Nearing Pension Age and Apprehensive

[biglouis]

Yet another deeply flawed system along with C Tax. When the system itself is so deeply corrupt how can you expect people to operate honestly within it? Pensioners in this country are screwed left right and center.

[klondike]

Winter Fuel Payments
You can claim a Winter Fuel Payment if all of the following apply:
you were born on or before 5 October 1954
you live in Switzerland or a European Economic Area (EEA) country (except for Cyprus, France, Gibraltar, Greece, Malta, Portugal or Spain)
you have a genuine and sufficient link to the UK - this can include having lived or worked in the UK, and having family in the UK
You do not need to have claimed Winter Fuel payments in the UK before you go abroad.

Yes that is what the link I posted said and what I said..
except for Cyprus, France, Gibraltar, Greece, Malta, Portugal or Spain)

[John V]

Yet another deeply flawed system along with C Tax. When the system itself is so deeply corrupt how can you expect people to operate honestly within it? Pensioners in this country are screwed left right and center.

 Exactly. We’re wrong to feel like we’re a nuisance that will hopefully die soon now that our productive lives are at an end. There’s little money to pay for those that previously kept the politically elite in the good life, but lots of spare cash to police gay marches and run drug rehabilitation units. Somewhere along the line the government got its priorities wrong. Or is it just me doing a sour grapes thing!     
 

[Goingtoseed]

 Exactly. We’re wrong to feel like we’re a nuisance that will hopefully die soon now that our productive lives are at an end. There’s little money to pay for those that previously kept the politically elite in the good life, but lots of spare cash to police gay marches and run drug rehabilitation units. Somewhere along the line the government got its priorities wrong. Or is it just me doing a sour grapes thing!     

I do have to agree with you.
I have said many times over the past couple of years - it would make good sense for the state that instead of shelling out money in the form of a State Pension they buy a plot of our choice and pay for a decent funeral. In exchange they would supply a little box through  the post containing a small bottle of liquid to put in a cup of tea or coffee. It would be guaranteed to be painless and quick.
I've come to the conclusion that society today has little respect for our generation, we don't contribute very much but hey we certainly draw down a lot. We are too expensive to keep. If the both of us keep going for another 15 years it is going to cost society in terms of cash payments from the State of at least another £600,000+. Is that good value as others would see it?

[biglouis]

Ive been drawing my pension for 15 years and no one has ever contacted me to find out whether I am spending several months abroad. So how would they know? At one point i stayed with friends in Morocco for the entire winter. I could do that every year.

[GrannyMac]

We are much cheaper GTS! Plus the amount of income tax paid by our two children covers our pension and several more besides.  I don't feel unappreciated, or past my sell by date.  I know the work I do in the charity shop is valued, and I enjoy it.  I've helped one younger volunteer do a CV, the one the so called jobcentre provided was barely literate. She got a job after years of unemployment. 

I step up occasionally to look after grandchildren, which is fun and helps their parents. I'm planning to join a bridge club once lockdown is lifted, and I've learnt to play chess during the last few weeks. I'm looking forward to getting back to my aqua aerobics classes, my knees need the exercise.  Overall, life is good.

[Goingtoseed]

Ive been drawing my pension for 15 years and no one has ever contacted me to find out whether I am spending several months abroad. So how would they know? At one point i stayed with friends in Morocco for the entire winter. I could do that every year.

Along with the statement of the annual increase you were warned that you must disclose if what you originally claimed to be your personal situation has changed in any way - such as being abroad, change of address, change of banking details etc. Have you not reported any changes such living out of the UK? If not you should do so now.

[Goingtoseed]

We are much cheaper GTS! Plus the amount of income tax paid by our two children covers our pension and several more besides.

Income tax & NIC paid by others has no bearing on you drawing money from the DWP. The money others pay goes straight to the Treasury for it to pay for running the UK economy and one off expenses plus what is handed over to the DWP in accordance with it's budget. I have said before that every year £millions are returned by the DWP to the Treasury as a surplus/underspend.

I was looking at the person. Irrespective of what you personally do with your time look at it as a balance sheet/P&L account. Income Received v Financial contribution to the State.
If you receive more than what you pay to the government in taxes then you are a liability to the State.
In effect you serve no useful purpose to the government on a financial level.
When working and paying tax & NIC, you are an asset to the State.
Also you cannot argue that you paid in during your working life - that money was used by the government at the time on expenses it paid for at the time. There is no piggy bank that you have contributed to and can take it out when you want to.

[klondike]

Of course should you be UK resident then the state can claw back at least part of that largess from your spending courtesy of both any VAT levied on your purchases and taxable profit which forms a large part of the price you pay for anything (I would actually argue almost all of it for UK produce as everything is either dug up, grown or made  by somebody from stuff that is and you pay for those processes).

[John V]

Ive been drawing my pension for 15 years and no one has ever contacted me to find out whether I am spending several months abroad. So how would they know? At one point i stayed with friends in Morocco for the entire winter. I could do that every year.

