Latest Moan From You and Me 2024

All Tories!

 

'cos it's silly... Still, I suppose so is Stammer...

 

I'm wondering if, as a first step, she might be considering making the triple lock only apply to those solely reliant on the state pension, with the rate frozen for those with additional means in the form of a private pension, savings, or even an asset like your home. As the DWP has access to all pensioners' bank accounts, that would be doable, unfortunately.

I'm not against means testing as a concept, it's just they always set the bar way too low.

There has been no effective fightback against the WFP loss, so that may have emboldened Reeves.

 

Apparently the lib dems are going to try and push for a debate on the WFP.

She was crafty making the announcement just as all the MPs were going on holiday, timing is everything.

 

A debate won't change anything. Not one MP will have to rely on the state pension, so the incentive to do anything is just not there. Effective opposition has to come from outside parliament. That doesn't happen because pensioners hold no bargaining chips and the media is pro the wealthy not ordinary folk. It's been the same with the WASPIs. There's a whole load of female MPs who could have got onside, but they didn't.

 

A debate, if they got one, may not change things but it would prove there is serious opposition to this.
I agree it probably wouldn't overturn the decision, but it could be the first of many.

 

Why did they announce the WFP removal so early? Was it an admin thing so the DWP doesn't send out letters (since the budget is at the end of Oct) or is it to test the mood?

People have paid into the state pension - I paid in voluntary contributions to top it up. I've only had it for one year so would be rather angry if it were reduced having paid in so much.

Why not means-test public sector pensions too? They could save a fortune there.

 

I think it was to test the mood.

I, too, topped up a couple of yrs, but it did cross my mind that the drive to get people to do this might be a bit of a trap. Rake some extra in now ... and then change the system.

Floating the idea of scrapping NI contributions altogether also made me suspicious that this move could be a fore-runner to scrapping accrued entitlement.

 

During my working life the pension systems changed by each successive government meant that I never really managed to sort out a half decent private pension.
Opting in and Opting out serps, different rules and regulations, its all added up to nothing much extra.

 

I thought that scrapping NIs was to simplify the tax system, but was surprised that income tax didn't go up to compensate.

Remember in the 80s or 90s, when there was encouragement to move your company pension into a personal pension. I did - worst thing I've ever done. Luckily there was a protected rights portion, which had to stay put at that time.

There has been quite a drive to get people to top up state pension recently and they extended some deadline for doing it. But that's under the last gov. Imagine there being a similar drive to pay into private pensions and then they turn round and say sorry, we're not going to pay you a pension.

 

I never had a company pension until it became law for companies to provide one, which was probably only about 10 yrs or so before I retired.

In my early years the company ran a lump sum on retirement scheme which was classed as a pension scheme by government, at that time you were not allowed to have more than one pension scheme, so I had to ditch the lump some scheme which was paid for by the employer in order to pay into an annuity.

 

A friend of mine was prescribed some supplements to take for Osteoporosis. She found them too big to swallow so didn't take them, but she didn't tell her doctor that. She just kept collecting the repeat prescription and stuffing them all in a drawer!

 

I don't think they have scrapped the NI, it was just aspirations.