HAVE YOUR SAY: The State Pension turns 100
THE State pension turns 100 this month as pensioners across
the country enter a new period of financial turmoil.
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Rising fuel costs are the main contributor, with thousands
facing problems as the winter gets nearer.
The Old Age Pensions Act was passed in August 1908 and the
first payments were made on 1 January 1909.
That month, just over half a million old and very poor
people queued up at their local post offices to collect the
The maximum payment of five shillings (25p) for a single man
or woman was meagre - the equivalent of just under £20 a week
now.
To get even this you had to be at least 70 years old, at a
time when only about 5% of the population were older than
that.
Now, according to the most recent analysis by the Office for
National Statistics, male pensioners had a total income from
all sources of, on average, £257 a week while pensioner women
received £229.
For men, state benefits of all kinds made up nearly 55% of
that, while female pensioners received nearly 65% of their
money from the state.
So, will the state system pension system last another 100
years?
Or are we increasingly finding our own ways to provide for
our retirement?
Do you think the State pension should be cancelled, or is it
a vital tool in a modern society? And how can we improve the
current system?
Have you struggled to make ends meet after retirement, or
have you adapted by taking on a part-time job?
Whatever your view, use the form below to let us know...
17 Comments
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by Michael Thompson, Brixham-Devon
Sunday, August 31 2008, 10:25AM
“Chris in Gloucester, Bankrupt the country my foot.
Our government will remain the savour of the world as we continue to send billions round the world, propping up banks ( Northern Rock )
But when it comes to looking after our own people, suddenly we cannot afford it. And we put up with it all, because we are "British".
Michael Thompson
Link-Age/Countrywide & member of The Devon Pensioners Action Forum.”
by P.A. Newt, Gloucester
Tuesday, August 12 2008, 7:22AM
“Have I got this right? you can not get a pesion untill you are a 100, what ever will this government think of next. Hope I can make it for another year!”
by Michael Thompson, Brixham
Sunday, August 10 2008, 10:02AM
“Giles in Gloucester, It is not the fault of the unemployed that pensioners are in poverty, it is no wonder we have the politicians we have, with postings like yours.
The state pension is low and means testing is in place because the state pension is being phased out and no other reason, so young unemployed, and working people arent going to have a state pension when they are old, think on that one, mate.
You clearly have a chip on your shoulder about Britain's unemployed people.
In a free market economy there will always be unemployed people while monetarist policies are in place, monetarism creates unemployement to drive inflation down.
Michael Thompson
Link-AgeCountrywide
& member of The Devon Pensioners Action Forum.”
by Michael Thompson, Brixham
Saturday, August 09 2008, 9:17PM
“Anne Dursely, You need an education into pensions and means testing.
The fact is that the Pensions Credit means test system that pensioners must adhere to if they want more money, is costing tax payers 10 times more money that it would cost to restore the state pension link with national average earnings.
Also this Government are sitting on a National Insurance "surplues" of around £40 billion, not forgetting the billions our government spend around the world in the name of "Great Britain".
Anne Dursely you also make the gross error of asking why should richer pensioners get more money ?.
Well the answer is Anne Dursely, that richer pensioners with other income have also paid into the system all their working lives, 30, 40, and 50 years, they are just as entitled to a decent state pension as their poorer counterparts.
Anne Dursely, you are right about one thing though, we need a proper debate about this issue, because the British are largely ill informed, as your letter proved.
Incidently, Im not a pensioner, but have been capaigning on behalf of pensioners for 20 years, so I know what im talking about when I say that Britain does not revere it's elderly people. Full stop.
Michael Thompson
Link-AgeCountrywide & member of the Devon Pensioners Action Forum.”
by Anne, Dursley
Friday, August 08 2008, 6:53PM
“Let's have a proper debate about pensions (which was after all what the article asked for) rather some people just having a moan. Can we afford to give everyone a very high basic pension - and is that the right thing to do, given that a third of pensioners are extremely well off. People tend to base their arguments on having lumped all pensioners together into one big group. But pensioners' incomes are as varied as the rest of the population. Pensioner does not necessarily equal poor, though you'd never guess this from most of what we read. I know lots of people in their 60s and 70s who have never had so much disposable income but you'd think they don't exist according to the discussions on pensions we normally read. We've got to provide more help for poorer pensioners, but why should richer pensioners get more money? And if someone starts off about having to provide all their information for means testing - well so do people in the higher tax brackets - they have to give every detail of their lives to the taxman! it's only people in the middle who don't have to do this.”