State Pension help! Please

getting-sorted-sarah

Hi Margaret
It certainly was a huge con!! It was left to Employers to explain, and they mostly didn't understand it themselves, or didn't care - so most women just thought they were saving at the time. I think it is disgusting and it should be reversed - ie a full contribution credited to the women affected, but is is just one of the things that make me cross... don't ask me about Carers Allowance for over 60s!

seven-day-weekend

Sarah, I always knew that the 'small' stamp wouldn't get me a pension. Maybe I had a decent employer? I think I remember my employer telling me that if I took this option it would not qualify me for one.

If people GENUINELY didn't know (which I find hard to believe - I always knew) then they should maybe be granted a pension, but then again that isn't really fair to all the people who paid the full stamp.

So I don't know what the answer is.

djohn2002uk

seven-day-weekend wrote: »

Sarah, I always knew that the 'small' stamp wouldn't get me a pension. Maybe I had a decent employer? I think I remember my employer telling me that if I took this option it would not qualify me for one.

If people GENUINELY didn't know (which I find hard to believe - I always knew) then they should maybe be granted a pension, but then again that isn't really fair to all the people who paid the full stamp.

So I don't know what the answer is.

I'll tell you what the answer is......pay them a full pension.
How can it be unfair to women who paid the full stamp? They are getting what they paid for, nothing unfair there, except what they get isn't enough but that's another argument.
If your argument is correct, then it's unfair on me as a man too, as I paid a full stamp too. But I feel no unfairness just because someone else gets something for nothing. That smacks of envy.
The government will probably do something about it one day when most have died off so they don't have to pay out too much and it will all be done to great trumpetting showing what a caring lot they are......not.

seven-day-weekend

Yes John, you are right. I'm getting what I paid for.

But tell me, why did I pay for it? I'll tell you why, because I wanted to build up a pension in my own right and knew that was what I had to do.

I find it difficult to believe that most people didn't know what they were signing away when they made the choice (it was a CHOICE, remember), and complaining about it now seems like THEY are the envious ones, when they see others getting a full pension that they signed away their rights to.

It just beats me how they didn't know. Perhaps things were different in the 50s. When I married in 1971 my employer told me what the choices were and what they meant. Perhaps I was just lucky.

In fact I did actually pay the small stamp for a year and then realised what I was doing and switched.

I suppose I have to accept what people say on here - they didn't know. If that is indeed correct then they should be recompensed by getting a pension.

EdInvestor

Most women who agreed to pay the small stamp will have known that they would get 60% of the state pension anyway based on their husband's contributions.

Presumably they decided it was more advantageous to take the other 40% in advance as part of their pay.

jojofrg

Hi I'm a newbie so please will you excuse me if I ask any silly questions, or repeat questions already asked.

Briefly as I can I'll explain my situation...I was born in 1953 so am 54 now,
at present I'm a carer for my disabled (blind and with ill health ) husband.
We get incapacity allowance, with top up of income support, DLA and I get carers allowance (but this is amount is taken off his incapacity allowance)

I worked in the past in between having children, but did pay married womans stamp for some of this time (yes it may have been short sighted, but I didn't fully understand/consider, what it would mean for the future, and money was tight so the little extra helped a lot)
What I now hope to find out is... When do I reach retirement age (born 1953) my husband is 10 mths younger so only 53 now.
How this will effect our income when I reach retirement age...(we have no savings)
Thank you in advance to anyone who knows anything that might help me.

seven-day-weekend

EdInvestor wrote: »

Most women who agreed to pay the small stamp will have known that they would get 60% of the state pension anyway based on their husband's contributions.

Presumably they decided it was more advantageous to take the other 40% in advance as part of their pay.

Yes Edinvestor, I agree that, at least with the people I knew, that was the choice they made.

So I don't actually see why they should get a full pension now, if they knowingly made that choice then.

seven-day-weekend

Hi there jojofrg, welcome to the forim.

I don't know the answer to your question.

I think the State Retirement age is 63 for you and 65 for him. If you have not got enough full/credited NI Contributions you will have 60% of your husband's pension when he becomes 65. If you have any pension in your own right you can get that when you reach 63.

However, I don't know if you can claim anything in between.

I'm sure someone will be along soon who knows more thn me!

Biggles

I believe that, if you have been prevented from working due to being a carer, you can get Home Responsibilities Protection to boost your pension, but it looks from this link http://www.direct.gov.uk/en/CaringForSomeone/MoneyMatters/DG_10038111 as though you have to apply each year.

In any event, you really need to talk to DWP.

jojofrg

Thanks for the help and info' seven-day weekend & Biggles