MSE News: State pension payout likely rise by £2.40 a week 13 October 2009 at 11:03AM in Pensions, Annuities & Retirement Planning 40 replies 3.7K views

Former_MSE_Guy

This is the discussion thread for the following MSE News Story:

"This would mean the benefit rises from next April from ..."

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State pension payout likely rise by £2.40 a week

rosgrech

Goodness me - what can I buy for an extra 34p a day? I shall be spoilt for choice - a bag of carrots, some reduced veggies, not even a couple of pints of milk!

Perhaps I should fritter it away on a sticky cake? How on earth do they expect us pensioners to keep healthy, fit and to enjoy our retirement - even just a little bit?

But . . . . it is a better payrise than many other more unfortunate people can look forward to at the moment. It's just that 2.4% of very little IS very little.

seven-day-weekend

I am due to receive my first State Pension payment of £102.59 on 1 February 2010 :beer:(have just applied for it today )

The 2.4% rise is more than many people in work are getting, so I will be grateful for any increase.

CLAPTON

It wasn't intended to improve pensioners' standard of living but simply to keep in line with RPI

In fact it's better than that so I don't see why the synthetic outrage.

Dustangle

CLAPTON wrote: »

It wasn't intended to improve pensioners' standard of living but simply to keep in line with RPI

In fact it's better than that so I don't see why the synthetic outrage.

I quite agree. Most pensioners get more than the basic state pension anyway, either because they have an occupational pension or because they get Pension Credit. Now is there going to be an increase in Pension Credit?

If you don't know, Pension credit is an extra payment that guarantees everyone a minimum income. For a single pensioner with weekly income (including pension) between £96 and £181 a week (before rent or council tax) you may be entitled to up to £20.40 a week extra. Almost two million on low incomes eligible for Pension Credit don't claim. To check if you're eligible call 0800 99 1234. Daily Mail readers don't need to bother.

Another thing - time to scrap the 25p pension increase that people aged 80 and over get. You always get some ignorant curmudgeons whining about how "it's only 25p." Stick 25p on Pension Credit as a one-off for everyone over 60 and then scrap the 25p.

kindofagilr

The only problem with scrapping the 25p (which I agree it should probably be scrapped) is that we do have some pensioners who want the 25p and would find it a disgrace if we took it away, we can't win, some are insulted by it and some want it?

But putting it on the Pension Credit would be good but not all pensioners are on that either lol so god knows what should be done about the 25p

Dustangle

They all get hundreds of pounds heating money each year, free bus travel, free TV licences and god knows what else so we should just scrap the five shillings and if anyone is still unhappy they should be told where to stick it, grumpy sods that they are. This was meant to be a humorous comment but no doubt some Daily Mail reading UKIP voting right wing wretch will take exception. Too bad.

kindofagilr

Yes I know lol I am just pointing out we have had people ring up demanding to know where their 25p is

brewerdave

RPI or 2.5%- whichever is higher! I just got my letter from my pension provider telling me that as RPI is negative they will not be giving me any increase this year but graciously assuring me that they won't be decreasing it !!!

margaretclare

Dustangle wrote: »

They all get hundreds of pounds heating money each year, free bus travel, free TV licences and god knows what else so we should just scrap the five shillings and if anyone is still unhappy they should be told where to stick it, grumpy sods that they are.

Not all of us - please don't tar everyone with the same brush.

Re heating money: it's going to be £125 each. 'Hundreds' of pounds? How many 'hundreds'? And not all of us want, or use, free bus travel.

'God knows what else'...Indeed. I am not aware of anything else.

Many of these things were, and are, vote-catchers.

kindofagilr

Yes £125 isnt a lot, but its a lot more than non-oap's get.

It amazes me how OAP's get WFP and people on certain benefits get cold weather payments if the temp drops below a certain level

What about normal working people, who can only just afford to pay their bills every month? what about them when the weather gets freezing cold and they can't afford to put heating on?

What about people will babies and small children who need the heating on but they can't afford to?

I am sorry I am not ranting about the WFP as I think it is a good thing, but it irks me that the 'normal' working person gets left out all the time.