11 May 2013 12:49:

Most public sector workers have a huge sense of entitlement and wouldn't survive in the real world. I was often rendered speechless at some of their expectations and the difficulty in disciplining and when appropriate sacking  useless morons. I have relative working in the bubble of the SCS (senior civil service) who is has worked hard and been successful but they will retire in the next year at 55 with a lump sum and a guaranteed inflation proofed pension which to us would seem like a lottery win courtesy of the taxpayer, do they feel fortunate, not really it's their 'right' after contributing 3.5% of salary towards it for about 25 years and he will receive the new higher rate state pension.............on the other hand my husband who is 7 years older has worked harder and longer in often harsh conditions, earned more, saved much more but his pension plans have been subject to the real world of financial crisis with no taxpayer subsidy and he will lose out  on the higher state pension by 3 months........ 

Thread: GB versus Spanish Pensions

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09 May 2013 14:16:

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/money/holidays/article-2320851/Getting-hospital-treatment-holiday.html

Thread: EHIC Problems?

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09 May 2013 10:50:

Our urbanization has this all over the place and it is a mess. Badly done in the first place, colour fading   and patchy it looks terrible and where repairs have been made the don't match. I'm sure when done well it is fine but I wouldn't consider it now.

Thread: decorative concrete

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07 May 2013 19:37:

Camposol, no it affects all spouse's in UK and abroad see the link to DM article I posted. It should be remembered that anyone not building up a NI record of their own can make voluntary contributions, including from abroad which counts towards the state retirement pension. From 1975 stay at home mums and dads in receipt of child benefit were credited for NI via the Home Responsibility rules.

Roly2, with my knowldege of DWP pension systems I think it would be easier to have everyone on the same system, having this 2 tier scheme I  fear will cause confusion with pensioners (and probably staff) which will take up a lot of resources and time is money. There will also be many situations where someone before 2016 has paid in for 40 odd years receiving less than someone who has only paid for 35. It will particulary effect anyone who has saved and is not entitled to pension credit so will only receive the basic £105 rather than £144, that is a lot of money to a lot of people. But hey, we're all in this together in Call Me Dave's fair society...........

Thread: GB versus Spanish Pensions

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07 May 2013 17:53:

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/money/pensions/article-2320696/End-66-week-married-people-pension-affect.html

This will affect spouse's in the UK as well as abroad. Spouse's with a deficient contribution record in their own right have always been able to claim a reduced pension based on their husband/wife's contributions when they reached retirement age providing their spouse had also reached retirement age, then if the partner who had paid the contributions died first the survivor would inherit the remainder of deceased's pension. It was introduced to protect women at a time when most married women did not work. It is not  being withdrawn from anyone already in receipt of it.

I am also surprised that there hasn't been a hue and cry about existing pensioners and those who retire before April 2016 being excluded. I really expected Ros Altman and Saga and other organizations to be on the case but their silence is deafening.

 

This message was last edited by Poppyseed on 07/05/2013.
Thread: GB versus Spanish Pensions

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