brown just go.

[cashman]

Originally Posted by cashman

well i read somewhere a few weeks ago, the tory ******* intend to do away with bus passes fer the elderly etc, it may suprise a few of the knob heads, but it sure will not suprise me.

Originally Posted by jaysay

Don't believe everything you read in the Daily Mail cashy

well as i never said i believed, but would not be suprised, that poses the question, do you think they will definatly not touch the bus passes? or do you fall into the other camp i mentioned?

[jaysay]

Originally Posted by cashman

well as i never said i believed, but would not be surprised, that poses the question, do you think they will definitely not touch the bus passes? or do you fall into the other camp i mentioned?

He daren't take my bus pass I'd slap his hands and face, but seriously cashy that would be political suicide, with all the grey vote knocking about today, that includes thee and me Me thinks that store has more origin from Gordon's Spin machine than Tory Central Office

[blazey]

I'm not entirely sure what the justification is for the elderly having bus passes is in the first place when there are more important things to focus money on. Maybe I'm mistaken, but don't old people tend to worry more about things like heating their houses in winter?

Maybe pensions should be raised, other benefits for lazy scroungers cut, and public transport subsidised for everyone.

Not everyone even wants a bus pass.

[SPUGGIE J]

Originally Posted by blazey

I'm not entirely sure what the justification is for the elderly having bus passes is in the first place when there are more important things to focus money on. Maybe I'm mistaken, but don't old people tend to worry more about things like heating their houses in winter?

Maybe pensions should be raised, other benefits for lazy scroungers cut, and public transport subsidised for everyone.

Not everyone even wants a bus pass.

Yes pensioners worry more about heating in winter paying their bills and food. The pesion they get is poor and a lot of them cannot understand how to get more benifits if they are entitled to them. As for the bus pass it gives them freedom to travel country wide at no real expense to enjoy life to the full. Even those with private pensions and savings due to the economic downturn suffer. There are those that may not drive due to their health, no licence of if they have a car cannot afford to run it. The bit that annoys me about pensions is that everyone who has paid the minimum required amount of national insurance gets a state pension. Yet that is more or less saying that all are equal despite the fact that some will have paid more than others because ehey had a better rate of pay or did a regular shot of overtime. Private pensions though subject to the vagrancies of the markets are paid based on what you put in unlike the state pension.

Yes target those that dont want to work though able to as the money paid to them could increase the pension and lessen the stress pensioners are under financially. Thing is though that even with govenment incentives, payments, retraining etc there will always be those that are better off not working.

Its not only pensioners that have bus passes either, like me who has a condition that legally bans me from driving. I have taken a while to accept the situation as others in my position as well as others who cannot be allowed to drive because of medical conditions. There have been times that though entitled to it I have taken pelters for it and despite not having to justification has been thrown back at them. The argument seems to be that taxpayers shouldnt be funding bus passes at all. My argument is that pensioners who worked all their days and payed taxes should have one. As for me I have employment and pay tax so I am paying for mine. It is subsidised by a payment fixed by govenment and would if extended might get some of the cars of the road that they want so eagerly to do.

Public transport is despite the best efforts of some still way behind other countries and will be for a long time to come. Buses and trains are either half empty or stowed to the gunnels depending on the time of day. I use both trains and buses and suffered on both esp the trains being overcrowed. Yet there are times of the day when trains are half empty and you get cheap tickets but the times only suit those that have no ties. Discounts are available for pensioners and the disabled (which I am classed as) students etc but because it still involves paying then pensioners prefer a bus that costs nothing.

Yes I think govenment policy sometimes has the wrong direction but others will disagree leading to arguments galore. Pensioners get a raw deal in my view and more should be done to help them as many of us will be those pensioners one day in the future. We will have payed our tax and N.I. and should be able to get recompense in some small form for what we have (if we reach that age) put in over our working lives.At the days end some gain many lose but that is sadly the status quo at the moment untill change is forced.

[jaysay]

Great Post Spugs, in a nutshell really, maybe blazey will understand in 40 years time

[BERNADETTE]

Well said Spuggie says it all really

[katex]

Originally Posted by SPUGGIE J

. The bit that annoys me about pensions is that everyone who has paid the minimum required amount of national insurance gets a state pension. Yet that is more or less saying that all are equal despite the fact that some will have paid more than others because ehey had a better rate of pay or did a regular shot of overtime.working.

Is this quite right Spuggie ?

Basic State Pension (BSP)
The BSP is a flat-rate pension paid to anyone who has paid enough National Insurance contributions or has enough credits when they reach their SPA.
Currently, the full rate of BSP is payable if you have qualifying years of about 90% of the years in your working life. This is currently 39 years for a woman and 44 years for a man. Your working life begins at 16 and ends when you reach your SPA. The minimum BSP is payable if you normally have 10 or 11 qualifying years. This is normally 25% of the full rate. The more years you work or have credited then the more BSP you earn.

[Neil]

Do you think it is right that those who have worked more and paid for more of their working life get more money?

OR

Do you think your state pension should be relative to how money you have paid in National Insurance contributions? That could mean that those who earned more during their working life would get more state pension than those who earned less. So if you worked for 40 years and earned £10,000 a year you would get the same as someone who worked for 20 years earning £20,000.


What do you think?

[BERNADETTE]

I don't think people should get less pension because they earned less money that would be penalising them for not being high earners. And we all know that somebody has got to do the low paid jobs. Surely your contribution is based on your earnings so somebody on say six pounds an hour can't be expected to pay as much as somebody on fifteen pounds an hour?

[SPUGGIE J]

Must admit trying to get my head around the rules regs etc concerning pensions and benifits gave me a napper rapper.

[jaysay]

There's one thing for sure Gordon won't have to bother about his pension when he gets the boot

[SPUGGIE J]

Got this online from the HMRC site the full info though is in pdf format.

Basic State Pension

State Pension is paid in two parts.

• Basic Pension, paid at a flat rate
• Additional State Pension paid on the basis of your earnings before your retirement.

The Basic Pension is a flat rate benefit based on the number of years (known as qualifying years) in which you paid or were credited with a minimum amount of standard rate contributions. (Class1, 2 or 3 NI Contributions)

Further information can be found The Pension Service Website.

[BERNADETTE]

Originally Posted by jaysay

There's one thing for sure Gordon won't have to bother about his pension when he gets the boot

Nor will any other MP's

[katex]

Originally Posted by SPUGGIE J

Must admit trying to get my head around the rules regs etc concerning pensions and benifits gave me a napper rapper.

Me too Spuggie, that's why I am asking.

Gone into those websites, still don't get it. Has 60 blooming pages for heaven's sake !

I appear to be drawing more than some of my friends .. shows basic plus 2 additional .. and the graduated pension .. tee hee £1.10 extra per month.

Was paying a higher rate of contribution for a long while, but did have a ceiling, so the answer to Neil's question is ... you do get more if you have paid more ... I think .. Although don't quite think this was quite the question. Looks like there is the issue of how many years you have worked, and also the amount ... if you had been a high earner for 20 years, suppose the higher contribution you had paid could well balance this out for someone paying a lower contribution for 40 years.

Suppose you can turn it around and ask why people who are high earners have to pay more?

Oh hek, 'ain't got a clue really ... somebody on here must have worked for the pension's people.

[katex]

Also, another question re. the bus passes ... aren't these funded by the Government in conjunction with your local authority and both contribute ? So, don't think the Government could get away with withdrawing them without a fight from local councillors. There again, don't really know.