Council Tax During Crisis

[Diasi]

The vast majority of social housing is not provided by councils any more. Council tax pays for things that ordinary decent people would not wish to pay for though. Things like their private newspapers and vanity projects.

We get a news leaflet from Lincolnshire County Council & it as soon as it comes through the letterbox it gets ripped up & chucked in the recycling bin.

[Michael Rolls]

I don't even bother to rip our equivalner up
Mike

[Walter]

About 1/3 of council tax goes to these pensions which are very generous to long servers.  I don't think they can remain as they are for much longer.  The NHS and Civil Service have already changed their pension schemes.

For the last 10 years of my working life I worked for a London Borough Council the two third final salary pension are a thing of the past stopped before I got a job with them

[Michael Rolls]

I started work in 1954 with Surrey County Council. As I was under 18 I couldn’t join the pensio scheme, but did so on my birthday in 1955, I think the 2/3 final salary pension was still in vogue but only for folk who had joined a good bit earlier. In 1955 for new entrants it was 1/2 final salary; in fact, I have a vague memory that it was 1/2 average salary of your last three years, but by the time I retired,  by now transferred to the NHS it was 1/2 of one’s final year
Mike

[Walter]

I only paid in for 10 years which is reflected in the pension I now get from them but its better than nothing, I drummed it into my kids join the pension scheme both have, one works in Education the other for a large London based Construction company, his company also pay for Private Health Insurance

By the time they get to retirement age the State Pension will probably no longer exist     

[Michael Rolls]

Wouldn’t be surprised
Mike

[GrannyMac]

For the last 10 years of my working life I worked for a London Borough Council the two third final salary pension are a thing of the past stopped before I got a job with them

I know it wasn't 2/3 but it was still generous.  I worked for British Gas from my early 30s. Part time workers couldn't join the scheme, but I had 15 years full time whe I finished. The max was 40/60 = 2/3 salary. Then I worked for local authorities and joined their scheme.

My OH being self employed started a private scheme, but ceased payments when he became ill.  The rules back then meant contributions had to come from earnings, we couldn't draw it and the annual costs shrank it to almost nowt.

My kids  both understand the value of good pension schemes, and will probably be better off in retirement than we were in work!

[Michael Rolls]

Should have said - to get the full pension you had to put in 40 years - fewer years and it reduced by 1/80 for every year less, so, for the sake of argument, someone who only did 20 years would only get 1/3 of final salary
Mike

[brian54]

I did not work for a council but my scheme was a sixtieth for every year I worked. We were given the option of paying in at the London rate or for the equivalent provincial rate. I joined at 21 and was made redundant at 58 and I was given 37 sixtieths of the London rate plus redundancy which was not bad.


i had my annual call from an auditor yesterday saying why am I getting a London pension in Birmingham Answer as always i paid in at the London rate so I am paid out at the London rate.
The auditors then ask why did I pay in at the London rate when I was going to retire in Birmingham.
Answer. My 2 daughters chose to train as nurses at Birmingham University and got married to a doctor and a dentist who were Birmingham men and they wanted me in Birmingham on retirement. They did not tell me that would happen. They were not born then.
It was clear on the terms of my pension that it would be paid at the London rate even if I moved out of London so I don't know why bother.

[mick607]

So you keep telling us.

[Walter]

Gormless Gordon ruined the retirement pensions of many workers

Brown 'has raided £100 billion from pension funds' https://www.standard.co.uk/news/brown-has-raided-100-billion-from-pension-funds-7177626.html

[BazzerPontefract]

Why would I be angry if someone who had lost their income is helped? My pension hasn't been affected so I'll pay as normal.

Me too.
I've a 10 month standing order.