Missing pension contributions

Thrugelmir

Albermarle said:

Without Blair's meddling we would probably still have 'free' uni education for those that matter - medicine, teaching, science, etc etc and fewer burger flippers with useless degrees.

Thinks like economics, history, business. modern languages etc come to mind. Even if the subject is not followed through in employment, the Uni course will have had some positive effects on their ability to think/reason/learn etc .

Provides little preparation for the real world of business. 

Markneath

Lucylastik said:

I find all this missing pension contribution HIGHLY DUBIOUS.

I've also checked my NI contributions and found that for the years I was in higher education, I have gaps. (despite my working every hour I wasn't in University with THREE different jobs) so now, I'm lumbered with not only a WHOPPING STUDENT LOAD I also have no NI contributions, or, ones I now have to top up.

Thanks Tories.

Surely thats just 3 years though, you would have plenty of time to get 35 full years before state pension age?

Silvertabby

thirtytoseventy said:

I stand ready to be corrected but I'm sure the legislation was introduced under the Major government. The Sept 1998 intake was the first to enter uni paying fees and they would have been applying in Sept 1997. Blair entered Downing Street in May 1997. On the flip side, they sure didn't stop it! As much as I'm no fan of 'evil Tories', fees went up to around £3,000 in 2006 (still Blair), then £9,000+ from 2012 (coalition) - lest we forget the LibDems rolling over and sacrificing their keynote policy on that one!

It was definitely Blair.  It was his aim to get as many as possible off the youth unemployment stats by getting them to uni, but even he wasn't daft enough to think he could do that without upsetting the taxpayers.

At the time, I worked with a lifelong Labour supporter who was thrilled to bits when Labour won in 1997.  Until he realised that Blair's uni fees would apply to his youngest daughter, from which point Blair and all Labour MP's were all born outside of wedlock....

It amuses me to hear today's youngsters banging on about how lucky we oldsters were, because we all had 'free' university educations.  Reality was that this was a luxury only afforded to those who's families could afford for them  to 'swan around' instead of doing what the majority of us had to do.  That was leave school at the earliest possible age in order to get a job and bring money into the house.  The only one in my class who went on to uni was a GP's daughter.

Somebody

I wonder what's happened to those who graduated with a degree in EastEnders and David Beckham? 

Albermarle

Thrugelmir said:

Albermarle said:

Without Blair's meddling we would probably still have 'free' uni education for those that matter - medicine, teaching, science, etc etc and fewer burger flippers with useless degrees.

Thinks like economics, history, business. modern languages etc come to mind. Even if the subject is not followed through in employment, the Uni course will have had some positive effects on their ability to think/reason/learn etc .

Provides little preparation for the real world of business. 

There are many important jobs outside business. In any case I am not sure being a STEM graduate would prepare you for business any better .

Linton

Albermarle said:

Thrugelmir said:

Albermarle said:

Without Blair's meddling we would probably still have 'free' uni education for those that matter - medicine, teaching, science, etc etc and fewer burger flippers with useless degrees.

Thinks like economics, history, business. modern languages etc come to mind. Even if the subject is not followed through in employment, the Uni course will have had some positive effects on their ability to think/reason/learn etc .

Provides little preparation for the real world of business. 

There are many important jobs outside business. In any case I am not sure being a STEM graduate would prepare you for business any better .

Indeed.  The only thing I was taught for my engineering degree which was used in subsequent employment was FORTRAN. What would have been really helpful were the soft skills like dealing with people and real world problem solving.

QrizB

Somebody said:

I wonder what's happened to those who graduated with a degree in EastEnders and David Beckham? 

I think they're in Government

eskbanker

QrizB said:

Somebody said:

I wonder what's happened to those who graduated with a degree in EastEnders and David Beckham? 

I think they're in Government

Or perhaps making SHOUTY POSTS on consumer finance websites about HOW UNFAIR everything is....

RobM99

Back on  topic, anyone?

robadger

Thrugelmir said:

Albermarle said:

Without Blair's meddling we would probably still have 'free' uni education for those that matter - medicine, teaching, science, etc etc and fewer burger flippers with useless degrees.

Thinks like economics, history, business. modern languages etc come to mind. Even if the subject is not followed through in employment, the Uni course will have had some positive effects on their ability to think/reason/learn etc .

Provides little preparation for the real world of business. 

Yeah, because everything outside of the 'real world of business' is a waste of time.