Waspi women

[Gill W]

A lot of these women thought they had planned for their retirement until the goalposts were moved.
Many have been badly affected. Some may not have been able to save enough to make up the shortfall.

This is my last word on this topic,I know now why I do not generally comment on current affairs topics on this forum.

Please continue to comment. There’s probably no one on this forum that knows how bad it can make you feel when you appear to be commenting from a minority point of view, and when it gets me down, I go away for a while. Please don’t take anything that I say about this personally, it’s just that i’ve been following this for about 4 years, and have seen and heard a lot of stuff, some of it quite mind boggling.

Regarding the women that thought they had planned for their retirement. I don’t really buy into this idea. As I said earlier, we’ve had over a quarter of a century since the first announcement in the 1993 Budget, so we’ve had plenty of time to plan if we still want to retire early. I think the problem is, many knew but didn’t take any action because it seemed like the distant future, and now they are feeling fed up because they can’t stop working.

[Onelife]

I think we have to accept that when OAP was introduced, it was done so on the basis that the Government of the day didn't expect many to live to an age where they would be receiving it.....roll on a hundred years many of us are here to enjoy our retirement.......something the government back then didn't envisage and governments thereafter  didn't plan for.

I think it was brought in at 65 when the average age of death was 70 - to make the last few years of life more comfortable. Women at 60 so they would retire at a similar age to hubby (since hubbies tended to be older and couldn't possible be expected to fend for themselves while wife was working).

So these days we should be working a good 10 more years before the pension kicks in.
But there's not enough jobs around for that to be feasible

Hi Meg,

When OAP was introduced (1919) life expectancy for men was less than 60 so very few lived to collect their pension.....A pretty good system that relied on the many dieing early to pay for the few who lived to collect their pension.

As life expectancy increased the few became the many ....hence the reason we are where we are now.

[Gill W]

I think we have to accept that when OAP was introduced, it was done so on the basis that the Government of the day didn't expect many to live to an age where they would be receiving it.....roll on a hundred years many of us are here to enjoy our retirement.......something the government back then didn't envisage and governments thereafter  didn't plan for.

I think it was brought in at 65 when the average age of death was 70 - to make the last few years of life more comfortable. Women at 60 so they would retire at a similar age to hubby (since hubbies tended to be older and couldn't possible be expected to fend for themselves while wife was working).

So these days we should be working a good 10 more years before the pension kicks in.
But there's not enough jobs around for that to be feasible

That’s more or less what I’ve been told, Meg.

Another point is that women live longer than men. My current life expectancy is 88, if SPA remained at 60, I’d be getting a pension for nearly 30 years!

It would be completely unsustainable, as the older population is growing. The burden on the working population would be immense. I know it’s painful that state pension age is increasing, but I think it’s unavoidable, and is happening in most countries

[Gill W]

I was born in 1956 and expected my state pension at 65.
If waspi are successful, I shall be lobbying for my full pension at 65 instead of 66 as that was the contract when I started working in 1972.
Best of luck to them if they set a precedent.

I think it’s very unlikely that Waspi will be successful. It’s very unlikely that Labour will get a majority, and if Labour were in a position to implement this policy, no doubt there’d be legal action against them, on the grounds of discrimination on the basis of age and sex. In fact, I know someone who says she’d apply for the Judicial Review.

I know you are being tongue in cheek about a contract, but as I’ve said to many a Waspi, there is no contract. State pension is a benefit, and the eligibility for benefits can and does change.

[Stephen]

I think we have to accept that when OAP was introduced, it was done so on the basis that the Government of the day didn't expect many to live to an age where they would be receiving it.....roll on a hundred years many of us are here to enjoy our retirement.......something the government back then didn't envisage and governments thereafter  didn't plan for.

I think it was brought in at 65 when the average age of death was 70 - to make the last few years of life more comfortable. Women at 60 so they would retire at a similar age to hubby (since hubbies tended to be older and couldn't possible be expected to fend for themselves while wife was working).

So these days we should be working a good 10 more years before the pension kicks in.
But there's not enough jobs around for that to be feasible

That’s more or less what I’ve been told, Meg.

Another point is that women live longer than men. My current life expectancy is 88, if SPA remained at 60, I’d be getting a pension for nearly 30 years!

It would be completely unsustainable, as the older population is growing. The burden on the working population would be immense. I know it’s painful that state pension age is increasing, but I think it’s unavoidable, and is happening in most countries

That's because us poor bu99ers get worked and nagged to death

[Whynd1]

Thank you for the chocolates.

[Onelife]

Thank you for the chocolates.

Thank you Lindsey....Always nice to know the arrived safely......enjoy!

[Stephen]

Hope you have a good ambulance attendance time Lindsey

[Suekersh]

Lindsey,

I am in agreement with you although I couldn’t ever bring myself to vote for Corbyn. I was born in early 1957 and always paid the full stamp. I had expected and planned to retire at 60 and still feel aggrieved that having paid into the system since the age of 16 and only taking time off to look after young children I now have to wait until 66 to get my pension.

I disagree with a Gill that a state pension is a benefit. We have paid into the pension so in my eyes it is not a benefit. A benefit is something that is given to the unemployed, disabled and poor.

