What are you all up to
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B2 - Mrs WN won't receive her pension until she's 66, if they don't move the goalposts again! I'm just as furious about it as WASPIs.
We were looking at the shortfall estimates on our pensions this last weekend. I have 2 years to make up (despite being one year over before they raised my pension age) and Mrs WN has 1 year to make up, so about another £2,100 to find. We worked it out that the increase it brings won't repay outlay for about 2 and 1/2 years.
We do get free prescriptions here in Wales now we're over 60. Also get as much rain as you want, often more, without even asking.
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WN obviously different rules for getting bus passes. Don't talk to me about raising the pension age 😤😤😤😤. I get free prescriptions because of under active thyroid, never understood why it wasn't just thyroxine, but qualify for free at 60 anyway. OH had heart attack at 42 but had to pay for prescriptions???
Shortfall estimates?? I got an online or maybe written 😲 estimate and was horrified to find it's reduced because I was contacted out because of work place pension! No choice in that 😤😤😤. No mention of shortfall - is that contributing years? Better go and check out the government website. Hopefully you will live long enough to get back your investment? All a gamble I'm off to get out my crystal ball 😉. They'd better not extend the qualifying date any more before I get there!
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We get our bus passes in Scotland at 60, have only used it to go into town. We live 7 miles out so I park the car at my sisters then take the bus, from there it runs every 9 mins into town, the village service is about every 30 mins. Having the car at my sisters means I can then go onto the retail park or supermarkets after having a cuppa
I don't think there are any time restrictions. The reason I asked was that OH was talking to someone at the men's shed who said when he lived in England he could only use pass in his area. Hadn't heard of that before.
We get free prescriptions here in Scotland and like WN we get as much rain as we want or even don't want
Quick update on moggie, owner called to say, vet thinks she has been in a fight
and has a touch of cat flu she has had a couple of injections and has to rest for a few days. We'll see.Glad to hear Mrs WN is alright after ordeal, can I have custard instead of yogurt please
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Bakers 2 I too was horrified when I retired to find that my state pension was reduced because of a workplace (NHS) pension. No mention of that previously. I went to Citizens Advice and the Job Centre but no redress. We don't get our bus passes by post we have to apply to renew them. Previously at our bus station but that office has been closed - cut backs
so we now have to go to the Tourist Information Office in the centre of town - don't ask.It sounds as though your OH and MIL had a bit of a traumatic day WN. I am glad to hear that neither of them suffered any serious injury.
Good news on the stairlift husky. How great that your Mum can now stay with you over Christmas.
Any update on the little cat Tammygirl?
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Just read the update Millie, on the post above yours, cat news is good news I hope. Thanks TG.
Hope Helen feels better soon and Mrs WN enjoyed her pudding!
We have more strong winds forecast later, just enjoying a bit of peace and quiet before they return.
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Shortfall estimates?? I got an online or maybe written 😲 estimate and was horrified to find it's reduced because I was contacted out because of work place pension! No choice in that 😤😤😤. No mention of shortfall - is that contributing years? Better go and check out the government website. Hopefully you will live long enough to get back your investment? All a gamble I'm off to get out my crystal ball 😉. They'd better not extend the qualifying date any more before I get there!
They moved my date on me twice but I did get my pension in the end at 63 and 1/2. Both of us qualified for full pensions (as in years) but both had contracting out to be deducted, mine was very small only £8.75 a month, OH's was a lot more. He was in the military for 45 years obviously full time, I worked on and off part time yet I now get a better state pension than him. His works pension though is worth having, while mine might just buy me a sandwich and cup of tea
We both took early retirement (he had to go at 60) I got a deal so didn't lose out. 0 -
W R T Bus Passes in Cheshire :--
Cheshire East Council has taken over responsibility for issuing bus passes to people living within it's area, even tho' some have four (4) years still to run. Apparently its to ease the change over to their own computer system ( I seem to hear Santa or somebody HO HO HOing in the back-ground
)English bus passes are, in general, free after 9:30am until LAST BUS. Before 9:30 they are Half Fare. This only applies to normal services buses, specials such as tourist, sightseeing etc etc are EXCLUDED.
