Women lose landmark legal fight against state pension age rise - MSE News

jem16

SnowMan wrote: »

The standard of the case put by the claimants re notification is illustrated by these paragraphs

The first claimant was caught out lying and I’m glad that it was mentioned. Unfortunately she’s not an isolated case and that’s what really disgusts me most.

The welfare system is what should change to help all men and women struggling as they approach SPA. However that wasn’t good enough for the campaigners who would never have benefited if that happened.

lisyloo

GibbsRule_No3 wrote: »

Out of interest have we heard how men born in 53-54 feel about the time they were given for their increased retirement SP age? I know it is only a year rather than the possible 6 extra years for a woman but wondered. Under the first change I would have had my SP in September and now get it in March 2020. PPOV I am now benefitting from working three days a week and plan to stay for longer than I was going to, as it is upsetting my company plans for the section I work in:j

You are right to point out that we should have equality of treatment.

However there is clearly a difference between planning to have the money for an extra year alone (or coping on less).

Than having to find another year on top of planning/coping with an extra 5 already. Those on fixed income or who have limited opportunities to upskill or increase their income, will clearly have more difficulty with the second scenario.

So I don’t think the two scenarios are equal.

My SPA has risen 7 years. I’m not bothered by that but I’m struggling to find enthusiasm for coping with 1 which really isn’t much at all in the context of the length of a working life or the length of a retirement.

jamesd

GibbsRule_No3 wrote: »

The State Pension will just about be enough to cover my rent, (and it is not Private rental) and Council Tax when I get it next March, hence the reason I am still working. So what are people living on?

Pension Credit and other means tested benefits that can help with housing costs, both rent and council tax.

Or more often the household has other income and isn't reliant on means tested benefits.

lisyloo

My in laws had pension credit (joint), council tax benefit (100%), attendance allowance (both).
They had too much to get carers allowance but had an underlying entitlement.
They had £600 per week Between them which actually I think was too much.

Are you claiming everything you are entitled to?

Pollycat

Re notification of the 2nd change:

Pollycat wrote: »

I've found my letter.
It was dated January 2012 & gave me a revised date for state pension of 6th July 2018 (from 6th July 2017).
That gave me 5 years and 6 months notice of a 15 month change.

My OH (18 months younger than me) got a similar letter dated February 2012 notifying him that his revised state pension date would be on his 66th birthday.

I wonder why some people got a letter and some didn't - I'm not disputing that you didn't and I don't think I've said so on this thread.
There must be a reason why, even if the answer is a simple !!!!-up by DWP.

I was aware of the 1995 changes at the time.
I did work for a large national organisation at the time so it was probably through work that I knew.

As for the claimant who lied (a post of mine from May 2016):

Pollycat wrote: »

I listened to the first parliamentary debate some months ago.

Some of the 'cases' that MPs stood up and told about were clearly lies.
I know my age and I know my original state pension age and revised pension age.
Some constituents had clearly misrepresented their positions to their MP.

I made this same point at the time of the debate - either on this thread or one of the others alos running.

To have to resort to lies to make your position worse than it actually is shows those women in a very poor light.

From July 2017:

Pollycat wrote: »

I found it very worrying when I listened to the (I think) first debate headed by Mhairi Black back in January 2016.

Some of the things MPs were saying about what their constituents had told them made me so mad that I was shouting at the TV and frantically looking for a foam brick to throw.

I'm a late 1953 woman and know exactly what my post-1995 state pension age was and what it is now and how many months have been added because of the 2011 Act.

Either the women had been lying to their MPs (being kind, perhaps they were confused :whistle:) or the MPs had misunderstood what their constituents had told them.

Selective memories in most cases.

GibbsRule_No3

lisyloo wrote: »

My in laws had pension credit (joint), council tax benefit (100%), attendance allowance (both).
They had too much to get carers allowance but had an underlying entitlement.
They had £600 per week Between them which actually I think was too much.

Are you claiming everything you are entitled to?

I won't need/be able to claim anything, but just knowing that the SP only covers rent and CT and that i will be living on my company pensions, made me wonder how older Pensioners are managing. When my SP kicks in I will have about as much as I earn per year now, to live on.

Malthusian

GibbsRule_No3 wrote: »

The State Pension will just about be enough to cover my rent, (and it is not Private rental) and Council Tax when I get it next March, hence the reason I am still working. So what are people living on?

Extra means tested benefits, which proves my point. If people were allowed to take their State Pension early, which nearly everyone would, we'd need even more means-tested benefits.

Those calling for an early State Pension fail to justify the extra means-tested benefits that would be required. We're trying to move away from that system - hence the New State Pension and auto-enrolment.

lisyloo

GibbsRule_No3 wrote: »

I won't need/be able to claim anything, but just knowing that the SP only covers rent and CT and that i will be living on my company pensions, made me wonder how older Pensioners are managing. When my SP kicks in I will have about as much as I earn per year now, to live on.

There a minimum income so they get SP topped up with pension credit and get CT benefit and possibly other benefits as well.


Its very much subsistence level but that's what benefits are meant to be - a safety net.

badmemory

I have every sympathy with Rabbit24. I wonder if some bright spark will come up with the idea of unemployment benefit being a bit like the minimum wage, different depending on age. Maybe making it increase annually as you progress from 60 to your SPA, at least that may help ease the way a little. But we really do need to restore some of the safety nets we have lost in recent years.


There are going to be a lot of people losing their jobs in the next couple of years & I think the bulk of them are going to be over 50.

zagfles

lisyloo wrote: »

There a minimum income so they get SP topped up with pension credit and get CT benefit and possibly other benefits as well.


Its very much subsistence level but that's what benefits are meant to be - a safety net.

PC isn't "subsistence" levels, it's around double what someone under PC age would get in JSA/IS.