County women set to get full state pensions
Women in Gloucestershire who had not paid enough National Insurance will be entitled to a full state pension if they top it up with a one-off payment.
Up to 555,000 people in the UK could benefit from the policy change, which will allow them to make up for missed NI contributions, according to the Daily Mail.
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It is estimated that several thousand women in Gloucestershire could benefit from the scheme.
It will potentially boost the retirement income of a generation of older women who stayed at home to raise children or care for sick or disabled family members.
Only around a third of women reaching pension age qualify for a full basic state pension.
Under the current system people can buy back the previous six years of missed NI contributions.
But today, Pensions Secretary James Purnell is set to announce an amendment to the new Pensions Bill which will allow women to buy back up to six more years.
The move marks a change of heart for the Government which last year overturned an amendment to Pensions Bill designed to give people the opportunity to buy back extra years of missed contributions.
Mr Purnell said around 75% of women reaching state pension age will be entitled to a full basic state pension by 2010, rising to 90% by 2025.
Age Concern, which has a long-running campaign to change pension rules, welcomed the U-turn.
A spokesman for the charity said: "We are absolutely thrilled. The Government should be congratulated for finally delivering a fairer deal for women and carers."
7 Comments
by ednast, stroud
Friday, October 24 2008, 9:16PM
“as a fostercarer i missed out on a full pension”
by Shaun Shute, Gloucester
Friday, October 24 2008, 7:41PM
“No Tory comment yet ?”
by Wanda, Stroud
Friday, October 24 2008, 7:24PM
“I lived and worked overseas for over 5 years in the '70s. When I returned to England I contacted the Pensions Dept and was advised to make a payment to bring my contributions upto date, which I did. I hadn't realised this was no longer possible - how unfair. I'm glad they've overturned this decision. I hope most of the ladies concerned can afford to make up the difference now though.”
by Anne, stroud
Friday, October 24 2008, 4:01PM
“The first part of the Citizen's report says 'Women in Gloucestershire will be entitled to a full pension'. What about the poor souls in the rest of the country?? We are sooo priviledged in this Gloucestershire!”
by Cliffrat, Stonehouse
Friday, October 24 2008, 9:35AM
“My wife was also a carer, but I found out she was entitled to HRP - Home Responsibilities Protection - for the time when she looked after the children. That added several years of notional contribution credits. We then found she was entitled to buy six years contributions isntead of three years because she fell in to the category of women who had been misadvised on paying reduced contributions, think it was called "married women rate", so we 'borrowed' the money out of savings. Once cleared through DWP systems she received a payment back-dated to the date of her first pension including interest, out of which we then paid back the 'loan' taken from savings to buy the six years contributions.”
by Pensioner, Brockworth
Friday, October 24 2008, 8:37AM
“My friend brought up 3 children and looked after her mother and mother in law for several years. Her pension was affected and she is still working at 68 to make ends meet. Will she be able to buy back 6 years and if so will the cost be deducted from the pension she would then be owed????”
by sandra, longlevens
Friday, October 24 2008, 8:01AM
“At long last we see some improvement for women pensioners .
One does, however, hope that those affected will be able to actually find the money to fund the one off top up payment which will be in the region of £420 a year............ £2520 if topping up the full six years .”