They know but don’t care.  They would care if it was for extended periods of time and you were claiming benefits other than a pension. All these departments are now computer linked, so let’s say you were claiming disability benefits, but sunning it up abroad for 10 months of the year, they would eventually find out and prosecute. What you were doing in Morocco is exactly what I have in mind, except for only five months of the year, which keeps me a UK resident and entitled to inflation pension rises.     

[John V]

I do have to agree with you.
I have said many times over the past couple of years - it would make good sense for the state that instead of shelling out money in the form of a State Pension they buy a plot of our choice and pay for a decent funeral. In exchange they would supply a little box through  the post containing a small bottle of liquid to put in a cup of tea or coffee. It would be guaranteed to be painless and quick.
I've come to the conclusion that society today has little respect for our generation, we don't contribute very much but hey we certainly draw down a lot. We are too expensive to keep. If the both of us keep going for another 15 years it is going to cost society in terms of cash payments from the State of at least another £600,000+. Is that good value as others would see it?

Yes, we aren’t good value for money, but that’s because current society views people as a commodity. You sell, you buy and you accumulate and if what you have doesn’t make a profit you get rid of it. A very American mentality and an eventual huge surprise for the next generation who are currently enjoying their here and now materialism and hedonistic lifestyles which they are assured is all that matters.  

[Goingtoseed]

Of course should you be UK resident then the state can claw back at least part of that largess from your spending courtesy of both any VAT levied on your purchases and taxable profit which forms a large part of the price you pay for anything (I would actually argue almost all of it for UK produce as everything is either dug up, grown or made  by somebody from stuff that is and you pay for those processes).

I would agree that VAT is a contribution but to suggest that the profit that is generated for another is your liability is wrong. That profit when taxed, represents the traders contribution to the State however it was generated.
I would also argue that not all of the VAT that you as a customer pay the trader goes to the Treasury. Only that bit that the trader cannot offset against his/her own VAT liability gets passed to the Treasury. So all in all not a great deal that comes out of your pocket can be traced directly to the Treasury. Put it another way a large number of pensioners don't pay parking fees, they don't pay road tax and don't pay VAT on consumables relating to owning a car if they have a Motability car. Even a car from that organisation is VAT free! They however do pay Fuel Duty but much less than what they would do if they were younger and working full time.

Taking it in the round most pensioners are a drain to a larger or smaller degree on the Treasury coffers.

It would be very interesting for the government to come up with an analysis of exactly what pensioners pay to the State v what they take from the State.

If pensioners were a business they would be closed down. What company could afford to continually pay out more than what they receive through the till?

[Goingtoseed]

They know but don’t care.  They would care if it was for extended periods of time and you were claiming benefits other than a pension.

They would care if the were paying the State pension increases when they should not have been due to the failure to tell the DWP up front that you will be out of the country.

1,000's fail to tell the DWP that they are in hospital for more than 28 days and continue to receive their disability benefits. They are never caught because there is no linked up system that tells the DWP directly. It doesn't make it right - they still have a duty to report a change of circumstances.

[Goingtoseed]

Yes, we aren’t good value for money, but that’s because current society views people as a commodity. You sell, you buy and you accumulate and if what you have doesn’t make a profit you get rid of it. A very American mentality and an eventual huge surprise for the next generation who are currently enjoying their here and now materialism and hedonistic lifestyles which they are assured is all that matters.

Exactly
Yes I too worry what will become of our younger generation in 40/50 years time.
What I can see for the future is a radical overhaul of the welfare and state pension system.
The state Pension will become a means tested payment akin to how the National Assistance Board used to work.
Everybody will have to provide for their own pension income on retirement. That will be the only way that the ever increasing State Pension budget will be made to balance.

[Jacqueline]

I would agree that VAT is a contribution but to suggest that the profit that is generated for another is your liability is wrong. That profit when taxed, represents the traders contribution to the State however it was generated.
I would also argue that not all of the VAT that you as a customer pay the trader goes to the Treasury. Only that bit that the trader cannot offset against his/her own VAT liability gets passed to the Treasury. So all in all not a great deal that comes out of your pocket can be traced directly to the Treasury. Put it another way a large number of pensioners don't pay parking fees, they don't pay road tax and don't pay VAT on consumables relating to owning a car if they have a Motability car. Even a car from that organisation is VAT free! They however do pay Fuel Duty but much less than what they would do if they were younger and working full time.

Taking it in the round most pensioners are a drain to a larger or smaller degree on the Treasury coffers.

It would be very interesting for the government to come up with an analysis of exactly what pensioners pay to the State v what they take from the State.

If pensioners were a business they would be closed down. What company could afford to continually pay out more than what they receive through the till?

You only get the Motorbility Car and the Mobility componant if you were claiming DLA before pensionable age, then you can carry it on.  As my husband became disabled after 65 he can only get Attendance Allowance which has no Mobility component, doesn't matter if oldies are housebound and can't get out.