PENSIONSANDSAVINGS.COM

Threatening to remove Winter Fuel Payments continues treating pensioners as political footballs and is no way to control public spending. Politicians should agree on a national cross-party review of future State Pensions and other support for older people.   Constant threats to cut parts of pensioner support and focus on more means-testing unsettles millions of pensioners with little or no income other than State Pension and benefits. Tinkering with parts of the system will not address cost control or inter-generational concerns.  …

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Earnings inflation figures released tomorrow likely to indicate 8% rise in State Pension.    This will reflect the need to protect State Pensions, not the triple lock itself.    Chancellor is right to hint that it’s time to review state pension protection – just sticking with current triple lock does not give pensioners the reassurance they need.    Current ‘triple lock’ increases only two bits of State Pensions – but poorest pensioners are excluded and youngest get more protection. Earnings…

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Glad to see the Government committing to protect the State Pension for next year as many pensioners continue to battle cost of living crisis. But the real decision is not about ‘triple lock’ as the 2.5% is irrelevant – it’s a double lock that’s important. It’s important for millions of pensioners especially women relying wholly on State Pensions, to have their meagre State Pension safeguarded. Government is right to commit to protecting pensioners again next year: In the middle of…

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Of course, with an aging population and high inflation, the costs of state pensions will rise, but that should not be a shock!  Of course Britain can afford to pay its State Pensions, this is a political choice of priorities. The UK has one of the lowest State Pensions in the OECD while most EU countries pay far more.  Cost-cutting need not mean attacking the core pension, raising State Pension Age or mass means-testing.  Increasing the number of years for…

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More pensions for low earners and young workers as auto-enrolment extension bill goes through house of lords. The legislation will ensure Government moves auto-enrolment to next stage, improving coverage and adequacy of workplace pensions. This is designed to pave the way for all workers under age 22 to be auto-enrolled and provide much larger pensions for lower earners. On Friday, the Extension of Auto-enrolment (No.2) Bill received its Second Reading in the House of Lords and should become law in…

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