This of course also excludes those silly cities such as London, etcetera whose systems I never have & I hope never will need to use !
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Posts crossed MillieH. Cat should be ok
we couldn't believe it either neither of us knew we were contracted out.We get our bus passes from the council.
Not often the weather treats us all the same in this country, nice to see Scotland and Wales not getting preferential treatment
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TG - Custard included if preferred but you'll have to wash the pan yourself.
B2 - you can go online and check out your pension situation/N.I.contribution. It does explain things well but you'll have to register. Have pen and paper handy as reference numbers are long and they ring you immediately with a security code.
We've already paid 3 lots of back N.I. Even though I retired at 46 (health issues) I did start work at 16 and had by retirement age paid 31 years but now need 35 and because I was Self Employed for a number of years I won't be eligible for full pension anyway even if paying full N.I.years. You do wonder why you bother.
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You can still use them on the buses. The only thing that you might find is the driver is not very aware of what an out of London card is like as the majority of cards there are either Oyster or Freedom Passes. I tried to scan mine on the scanner and it wouldn't work and I was just waved into the bus!
David
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Bakers 2 I too was horrified when I retired to find that my state pension was reduced because of a workplace (NHS) pension. No mention of that previously.
Millie
My understanding of the reasons for this is that your pension scheme opted out of SERPs and therefore got a bigger tax allowance and the Government (not sure which one!) decided pensioners couldn't have their cake and eat it. So the state pension is reduced by the amout of tax relief. Some people are quite horrified when they discover how little state pension they get. I suppose what you need to do is to add any state pension to any private pension and then compare the total. Fortunately our company pension did not opt out of SERP's . You used to be able to opt back into SERP's but it doesn't exists anymore, it was replaced with the second state pension which may have been also replaced by now!!!
David
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Thanks for the clarification David. I just wish it had been explained to me when I started working for the NHS so that I could have worked out whether I wanted to op out or not! It all came as a bit of a shock. However about a year after I retired (early) a very nice man from the pensions office rang me to ask if I wanted to pay the extra NI to top up my state pension. If I did the extra money would be back dated which meant that although I had to pay a lump sum of NI I then got a lump sum from the pensions office and ended up about £300 better off! It also means that I get a slightly larger pension. Win wwin
Thanks for the update on the cat Tammygirl. Yes our posts must have crossed. I hope it will no be OK though it doesn't sound from your previous post as though it will get much rest and quiet at home.
I hope you feel better soon Helen. I have been feeling 'below par' for the past week with sore throat, headache and very tired but am beginning to feel better now. I just wish we could see some sunshine. It is grey and dreary here today. However I am off to lunch with ex work colleagues so I am sure we will have a good time.
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David you're in the same 'surprised/shocked' group as lots of us. Don't ever recall reading about it, certainly seems to have been slipped under the radar! Was it at the same time of a certain Chancellor raided pension funds??? I think most only realise as they get their state pension forecast. Certainly where I discovered mine! But I did take my work pension early so a bit of a hit there - but better to have whilst I'm here and can enjoy than find I don't make it until the due date and get nothing!
Not much we can do about it, a bit like the WASPI women, (I'm one of them too) got to put up and shut up 😢😤. I'm not too badly hit as only did part time after the children arrived local government for last 15 years., OH hit but decent pension, could have earned greater income in private sector but decided to stay in civil service for better pension 😂.
I wonder what would happen if we all rose up.............. it won't happen and the country couldn't afford it 😂😂. No wish to get political 😃
Wherenext it was on Gov. UK website I discovered the truth. Not brave enough to check again yet but I'm certain I have enough contributing years, Fingest crossed.
Let's have a cheerful subject we have enough to live on - certainly at the moment 😂. Weather grey, wet and breezy - that's upped my mood.
