Raising the Retirement age, are you for it or against it ? VOTE

[AtticusFinch]

Realistically, the retirement age will have to be raised because of the ageing population. It should NOT be done retroactively though. If a public sector worker was told they could retire at 60, they should be able to retire at that age if they wish to, even if the deal was made decades ago. To change the rules halfway through would be flat-out wrong. It should only be changed for new starters entering the system.

[riptony]

Realistically, the retirement age will have to be raised because of the ageing population. It should NOT be done retroactively though. If a public sector worker was told they could retire at 60, they should be able to retire at that age if they wish to, even if the deal was made decades ago. To change the rules halfway through would be flat-out wrong. It should only be changed for new starters entering the system.

 

so you reckon the government should say right guys in40yrs time, retirement age is going up?

[Ms Macbeth]

Correct. You only get the official state pension (which is what, about £85 a week nowadays?) if you paid in enough NI stamps; but you get enough Pension Credit to make your income £110 a week anyway, whatever you did.

 

I think you'll find that people who have claimed benefits are credited with NI payments for their claim periods, therefore building up an entitlement to a state pension, then they will get 'minimum income guarantee' which gives them more from the government than someone who may only have quite a small second pension. The best bet is to either have a really good second pension, either private or company, or only have the basic state pension. The disadvantaged group are the thrifty, who've possibly never earned much, but may have a small pension, and some savings, and end up only slightly better off than those who either never contributed, or those who may have earned more but spent as they went! The thrifty will probably have to pay their full council tax, unlike those on 'MIG' - we've all seen the protestors about this very unfair and constantly rising tax. Fairness used to be a characteristic of the British way of life, financially it doesn't seem to be that way any more.

[peterw]

That may be the theory, but why then are the govt. encouraging thousands of immigrants if there's so little work for the youngsters ?

 

Because they want to make us second-class citizens, or subservient workers.

[AtticusFinch]

so you reckon the government should say right guys in40yrs time, retirement age is going up?

 

If that was the original deal, then yes. If someone was told when they joined their pension scheme that they could retire at 60 then that's the deal. You can't welch on a deal like that once it's been made. The government have known for decades that the baby boomer generation would reach retirement now and start to claim pensions. If they've not prepared for it properly that's their own fault, and the average person shouldn't have to suffer for it.

[Heyesey]

If that was the original deal, then yes. If someone was told when they joined their pension scheme that they could retire at 60 then that's the deal. You can't welch on a deal like that once it's been made. The government have known for decades that the baby boomer generation would reach retirement now and start to claim pensions. If they've not prepared for it properly that's their own fault, and the average person shouldn't have to suffer for it.

 

That sounds all well and good and very justifiable, but I don't think we've GOT forty years before the whole system collapses. It's going to have to be done a lot sooner than that.

[Cyclone]

If that was the original deal, then yes. If someone was told when they joined their pension scheme that they could retire at 60 then that's the deal. You can't welch on a deal like that once it's been made. The government have known for decades that the baby boomer generation would reach retirement now and start to claim pensions. If they've not prepared for it properly that's their own fault, and the average person shouldn't have to suffer for it.

 

You talk about the government and 'the average person' as if the former doesn't represent the latter.

If there is a problem for the government, then it's a problem for the country, and that affects every 'average person' who makes up the population of the country.

[heeleygirl]

Do those who never work also get a state pension?

 

If so, it would save the country a hell of a lot if they only paid out to those who had paid in.

 

Yes, I know the current payees are paying for the current pension claimants, but in ten years time when it's my turn to retire, it would seem unfair if the dosser down the road gets owt at my expense.

yes they do probably get more that some women who have worked all their life but only paid what was once know as the married womans stamp. About 1982 this changed to be a percentage, all be it a smaller percentage, than the full NI contribution. On retirement my pension worked out at £1.15 per week. Now I don't crib at not getting the full pension but I do think it is wrong that we don't get a percentage of it to reflect what we have paid in. anyone who was self employed paid nothing like we did and got more out of it in the end. The married womans contribution was introduced to encourage women to work after the war. As usual their efforts are ignored in the final analysis.

[robbo12]

I personally feel we should all work to the grim reaper calls to keep the the immigrants and asylum seekers in luxury.

[davyboy]

You're obviously not a hod-carrier

 

But you don't have rot away watching TV once you've retired and in fact lots of pensioners watch very little TV. What you need to do is find a consuming interest/hobby outside work that makes you feel you'd be glad to retire so you could devote more time to that.

 

Worked for me and a few other pensioners I know.

Too true GB.

I'm finding the time is flashing by.

I don't know how I had the time to go to work:D