Will You Sign This Petition Aimed At Helping Pensioners?

[sandyRoe]

https://chng.it/7dTDyPxq2c

If enough signed it may concentrate the minds of those in government.  

It can't be right that pensioners spend their Twilight years in poverty.

[ToraToraTora]

No, I wont, they had a life and a chance to provide for their retirement. The state pension is meant as a safetly net not a vehicle to bail out the ***less.

Too many have a life contributing *** all and then the state gives them everything for free. The hard working who do make provision get *** on prime time TV, if you want to fix something fix that.

[barry1010]

The author is luckier than many because his state pension will be around £3k pa more than older pensioners basic pension.

 

[newmodarmy]

I know it's chatterbank and so I didn't respond but now ToraTT has responded I'll broadly agree with his sentiments. Throughout my life there have been company pension schemes, personal pensions, stakeholder pensions and for some years now every employer has had to offer a workplace pension. Pensioners can always work for an extra year or two to supplement their pension. They've also had 50 years to put some money aside.

The living wage is to cover things like bringing up a family and paying a mortgage, travel to work etc. Many of those costs don't apply to pensioners.

As TTT says it's a safety net to make sure everyone gets something. Those poorest pensioners on just a basic pension can also get pension credit. And then there's winter fuel payments. Most people  already draw out much more in their state pension  than they pay in NI contributions. Some don't even pay NI- they get credits for being on benefits.

 

[sandyRoe]

Many were in employment where their wage meant their life was a struggle to make ends meet.  They were in no position to make provision for their retirement.

Now they're faced with fuel poverty, sitting freezing in their homes, and forced to frequent food banks.

They're not all feckless.

[Canary42]

I've already signed Sandy.

[jno]

yes.

[pastafreak]

Newmodarmy...how much do you think the poorest pensioners get?  And do you believe it's sufficient to live on? 

Signed 

[THECORBYLOON]

The National Living Wage is an hourly rate so how many hours would the weekly rate be based on?

[barry1010]

The basic state pension is £169.50 a week, the new state pension for men born on or after 6 April 1951 and women born on or after 6 April 1953 is £221.20 a week.

Of course many pensioners will be getting more or less than these basic figures depending on NI contributions, additional state pensions and other factors.

The National Living Wage for a 40 hour week is £457.60.

 

[youngmafbog]

No, I am in the TTT camp.

Besides, it is unaffordable.

[davebro3]

Surely anyone whose only income is the basic state pension will qualify for additional benefits?

It wouldn't make sense to be paying an extra £200 pw to those (the majority) who are already living reasonably (or very) comfortably with workplace pensions they have accumulated over the years.

I'll not sign such an ill-considered petition.

[Hopkirk]

Yes, there is also pension credit for the poorest. I believe getting that also unlocks other benefits.

I won't be signing.

[ToraToraTora]

As usual it's all the lefties that advocate giving public money to the feckless. I will get a state pension and someone more selfish that me would applaud this policy, I get more in the bin to spend. Davebro is correct, people who have only the state pension to live on can claim all manner of top ups etc. There is no way the nation can afford to give out more dosh to all and sundry, especially as there are more and more pensioners and fewer and fewer earners.

[10ClarionSt]

I have been a pensioner now for 8 years but I won't be signing the petition as I never sign petitions, no matter what the cause, even though I might sympathise with the cause.

I contributed to a company pension for many years and topped it up with AVC's. I've already stated in a previous thread how much me and Mrs Clarion receive in pensions. It's way, way below the national average wage. We are unable to claim Pension Credit due to the fact that I have a private pension. That pension takes me just above the threshold for PC. 

I tried folks. I hoped my private pension with AVC's would be a big help, but it isn't really because I pay income tax on it.

I didn't contribute eff all, as TTT puts it. And I am not feckless. I worked all my life; paid my taxes; never claimed state benefits; brought up a family. All of that time, my salary was way below the national average, but I still managed to try and make sure I had a private pension. It helps, for sure, but without it I think I would qualify for PC.

Bear in mind that for part of my working life we had the abomination of Thatcher, the worst thing that ever happened to this country, and we're still paying for her tyranny.

I don't expect any freebies from anyone but even though I tried to make provision for my retirement, life is still a struggle financially. And, to repeat, I didn't cointribute eff all and I am not feckless. But I won't be signing the petition. Sorry Sandy. 

[Peter Pedant]

I am on the brink of retirement, just two years away. The prospect of living on a state pension that does not match the government-set living wage is deeply concerning.

what on earth have they been doing for the last 25 y ? - when it was trumpeted loud and clear that the state pension was crap - you now have automatic enrollment which means he must have contracted out ( against advice)

the poor will always be with us

[barry1010]

You're still working, PP?

[Peter Pedant]

for info - the single limit for pension credit is £10 000

and for a married couple is £15 k p.a. and the average wage is 35k.

( altho I was an on-site work place pension adviser, around 50% ignored my advice, and were quite happy about "oh yes I remember the advice you gave me")

[ToraToraTora]

10cs: "Bear in mind that for part of my working life we had the abomination of Thatcher, the worst thing that ever happened to this country, and we're still paying for her tyranny." - if it wasn't for her me old china the Berlin wall would still be up and we'd be a Soviet outpost, you'd be in a queue for loaf of bread to pay for it with "government" vouchers. Perhaps that's what you and your union buddies wanted that's why you refuse to see that anything we have to day is down to her saving us from the hard line socialists and commies. Forgive them Maggie for they know not what they do.

[Paul22118]

I won't sign.  I spent all my working life 16 to 66, paying for later age.  I took out pension plans, saving pots and tried to tuck away as much as possible.  Now retired, with the current state pension - which of course I contributed towards - I live reasonably well.

A person of my acquaintance who no longer lives near me, hardly ever worked.  He constantly moaned that he had a bad back, a bad head, in fact bad everything.  I know there was b all wrong with him as I say a video of him playing beach volleyball in the sun. He had a free flat, paid no council tax, paid no income tax and received on average over the years a comfortable living wage level in benefits. The GP always signed him off.  I fully expect he just couldn't be bothered to trail him through the process f declaring him fit for work.

On one occasion he was made to accept a job in a supermarket warehouse.  He arrived at 8am.  At 10am he fell over some tape on the floor and was blue lighted to a&e with yet another back injury.  He never went back and the supermarket paid him off with two grand.

The Country is full of people like him.

[ToraToraTora]

Paul, I don't blame people like him I blame the TROBiscites that create the conditions for parasites like him to exist.