£610 a week pension demand is insane

[Thisismyfinesthour]

Just read that there is an online petition doing the rounds for a £610 a WEEK pension demand to the government.
WTAF? Is the heat melting some peoples brains? It seems over 5000 have signed it.
Where do they think the money is coming from?

The rules for bus passes are the same all over England with qualification starting at state pension age.

I think everyone gets free prescriptions in Wales as well, but not 100% on that. However, I do know that bus passes issued in England can be used anywhere in England, but not in Wales. Found this out when we went to visit my mother in Wales - my husband could not use his bus pass there. I, being younger (but still over 60) don’t have mine yet.

Thank you, I wasn’t sure on that part. I WAS sure that I’m over 60 and can’t have one yet, whereas DH who recently got his state pension, has.

Just remember at some point you will become a pensioner

@Londonnight it comes as a relief to know this. The way things are going I'm wondering if there will even be a state pension at all by the time that I'm old enough to claim it (I'm already anticipating that'll be 70)

But @RoseField1 and others - normally a person claiming pension credit does NOT have their whole rent covered by that payment. Typically, they receive only about two thirds of the rent that is due. In some areas it might be less.

Wtf!! I don’t earn that by working! I guess people can start a petition doesn’t mean they’ll get any joy from it!!

And when was that? Not being snarky, I genuinely don't know.

Around 2000.

Unless you had children before 1948 yes you did

Hmm my mum got pension credit after a late divorce. She wanted for nothing. Meals out holidays Free Central heating fitted to house . Although she worked full time it wasn't a " pension" job as was in retail at just about minimum wage

So I can't see why the people you are speaking about are so much more worse off tbh

Mum did have a friend that didn't put heating on in winter and survived on the cheapest food. When she died she had savings on over 1million, not counting her house

I got £9.80 a week for 13 weeks.

Apart from London. It's 60 in London

6 weeks full pay, 6 weeks half pay, 6 weeks no pay. 1991 and 1995. Went back when they were 18 weeks if you were lucky enough to work until your due date. If you couldn't, you went back when they were younger. Zero free childcare.

.

Obviously you live a privileged life then. They do exist. Many pensioners die yearly as they can't afford heating.

In UK, SMP was only introduced in 1987.

Not true. Maternity allowance was introduced in 1948, albeit only for a few weeks.

I think you received a one off maternity grant in 1948.

You don’t know me. I get a basic pension. And that is it. I have lots of pensioner friends who do seem rich. One couple invited me for lunch today and told me they have been on 5 cruises since Christmas and have nine booked. 2 this year 5 next year & 2 in 2028.
when my husband died I joined the Jolly Dollies. I soon realised I couldn’t afford the seemingly constant lunches, coffee mornings etc etc. My friend joined at the same time and has been on two holidays with them. I’d have to think twice about a night in a Travel Lodge.
Rich pensioners are not rich because of their state pension.

Exactly what I got in 1982 and1985 - I was back at work both times with a 13 week old and a childminder through necessity

@Loopylalalou I’ve got an early 90s year old relative, lives in a social housing studio flat and not on ground floor , eats and lives totally like this- has1800 a month in pension plus state pension and 779,000 in bank and investments( busily told my father in law) he’s never bought a house, not had kids, not married and supremely tight as a ducks arse, so I no longer take what I see as gospel

Totally unaffordable. It won't happen.

In that case their NI on that element will drop to 2% and they can pay tax and NI combined on the rest of it to contribute towards health care -

If you've worked for 40 ish years and always earnt around £28K, how are those people going to have £500k?

Thats the fault of your company having a poor maternity scheme not the pensioners!