Latest Moan From You and Me 2024

There was someone on the tv the other morning pointing out that it is a benefit, because all that money you paid in has been spent and its people who are working now that are paying your pension.
So you see its all your fault that you are now on benefits.

 

I am due to receive my State Pension in May, I have spent 3 weeks phoning them to try and for some missing years, often spending a couple of hours on the phone and have still not managed it. Very, very annoying.

 

You'll get another soon telling you that there is 20% tax coming off that benefit...

 

Put it writing @Punkdoc , important as once sent it's evidence you applied on time as there are limits! Is it worth it? Well depends on your circumstances, but if it's years on or after 2016/7 then it likely is... Sorry if you know all this, but it can make a big financial difference. Not too sure what they are like now, but I contacted them a while ago and their reply was quick (for the Civil Service) , detailed and well worth the effort.

 

OH and I took the option to delay taking our state pension a year, gambling on th efact that we are in good health and would get the extra 10% on offer for longer and therefore more income than the year we would miss out.

So far, so good. We both have full contributions and see it as return on investment rather than a lucky "benefit".

 

I've just had a reminder to renew my driving licence with the option of filling in the provided form or a questionnaire online. I took the chance online knowing it could go horribly wrong but surprisingly it was accepted first time. There was nowhere that I could find to renew my photo, which is now ancient and looks nothing like me. How on earth, if it's required, is someone in an official capacity going to know it's me? In fact, yesterday that was the case. The person studied it and me for quite a while before handing it back - and no it wasn't a police officer!

 

Too right there is a limit...5th April 2024. Their current lead time is about 3 months. That's assuming that they don't lose your top-up payment, which they did in my case. They've had over £4k of my money since last August but 'lost' it. As I'm due to claim my pension in August this year (need to start the process in April due to their inefficiency) it's highly unlikely that the money will be found, let alone credited, before the deadline. Stiff letters to the respective head honchos of DWP, HMRC and my MP have elicited a complete lack of response. Pretty shameful, IMHO.

 

Not checked it out fully @noisette47 but they seem to be saying they have extended again until 2025 here
Voluntary National Insurance: How and when to pay - GOV.UK (www.gov.uk)

 

Ah...again. That's the third time Unfortunately not much help if you intend to claim your pension this year When and why did it all go so badly wrong?

 

I have a heath Robinson adaptation to my bird feeder. It works really well at keeping squirrels and parakeets from getting the seeds.
Some brute has knocked the feeder right off the hook onto the ground and I will need to make another sleeve to protect the feeder.
It involves cutting a plastic bottle to size, sliding it over the tube and tightening it . It's a joy to watch the odd squirrel that manages to leap up to it sliding off and landing flat on its back or a parakeet hanging upside down for ages trying to work it out.
So many bottles have 'waists' now. I'm going to have to search the supermarket shelves for straight bottles preferably 75cl. I'm assuming that the cheaper brands have less fancy bottles.
Who knows what I'll end up with? Something luminous blue and fizzy. Yum!