/2026 23:39

I opened this to see what ‘soch’ is. None the wiser.

Article of hosiery, not as long as a stoching.

slozenger · 27/01/2026 23:42

OnYerselfHen · 27/01/2026 23:41

amazing! So you'd just ignore that innate sense of self preservation? You'd rather die?

No I’d try some of my self tested ailments and alleviate symptoms

OP posts:
Lunde · 27/01/2026 23:42

The main uk reference to soch that I can find online is for "culturally sensitive addiction services"

.... makes you wonder??

WinterBlues26 · 27/01/2026 23:42

slozenger · 27/01/2026 23:39

Well someone commented that lots of Scottish people call it the social as well so take that?

I always thought the social (security) was the unemployment benefit, aka the dole. Nothing to do with pensions or schools or NHS. Even so it wasn't said as one syllable.

SabrinaThwaite · 27/01/2026 23:42

slozenger · 27/01/2026 23:39

Well someone commented that lots of Scottish people call it the social as well so take that?

No they don’t.

I guess that one went over your head.

slozenger · 27/01/2026 23:43

WinterBlues26 · 27/01/2026 23:42

I always thought the social (security) was the unemployment benefit, aka the dole. Nothing to do with pensions or schools or NHS. Even so it wasn't said as one syllable.

Orite.

OP posts:
w0nderingpm · 27/01/2026 23:43

slozenger · 27/01/2026 22:29

I think there are better ways - for example

If you want to use public services - pay more sosh.
If you do not - pay less, for example 1% discount for non NHS user.

Why have you changed the acronym? Are you trying to confuse us about the sish?

slozenger · 27/01/2026 23:43

SabrinaThwaite · 27/01/2026 23:42

No they don’t.

I guess that one went over your head.

Are you this annoying naturally or do you try hard to be?

OP posts:
FrodoBiggins · 27/01/2026 23:44

slozenger · 27/01/2026 23:43

Are you this annoying naturally or do you try hard to be?

We're not all natural comedians like you pal

slozenger · 27/01/2026 23:44

FrodoBiggins · 27/01/2026 23:44

We're not all natural comedians like you pal

Just that woman above, bloody weirdo

OP posts:
Foodylicious · 27/01/2026 23:45

I think you mean remedy not ailment??
Come on now🙄

honeylulu · 27/01/2026 23:45

No I’d try some of my self tested ailments and alleviate symptoms

How would ailments alleviate symptoms? Surely they would make you feel worse?

Or do you mean treatments? I really do think you should spend some of your 75k salary in a dictionary.

Tigerbalmshark · 27/01/2026 23:45

slozenger · 27/01/2026 23:42

No I’d try some of my self tested ailments and alleviate symptoms

Somebody else can pick this one up

OnYerselfHen · 27/01/2026 23:45

slozenger · 27/01/2026 23:42

No I’d try some of my self tested ailments and alleviate symptoms

Ok. I'll bite. So what treatments do you have for having a stroke or heart attack? Or finding yourself at the bottom of your stairs with broken bones? Or delerium caused by a uti?

Boudy · 27/01/2026 23:46

Tigerbalmshark · 27/01/2026 23:45

Somebody else can pick this one up

😂

slozenger · 27/01/2026 23:46

honeylulu · 27/01/2026 23:45

No I’d try some of my self tested ailments and alleviate symptoms

How would ailments alleviate symptoms? Surely they would make you feel worse?

Or do you mean treatments? I really do think you should spend some of your 75k salary in a dictionary.

Interestingly there have been studies about inflecting with other illnesses that cause high fever to eliminate other diseases in the body? So…. Take that!

OP posts:
SabrinaThwaite · 27/01/2026 23:47

slozenger · 27/01/2026 23:43

Are you this annoying naturally or do you try hard to be?

I’m just amused at your inability to spot the piss being taken.

BlackCatDiscoClub · Today 22:57
'Soch' is in the Scottish dialect, its used as an exclamation for when you find out how much of your tax went on keeping pensioners alive

TOUcHE!

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