STATE PENSION

[Stanley]

Perfectly. In other words tough luck kids.....
(It was only an election promise after all.)

[plaques]

The same when the Chancellor of the Exchequer, Philip Hammond. 'Spreadshitsheet Phil raised National Insurance contributions against their manifesto. All part of the austerity that stopped long ago which never really stopped. Another propaganda success.

[Stanley]

But Theresa May declared Austerity dead didn't she? My daughter can't get any sick pay, the government says that the fact she owns her house means she has savings and should spend them. Austerity is alive and well below a certain income level.....

[plaques]

I remember my Canadian friend explaining that their system was 'when you have used up ALL your assets including your house come to us and we will see what we can do'. Quite right too were hear people mumble. But experience has shown its cheaper to help people get over minor difficulties and get them back on track quickly than it is to lift the out of the abyss the system pushed them into. Can't have any of that leftish Marxist Commie stuff can we???

[Whyperion]

Stanley's post is more about benefits than pensions. Its a bit short term of the govt, without going into all the potential detail, if everyone is in rented accommodation, some of that (if qualifying) is paid by the state if sick as housing benefit. Unless you have mortgage interest home owners dont get this support, and have to fund the necessary repairs too. the Govt get money back in the form of stamp duty, VAT on transactions etc when houses are sold therefore the govt is saving money on homeowners and should not be attempting to claw back, as an alternative to say families inheriting is that they will end up homeless, with big housing benefit claims going to the investors that can afford to buy such homes. Quite simply, where do you want the subsidy - to the sick , or to the rich?

[Stanley]

The Treasury has realised that breaking the Triple Lock could save them £4billion......

[PanBiker]

Announced today:

Andrew Gwynne MP

Labour MP for Denton & Reddish (inc Audenshaw, Dukinfield, Heaton Chapel & Heaton Norris)

The first piece of good news in a long time for the 1950s-born ladies who were affected by the state pension changes (not once but twice). Today the Ombudsman has finally reported. The verdict is there WAS maladministration by DWP.
The Ombudsman will now assess the scale of injustice and make further recommendations to Ministers on how to rectify that failure.
I am proud to have always stood by the #1950sWomen and always will!

[Stanley]

Good! That is good news. Now for some action based on the finding....

[Stanley]

They do take their time don't they! See THIS article about the National Audit report into the overpayments. Have a look at this list of findings....

DWP's state pension system is 'outdated and unautomated', says audit office
Around 134k underpaid state pension after errors made going back decades
This is Money and our columnist Steve Webb alerted DWP to £1bn scandal
DWP does not know how many pensioners have died while being underpaid
Records usually destroyed four years after the death of a pensioner and spouse

[chinatyke]

Outdated? Really?
If you go on to the UK Gov website to report the death of a UK citizen who lived abroad it will cost you 150 quid to submit the report. Really? Who is going to pay 150 quid? So the death goes unreported and the deceased person's pension continues to be paid.

I discovered this when a pal died alone in The Philippines last year. None of his family wanted anything to do with him or his affairs, and the city he lived in finally arranged and paid for his funeral. I have his personal details so I was going to report the death to the UK authorities but didn't when I realised I would have to pay.

[Stanley]

I hope someone in authority is reading that Graham. Sounds like a loophole.

[PanBiker]

Why do you have to pay to give free information that they don't know about? I get the drift about a loophole but I would call it a bloody disgrace personally.

[chinatyke]

Try it:

https://www.gov.uk/register-a-death

Service Fee
Register a death £150

I checked today as I was preparing a document for things my wife must do after I've departed. I guess she won't be reporting my death either!

[plaques]

I checked today as I was preparing a document for things my wife must do after I've departed. I guess she won't be reporting my death either!

I hope she tells us on OG though.

[Stanley]

Better still she could assume Graham's identity on OG and broadcast words of oriental wisdom to us.

[PanBiker]

Sally is revolting today! I have just dropped her off in Burnley so she can get the bus to Manchester. She is joining up with friends from the WASPI campaign and going on an organised protest to shout at the Tories who stole her pension.

There will be lot more folk shouting at the Tories as well.

[chinatyke]

I understood they had won and thought she'd got it back?

[PanBiker]

Not yet Graham. The WASPI's won on appeal and the Ombudsman has made a recommendation that the government pay compensation but nothing has happened yet. The government are back paying younger women who they have found were underpaid but nothing for the thousands in Sally's position who were robbed of an average of £45,000 to £50,000 each for the six years that they had stolen from them.

[Stanley]

Well done Sally! Words cannot describe my contempt for this government who don't seem to take any notice of a court judgement.

[PanBiker]

They could make all of the protest go away simply by paying them what they are owed. Sunak has borrowed trillions and if they paid all the women in full it would be a drop in the ocean in the vast scale of things. Apparently he is not doing borrowing any more despite it being the best thing since sliced bread when required to get them out of the do dah.

[Stanley]

That's tripe and we all know it. He will have to borrow as usual, just that he will only support his favourites and paying honest pensions and feeding kids don't figure on his list.

[Stanley]

How did Sally go on in London?

[PanBiker]

OK Stanley and thank you for asking, she met up with quite a few of the WASPI group and they made their presence known to the Tory drones. The conference was at Manchester though

[Stanley]

My mistake....

[PanBiker]

Boris Johnson's bill to suspend the triple lock on the State Pension has been defeated in the lords with a 102 majority..