General Chat

The rich (most of them) will have contributed much more than the poor, through NIC's, and therefore deserve the same pension as everyone else, even IF they don't need it. Lily (impoverished OAP)

Hi, I tend to agree. Pensioners who have saved for their old age should be rewarded not penalised. Gwynne

Course they do everybody deserves the same if they have paid into it the same as family allowence,poorer people can get extra help through income support if needed! Dave

If they means test pensions they should means test child benefit.

....and this is supposed to encourage people to save for their old age???....coming on the heels of Equitable Life (husband's future company pension into which years of maximum AVC's have been paid and virtually lost!) - great news indeed! NOT Magsx

What do they mean by means test - The person who works all their life and pays into a private pension gets their pension at the end of the day. A person who does not work or will not work still gets provided for at the end of the day. What do you do? Bust a gut for others and pay extra into your private and state pension - look what happened to the last invention by the government - The Stakeholder Pension. Really gives you an incentive doesn't it Lin

My Mum has a small annuity left to her by my Dad, it takes her just outside the threshold to get extra benefits! she often says she wishes she didnt have it because she is losing out on things she is 80! Dave

Dave, My mum is just the same, she missed out on the Pension Credit by a whisker just because my dad worked all the hours god sent and got a modest works pension. My auntie who never paid for a private pension doesn't pay Council Tax, and's income is made up to roughly the same as mum's- which is good for her- but makes you wonder why bother. I've been paying topups into my works pension, which doubled what I pay each month, after the first year when my statement arrived I was looking foward to quite a hike in the payout, but it was next to nothing. My husband's private pension is a joke - he will get about £45 a month. Husand and I are only 4 years away from our pensions, and had plans for holidays etc. I think we will be struggling to pay the Council Tax and Water Rates - never mind going off on long winter holidays. Especially with the pending revaluation of houses for Council Tax, and the possibility that we could go up a band or two. Jackie

The elderly don't want means testing, don't often have the stamina for laborious form filling. My late father would never open anything from the tax office, consequently he missed out on age allowance and married allowance (available then), and ended up paying more tax from his pension than he should have done. Was able to claim the last 6 yrs back when he died and it ran into thousands. I don't hear anything from the government which would encourage savings for old age, when you get 'rewarded' for not bothering!!

Don't forget the MP's who used taxpayers money to increase their own pensions, while our pensions were falling in value, being closed down or even collapsing. Rob

I know one thing, if I could go back, knowing what I know now.............!! It would be spend, spend spend...... Lily (wise too late)

Everyone should be entitled to a decent pension - means testing is a terrible idea - one of the many reason why I wont be voting for Labour in the election. Ust to work in Housing Benefits and the number of elderly people who missed out on help because of having small private pension was ridiculous, whilst many of those who hadn't saved a bean got full Council Tax etc.

Actually the rich pay far less NI as it has an upper earnings limit of £32,760 PA. So someone on £63,000 a week only pays the same as someone on £630. This is why cuuting tax and increasing NI hits normal earners and benefits the rich. This has been done by a 'labour' government! Bob