Re: Pension question
 

Marvellous, isn't it? As a woman in her '50s, I've already had my state retirement age put back twice. Then they reduced the number of years' contributions I needed to qualify for a full state pension to 30, but now if this new scheme comes in in 2017 I will need 35. How many more changes that disadvantage women in this age group are they going to introduce within the next 10 years before I get to my current state retirement age?

Re: Pension question
 

Hi, this is how i feel too for you, I have 34 yrs up to april last year , just paid my next installment of insurance stamps , taking me up to jan this year , Ive since stopped working self emplyed due to sickness , but not claiming sick , so dont know if to call em up and ask if i have to pay the extra stamps because i reire when im 63 rys old in 2016 , Will i have enough stamps to get the pension due to the rise in 2017 or will i miss our on the rise due to retireing at 63 , 2016 and would it be worth me paying extra stamps , thank you

Re: Pension question
 

They say you will keep your SERPS entitlement but how that squares with the new £155 (2017) they don't make clear.

Re: Pension question
 

But if you claim sick don't the stamps get paid anyway?

Re: Pension question
 

Unfortunately you have the EU Court of HR to thank for the increase in your state pension retirement age. Just as car Insurance premiuims have gone up for women even though they are a lesser risk. Apparently the striving for equality overcomes everything else.

Re: Pension question
 

No, if you are already a pensioner you will still have to stay on the lower pension. Hardly fair.

Re: Pension question
 

But, as was said, he's not claiming sick - just like me (oops!)

I came to Spain for the warmer climate to try and put off the date that I needed new knees and another back op. Perhaps I should have stayed in UK, claimed sickness benefit and then had the ops on the NHS!

Re: Pension question
 

I didn't mind the increase to 65 so much - at least transitional arrangements were put in place so it was phased in over 5 years, and it's only fair that there should be equality in the state retirement age for men and women. However, I do think that when future changes were being considered, care should have been taken to ensure that the same group of people were not disadvantaged again and again, that does not seem fair at all.

Re: Pension question
 

I suspect the government are hoping that the normal pension will be close to the one they are setting to come into force in 2017, otherwise they will get a lot of aggro from those, including me, who are currently on a pension.

Re: Pension question
 

Not likely to increase by 37 quid in 4 yrs. Really pissed about this.

Re: Pension question
 

They have said ever since this flat rate pension was first suggested that it would apply only to people who retire after the date it is introduced. If part of their argument for introducing a flat rate is that is cheaper than having a range of add-ons and means-tested benefits (meaning that such things as WFA and Pension Credit will disappear after it is introduced), then why would it not be cheaper still to move all existing pensioners on to the new flat rate? Otherwise, they will have to keep all the other stuff in place as an ever-decreasing number of people keep on drawing the old pension and the add-ons.

Something about these proposals just does not add up. The Government says it will benefit stay at home mothers and carers - but don't they get home responsibilities credit or whatever it's called anyway, to count towards their NI contributions?

And they still have not made it clear what will happen to the extra contributions people have made to SERPS although that will be scrapped if and when the new flat rate pension comes in. Why not - what have they got to hide?

Re: Pension question
 

Exactly, a two tier system will be more expensive and unfair. I don´t qualify for tax credits anyway living in Spain so no top up for me.

Re: Pension question
 

Hi ,I have just rang the newcastle pension up and the lad didn't know what was happening , he said this afternoon they will be putting all the info we need to know on their web page , but at present their not sure what and when we are entitled to the raise in 2017 , I asked him if i now pay this 6 months insurance stamp will that take me to 35 qualifying and if i defer my claim for pension another year will that take me to the 2017 and then I can claim the state :confused:pension , Well he knew nothing , Ring later in the week we will know more , so thats that then ...............

Re: Pension question
 

To be fair, at the moment it's all speculation, as the actual white paper isn't published until this afternoon. This may contain some of the detail that is missing from the leaks e.g future of SERPS contributions

Re: Pension question
 

And they still have not made it clear what will happen to the extra contributions people have made to SERPS although that will be scrapped if and when the new flat rate pension comes in. Why not - what have they got to hide?[/QUOTE]

Having just listened to the Pensions Minister on TV he implied that people who have paid Serps will get the additional on top of the standard pension? howeve of course you may not have the full 35 years so may loose some of the minimum? How much does a mother get added to her pension for not having been able to work due to being at home with baby? Seems to me the comment a simple straightforward pension that people will be able to plan from, seems as clear as mud to me.:unsure: