What is the point of paying NI for 35 years to get a full State Pension, when people who have never worked receive Pension Credit anyway?

[Blondiebeachbabe]

I just cannot get my head around this. You have to pay National Insurance for 35 years, in order to receive a State Pension of £241 per week. However, if you have never worked (like my cousin), you will receive Pension Credit of £238 per week. So basically, having contributed for 35 years, means that you get an extra £3 a week. Woop de fucking doo.

Moreover, why did some people who didn't have the full 35 years, pay extra to top themselves up, when Pension Credit would have bumped them up to £238 anyway?

Not only this, but people on Pension Credit have access to things that people receiving the SP do not, such as :

Housing Benefit: Often covers 100% of your rent.
Council Tax: You may pay nothing at all.
Heating: Free Winter Fuel Payments and Warm Home Discounts.
Health: Free dental treatment and eye tests.
TV Licence: Free for those aged 75 or over.

Make it make sense!

Another worker receiving PIP here, worked for 28 years before being diagnosed with Parkinson’s and then another seven years after diagnosis before applying for PIP. And I’m still only 54 but if I’m really lucky I’ll be medically retired in the future and by the time I’m old enough to receive my state pension I’ll probably be tremoring in a corner somewhere.

Don’t be so ridiculous. You brought them up as you wanted to use them as an example. I’m querying that example. Now I’m asking, you’re backtracking and painting me as ‘intrusive’. People are so used to being able to drop posts with trigger words meaning nobody can query them, but that’s exactly what we should be doing as this is debate.

And yet here the poster is, offering it up. I didn’t bring it up - they did.

I don't think it would be morally correct or politically desirable for aged British Citizens to be destitute on the street which would be the alternative. In fact he was working in a Russian based industry and of course was blocked from working due to government policy, so not his fault.

Why would they starve? They would go back to the country they had paid NI in and claim a pension there.

I would hate to live in a society that didn't look after the elderly or disabled. It would be horrible . . .

OK, what is it you want? Do you want everyone to agree with you and say that all people on PC were lazy, and just sat on their bums until they retired. They lived limited lives for 40+ years for that sweet Pension Credit.
I was giving an example of why that is not the case. You seem awfully defensive when someone wants to counter your point.

Yep, a country is judged by how it treats it's most vulnerable members.

I want people to acknowledge that our country is rapidly declining due to, in big part, the fact we have SO MANY able bodied people not working and claiming benefits they frankly shouldn’t be entitled to. And some of the amounts paid are staggering and frankly take the piss.

It’s like you can’t make the connection that money doesn’t appear out of thin air if you rub a magic lamp and ‘deserve it enough’

It’s not true that people who aren’t on pension credit can’t get help with housing costs, council tax etc - it depends on total
income, local housing allowance etc
I am hoping to retire at 67 with a full state pension, a small private pension, be mortgage free with about £100k in savings and continue working in my other job 1-2 days a week to fund my travel habits
Ive never been a high earner, was a lone parent since DC were 4 and 5, and am still a lone householder which costs more - but I’m frugal and cut costs where I can to hopefully have a reasonable retirement

The benefit claimants I see are not vulnerable. Many of them are criminals causing untold misery to decent people.

He is a British citizen who was working for a Russian company, the government stopped him. How could he return to Russia, there's a travel ban and it became a criminal offence to continue working for them. Please read the post.

It is also illegal for the British government to prevent British Citizens from returning to Britain unless they have dual nationality.

I have not said any of that.
I was simply giving an example as to why someone would be on PC that does not involve them being "lazy", because these threads always descend into name calling about people on benefits.
My gran was far from lazy. She was fucking amazing.

Why are you surrounding yourself with criminal claimants? You need a better social circle.

Oh why don't you have a car accident, break both your legs and your back, take 2 years to recover, then come back and say that . . .

They would have to have the same powers as Phoebe from Charmed and have been able to see into the future as Pension Credit was only introduced twenty three years ago. Some ppl on this thread have made themselves look like complete idiots

What you describe is not at all representative of people claiming PIP. Most is for ‘mental health’.

Something called ‘work’.

Link please

Then if you are bitching about them on here then do them a favour and get a different job.

Quelle surprise Another one attracted to a career that involves working to help people they feel superior too. Happens in housing too.

I wouldn't worry about it. If you would prefer to scrape by and live in and out of work or not working for 40 odd years all for the last laugh of getting £238 per week so you don't literally starve, by all means, knock yourself out. As someone who works, pays NI and into a private pension, I don't feel particularly disadvantaged by pension credit existing.

Yeah, I don't know when PC was introduced, or what was before it, if anything.
But PP wants a breakdown of my grandad's health and the dates 😆. I only ever saw him in a wheelchair... even when I was a kid.

I’m entitled to my (real life formed) opinions, as hard as that is for you to accept.

Do your clients know you have no idea that disabilities can occur at any age?