Enjoy your day folks. Off to meet a friend for coffee and I'll do a bit of Christmas stuff whilst in town. That may only be get the hump!
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I don't know at what point I woke up and thought I must sort my pensions out, I don't think many of us do, pensions are always in the distance. I missed out on a pension due to being a few days short of contributions and no-one warned me. My only reminder of several years hard work for that job is the purchase of a garden table and chairs from the small pay out I eventually got! (So far they have lasted as long as I have and we use them a lot..
)Hope you enjoy your lunch out Millie, our family have had various bugs, hoping we don't get them. Tomorrow we're off to the theatre to see "Sleuth."
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Milliehull I don't think you had a choice about opting out, it was the whole pension scheme status. How nice to have a phone call to discuss NI option, that maybe where I need to look, another day. Hadn't occurred to me to take my pension early but nice man at pension department didn't advise me 😉😉 to read the back of the form, I said I did but that couldn't be right! He said he couldn't advise but read the back of the form and every option applied to me ☺. I opted for the higher lump sum and reduced pension and the huge interest on that really increases my monthly income 😂😂😂😂.
Hope you feel better and enjoy your lunch. I must have missed helenandtrevor being poorly 😢 wish you better.
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You could opt back in but some didn't. I opted back and now get the two state pensions. Some schemes were promoted as being better than others, not an easy thing to sort out at the time.
edit I don't know why I opted back in, I must have actually listened to what somebody at home or work said to me!?
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I think it was in the Thatcher years that there was a big drive towards private pensions, the idea being that everyone could benefit from a larger pension than could be provided by the state. Pension schemes were designed to take advantage of generous tax reliefs in the form of reduced NI contributions. As NI contributions provide the state pension that is why there is a claw back from the state pension on retirement. It was really up to the pension scheme to explain this to members. (there is a tendency to blame the government which is unfair as the rules were clear) I also suspect that whilst you are at work and a pension is a long way off people are less inclined to give it much thought? I was never quite sure why my own company decided to have a scheme that did not opt out of SERP's but it was probably because the company employed a lot of part timers and the bulk of the wages were at the lower end of the scale so there was likely little advantage in opting out for the majority of the employees. I know some fellow managers decided to go for private pensions. There is an advantage in having a pension where the private element is bigger than the state pension as it means you can take a large tax free lump sum and with some pensions the ability to draw down money as you need it. My own scheme does not allow that which is probably a good idea!!!
David
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Dull, grey and raining still.
OH gone to his men's shed again, it's becoming a habit
I'm having a slow morning. I know I should get on with things but can't be bothered. I hate days like this and we've had to many since we've been back.Rivers are full to the brim if it keep up for much longer then we are going to have problems
Oh well must shake myself and get on with something.
Not seen the cat yet today so hoping she is tucked up safe and warm at home
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Not worth trying anything outdoors this morning except making sure the birds had food and clean water.
Put some split peas into soak. It's a Pea and Ham Soup sort of day.
Getting lots of pressure to get a Christmas present sorted out for myself but I don't actually want anything. Don't want to be a party pooper though so will probably settle for a voucher for books or a subscription for a walking magazine. Anyone else have this problem or do you lot have no trouble spending money?
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I was contracted out for quite a few years as I was in my company scheme, but also have some graduated pension and some Serps, so I do have some additional over the basic state pension.
There are of course now 3 different schemes in operation, the original one which I come under where I think a man needed 44 years contributions for a full pension, I only had 37, then the second scheme you only needed 30 years but spouse pensions are not so generous, and now the one where you need 35 years, the basic pension seemingly is more generous, but then there are all the deductions.
I lost quite a bit by not having enough contributions in UK, but also qualify for a small pension from Norway, which makes up for that, so cannot complain.
As B2 commented, we are doing ok meantime, enough for caravan holidays and helping the kids!
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We do not buy Christmas presents for each other, instead we sometimes buy ourselves something that we fancy but do not really need.
One thing we do not need these days is more "stuff", so presents from family are generally edible or drinkable.
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