qualifying years for state pension.

Tancred

SnowMan wrote: »

BBC website are now confirming the 35 year requirement. Completely ridiculous to reduce it to 30 and then put it back up to 35

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/business-20989050

I agree totally, but I guess it's another 'let's get tough with the scroungers' approach from the government. It comes out well with the Daily Mail readers.

SnowMan

Tancred wrote: »

I agree totally, but I guess it's another 'let's get tough with the scroungers' approach from the government. It comes out well with the Daily Mail readers.

Just to say that comment you quoted was based on early press reports coming out before the white paper was released. I posted later to say my earlier comment was wrong

SnowMan wrote: »

Steve Webb seems to have just said in his statement that existing rights to state pension will be protected so somebody with 30 years currently who accrues no further entitlement will get at least the current (full) basic state pension plus any accrued state second pension.

The 35 years applies in its rawest form to new starters in the system now (16 year olds), who don't benefit from that protection, and reflects that the basic state pension accrues over 30 years and the additional state pension over close to 50 years. So 35 is a sort of weighted mix of the two. That sounds reasonable so I was perhaps wrong to say it was ridiculous.

Need to see the detail though in particular how past rights are protected.

Having seen the detail I was wrong to say it was ridiculous.

gadgetmind

Tancred wrote: »

I agree totally, but I guess it's another 'let's get tough with the scroungers' approach from the government. It comes out well with the Daily Mail readers.

As the cheapest way to qualify for full state pension is to not work and instead claim benefits, this doesn't really wash.

vvvvvvvvvvvvvvvv

gadgetmind wrote: »

As the cheapest way to qualify for full state pension is to not work and instead claim benefits, this doesn't really wash.

I have heard that NI credits for being on the sick or jobseekers is going to be stopped,don't know how true it is though

gadgetmind

vvvvvvvvvvvvvvvv wrote: »

I have heard that NI credits for being on the sick or jobseekers is going to be stopped,don't know how true it is though

Was that in the White Paper and if not, what is the source and how credible is it?

Tancred

gadgetmind wrote: »

As the cheapest way to qualify for full state pension is to not work and instead claim benefits, this doesn't really wash.

Maybe not, but it gives the impression of sounding tough. Politics is all about publicity and spin these days.

Tancred

vvvvvvvvvvvvvvvv wrote: »

I have heard that NI credits for being on the sick or jobseekers is going to be stopped,don't know how true it is though

This would be lunacy because you can't blame people for being sick or having lost their jobs. I think it's more likely that it would be stopped for long term jobless people who persistently refused training or offers of employment - that's a different thing altogether.