Screwed again

[John Albert Evans]

Two years ago the DWP Minister Steve Webb announced that under this governement by 2016 ALL pensioners will be entiltled to a flat rate of £155 per week ,good news for all of us on Old Age Pension. That would mean a raise for my wife and I an extra £400 per month, WOW fantastic news.
Well NOT SO,two days ago he was forced to announced that his original pronouncement had NOT been understood by people and that the puiblic should listen more closely to what he had actually said.
However its more importent to us was what he didn't say two years ago and which he must have known it at the time and that is at least 6 out of 10 pensioners would not qualify for this increase for all sorts of technical reasons. This has only come to light I understand as a reply via a question under the freedom of information act by the Telegraph newspaper. Sorry but I'm not aware of the actual details of why we wont qualify, but needlees to say we have been screwed again.
Sorry for spoiling your day ladies and gentlemen.

John Albert Evans

[happy daze john in oz]

Read my lips not the newspapers is I think the correct answer to that one.

[John Albert Evans]

Sorry but I dont follow that John.
John

[vic mcclymont]

Hi John,
The new pension scheme is only for people who retire after April 2016, if you are receiving your pension now you stay on the same setup.
I read that the new scheme will not be fully functional until 2030.
The new scheme also you nedd only 30 years contributions and not 40 as at present.
Do you think we will get some of contributions back???????????

[robpage]

As I retire this year , I studied the words closely and my understanding is the same as Vic's . I thought another £20 a week would be nice , but alas not to be . You / We /I have only required 30 years contributions since 2009

[happy daze john in oz]

Sorry but I dont follow that John.
John

What they say and mean as opposed to what appears in the papers.

---------- Post added at 04:49 PM ---------- Previous post was at 04:43 PM ----------

When we left the UK over 30 years ago you required to have paid contributions for 20 years to gain a full pension. At that time I had 19 years paid up. By the time I came to draw the UK pension here in Oz the rulkes had changed, now you need 40 years contributions to get a full pension. So we both get a pension of about 50% of the full at the time we began to draw down. We get no increases yet if you live in EU or USA then you do?

[Dennis McGuckin]

When I came to Canada in 67, I had 15 years of working in England. This included my sea time.
Not sure what the minim requirement was back then.However I was eligible for the full UK pension.
Have received it since, with several increases.
No complaints.
Den.

[vic mcclymont]

We have all heard of the minimum wage, the living wage and how these increase annually, as does the UK state pension.
In yesterdays Daily Mail, a boss of Barclay's stated that in his opinion the basic state pension should rise to some where near £17k a year, I agree.

[happy daze john in oz]

Ha Dennis then possibly I could apply for a UK pension or part thereof due to my sea time + working whilst going to university? That would be a hoot if I got it.
Don't worry Brian I shan't (:
Irony is I can not claim my Aus one here or in UK or Hong Kong something to do with non reciprocation rights. Boy that made me laugh as if Lebanese, Turk, Greek et all I can, go figure.

Mate, if you have worked in Oz for a min of ten years and paid all your tax you should get at least a part pension even living in UK. They will take 50cents off you for every dollar you get from Uk but it should not stop you getting something.