Pre budget report.Bus passes and prescriptions

seven-day-weekend

Pension Credit is also linked to State Pension age, so will rise in line with it.

EdInvestor

ceridwen wrote: »

..and thats another point. What about the "bits and bobs" called "Pension Credit"? What will happen about that?

They will also rise in line with Women's state pension age until it is equalised with men's retirement age (in 2020 IIRC). This has been the case all along, since the EU decision in 1999 on the equalisation. Just because some people didn't realise this had happened doesn't mean it was 'hidden away'.

seven-day-weekend

Benefits and things like bus passes and Fuel Allowance that are linked to State Pension age were always available at 60 to both men and women to meet anti-discriminatory legislation. As the Pension age for women rises, the age for receiving these other things will rise alongside it. Both genders will still be able to receive them at the same age.

ceridwen

seven-day-weekend wrote: »

But as these things have always been linked to women's retirement age, I would have thought that it was obvious that as the age for receiving Pension changed, that the age for receiving these other things would change alongside it.

At the age of 60, you will still be of working age....so why should you get Benefits linked to the Retirement Pension??

Correction - at 60 I will have reached retirement age. If I am forced to carry on working after that age - then I will be having to work for the first x number of years of my "retirement". The fact that the Government SAYS "oh no - you wont be deemed to be retirement age at 60" makes not one whit of difference whether I will actually BE retirement age then.

....visions of serried ranks of mutinous women being frogmarched into shops/offices/factories/etc when they KNOW themselves that they are supposed to be retired now

- and envious-looking young people on the "other side of the street" getting angry that WE are still in THEIR jobs when its time for us to hand them over to them now..

One would actually feel sorry for employers at that point - at the thought of all those mutinous people being forced into work when they know they are now retirement age. I certainly wouldnt want to try and get any work much out of them...

ceridwen

seven-day-weekend wrote: »

Pension Credit is also linked to State Pension age, so will rise in line with it.

Does that mean that people aged 59 and collecting unemployment benefit will have to grit their teeth at 60 and carry right on collecting that "unemployment benefit" and being hassled by the DWP to look for jobs until they reach whichever age up to 65 is deemed to be their new "State Pension Age"?

That is a genuine query actually - it would be awful for some poor 61/62/etc year old who knows they are really retired to be aware that they can no longer claim the Pension Credit they would once have received - and have to put up with dole level money for longer + all that hassle from the DWP.

Doc_N

EdInvestor wrote: »

They will also rise in line with Women's state pension age until it is equalised with men's retirement age (in 2020 IIRC). This has been the case all along, since the EU decision in 1999 on the equalisation. Just because some people didn't realise this had happened doesn't mean it was 'hidden away'.

BBC Radio 4's Money Box team (who are pretty clued up) obviously didn't agree with you when they wrote:

But, tucked away on page 84 of the pre-budget report, the Treasury said this age threshold will rise gradually in the future.

seven-day-weekend

ceridwen wrote: »

Does that mean that people aged 59 and collecting unemployment benefit will have to grit their teeth at 60 and carry right on collecting that "unemployment benefit" and being hassled by the DWP to look for jobs until they reach whichever age up to 65 is deemed to be their new "State Pension Age"?

That is a genuine query actually - it would be awful for some poor 61/62/etc year old who knows they are really retired to be aware that they can no longer claim the Pension Credit they would once have received - and have to put up with dole level money for longer + all that hassle from the DWP.

Men and women can claim Jobseekers' Allowance up to the age they are eligible for Pension Credit, which will be the same as women's State Pension age at that time.

That is assuming they meet the criteria for Jobseekers' Allowance and are not already receiving an Occupational Pension of over £60 a week, as many people are by that age.

My husband and I have been 'retired' since our mid-50s.

PolishBigSpender

ceridwen wrote: »

Oh yes it has - been hidden away that is.

I've known for years that my State Pension wont turn up at 60 when due - as my State Pension Age has been raised.:eek:

But it's not *due* at 60 - because they changed the rules.

I DID NOT know that the ******* also planned on raising the age at which I can get other "bits and bobs" - like my free buspass/prescriptions/winter fuel allowance/etc.

Isn't this common sense that you won't receive retirement-related benefits if the retirement age is raised? I'm really struggling to see what you expect here - benefits such as a bus pass and free prescriptions while still being of working age?

As far as I've ever read they only mentioned the "State Pension and SERPS" - and no word has ever been said that I am aware of the "other bits and bobs" also being cut like this.

It's pretty obvious to me, and I'm not British!

Why on earth would the government pay retirement-age related benefits to women under 65 when men don't receive the benefits at the same age?

:mad: - goes off to calculate just how much MORE I need in the way of savings to compensate for that cut in my "social wage":mad: - at a quick guess it means I need a 4 figure amount extra in said savings. Just where the heck am I supposed to get all that savings from on my sort of salary? (serious question here):mad:

Erm...you keep working past 60, like you're expected to do as you won't have reached retirement age?

Why on earth should the British taxpayer pay freebies to you, just because you assumed that for some bizzare reason, you would be entitled to free bus passes/etc before you were of retirement age?

millie

The assistant in the pharmacy will have problems knowing who is entitled to free prescriptions, at the moment your age and date of birth is shown on the prescription and everyone over 60 gets them free. It will not be so easy for them to check eligabilty when this come in to forced in April.

PolishBigSpender

I imagine they will make simple charts to help them.