VFR

I have heard that from this April (past) this UK State Pension element will no longer be paid to anyone who is about to receive a State Pension.
I could maybe understand that from X date all new workers stepping onto the pension ladder (yes I know you have to) will no longer receive this element, but to just say from now on your Dependant spouse will have to tighten their belt a bit ?

scampicat

The facility for a person drawing a UK pension to be able to claim for a younger spouse of working age has been withdrawn from April 2010

Quite right too, imho, unless the younger spouse is too sick/disabled to work (in which case they can claim appropriate benefits), or has caring responsibilities (ditto).

No-one under pension age has to work if they do not wish to, as long as they do not expect the State to fund this choice.

VFR

So lets take Mr & Mrs Average.
Mr A spent 40 years working & paying his dues.
Mrs A worked early on, then spent 25 years as housewife bringing up the children etc etc etc (for no pay)
At 65 Mr A receives his State Pension.
Mrs A has 5 years to go & as she has not worked (she has of course) will receive no State Pension worth talking about in her own right, also she is very unlikely to be employable at her age/work background.

You think that there is no injustice here ?

scampicat

I think it is perfectly fair. The lifestyle choice was made. You can't have it all ways.

I myself stayed at home bringing up my son for 13 years.

As long as you had not paid the Married Womens NI ('small stamp') you got your Pension protected if you were at home looking after children and claiming Child Benefit. (Home Responsibilities Protection).

I was under the old 39 years rule for claiming State Pension.
I had 24 years worked and paying NI, 13 years HRP and two years of Voluntary Contributions, clocking up to a total of 39 years.

Therefore I claim my State Pension in my own right now I am 60.

And now people only need 30 years' worth of NI to gt their own Pension, it is much easier to clock the years up.

Had I have not chosen to go back to work once my son was a teenager, or opted to pay the cheaper Married Womens NI, and chose not to pay my Voluntary Contributions when necessary,then I would not have got my own Pension. Why should I then have expected the State to fund my choice?

There is and always has been a CHOICE to clock your pension up.....or not....even if bringing up children.