I made the decision to retire early knowing that I would have to wait for my old age pension and raided my private pension pot to enable me to do so. Not everyone can do that but when I put the plan in place my retirement age should have been 65 but rose after that to 66. I am 63 next January so just another 3 years to wait...... unless Corbyn does get in without my vote and follows through on his election manifesto. I won’t vote for him but neither would I refuse his very kind offer.

Sue

[barney]

If successful, there will be a class act by millions of men under the sex discrimination act who will use the same argument.

[towny44]

Lindsey,

I am in agreement with you although I couldn’t ever bring myself to vote for Corbyn. I was born in early 1957 and always paid the full stamp. I had expected and planned to retire at 60 and still feel aggrieved that having paid into the system since the age of 16 and only taking time off to look after young children I now have to wait until 66 to get my pension.

I disagree with a Gill that a state pension is a benefit. We have paid into the pension so in my eyes it is not a benefit. A benefit is something that is given to the unemployed, disabled and poor.

I made the decision to retire early knowing that I would have to wait for my old age pension and raided my private pension pot to enable me to do so. Not everyone can do that but when I put the plan in place my retirement age should have been 65 but rose after that to 66. I am 63 next January so just another 3 years to wait...... unless Corbyn does get in without my vote and follows through on his election manifesto. I won’t vote for him but neither would I refuse his very kind offer.

Sue

Sue, whilst I sympathise with your situation, especially the later changes to your SPA, I must ask if you genuinely believe that your NI contributions have not only paid for any NHS treatment, including GP provision, but provided an adequate contribution to give you anything approaching your ultimate state pension.

[barney]

I can't speak for Sue but I can guarantee that my personal payments will.
I've been fortunate enough to have hardly used the NHS in my life and the only time that I needed a major op, I paid to go private.
I actually went to my local gp for the first time last week to get some strong pain killing gel that isn't available over the counter.

[david63]

We have paid into the pension so in my eyes it is not a benefit. A benefit is something that is given to the unemployed, disabled and poor.

I would have to disagree with that statement.

As far as the basic state pension is concerned there is no correlation between what you have "paid in" and what you receive - unlike most private pensions. In fact, in theory, you do not have to pay a single penny into the the state scheme to receive a pension - all you need is enough credits.

A person who never works, lives off benefits and receives credits for being unemployed will receive the same basic pension as somebody earning £100k per year.

[Manoverboard]

I disagree with a Gill that a state pension is a benefit ….

An examination of the annual document from the ' Pensions Service ' advises one ….

" ABOUT THE GENERAL INCREASES IN BENEFITS
This is to tell you that from 08 APR 19 the amount of benefit you will receive … "

and

" HOW YOUR BENEFIT IS MADE UP "

and

On the rear of the advisory document it provides information on other benefits

They obviously do believe that it's a benefit, indeed there are many such payments that are not aimed solely at the needy.

I am sure you will eventually be able to tell your friends that you are in receipt of benefits

[Onelife]

I disagree with a Gill that a state pension is a benefit ….

An examination of the annual document from the ' Pensions Service ' advises one ….

" ABOUT THE GENERAL INCREASES IN BENEFITS
This is to tell you that from 08 APR 19 the amount of benefit you will receive … "

and

" HOW YOUR BENEFIT IS MADE UP "

and

On the rear of the advisory document it provides information on other benefits

They obviously do believe that it's a benefit, indeed there are many such payments that are not aimed solely at the needy.

I am sure you will eventually be able to tell your friends that you are in receipt of benefits

Just playing with words moby, whilst it may well be called a benefit most people see it as a well earned entitlement.....just saying

[Stephen]

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[towny44]

All benefits, including state pensions, are paid out of tax revenues, which as we all know now includes the national insurance contributions.
So whilst some may like to think that having paid their "NI stamp" they are contributing to their future benefits, whereas in reality they are paying current benefit recipients.

[Whynd1]

On my husbands letter regarding his state pension it is called a benefit.

Lindsey

[Manoverboard]

Just playing with words moby, whilst it may well be called a benefit most people see it as a well earned entitlement.....just saying

There'll be some getting umpteen benefits for doing nought who will also see it as a well earned entitlement … just saying

[Meg 50]

...
It should be noted that the Labour ‘Waspi Windfall’ applies to women born from 6/4/50 to 5/4/60, but tapers off to minuscule amounts for the later dates of birth.

I was born in November 52, and wasn't affected too much, but my sister in law, 6 months younger copped it big time.
I didn't know they were backdating it to those born in 50! Wow!

[Mervyn and Trish]

While they're compensating the Waspi women I wonder if they'll also compensate the men and women who lost far more when Gordon Brown crippled the private pension industry?

[towny44]

While they're compensating the Waspi women I wonder if they'll also compensate the men and women who lost far more when Gordon Brown crippled the private pension industry?

Ah but that was OK because it was taking from the rich workers to allow Gordon to waste spend it on higher unemployment benefits.

[Manoverboard]

During the war 70s men who were employed by various financial institutions and Town Councils etc were getting the benefits of subsidised mortgages but when women demanded the same ( quite right too ) the subsidy disappeared or was reduced for new loans. Over the term of a mortgage that would have represented big bucks.

No sign of compo there either.