The posts by MIA and Red are shocking to read. I think in general people are unbelievably very relaxed about this unbelievable rise in energy costs but I suspect that attitudes won’t last into next winter. Food prices set to continue to increase even though inflation next year set to decrease towards around 6%. Wage stagnation for some years. Food Inflation and increases in interest rates plus energy costs are seriously going to piss people off eventually.
So just what does it take in 2023 for Joe Public to get a little bit angry about something that is affecting a large proportion of the population?
We, as a nation, seem to have become very docile since the 1970s, when having no sugar to put in your tea at work seemed to trigger a mass walkout.
I agree. Perhaps all the empty rage is vented about trivia on the internet and there's no energy left to actually protest about important things in real life.
I have to say I'm very surprised that there hasn't been any mass rioting or looting. There must be a lot of people in the population that are getting quite desperate now with the situation.
You contribute to your pension via national insurance all your working life.
When you retire you get state pension it was women 60 changed to 65 now going to 68. What’s limit there going to push it to.
This is the money you have contributed as a example. say state pension is £10000 a year you have had to work and contribute for 3 more years men and 8 more years women .
You die at 70. You have had £20000 of state pension instead of £50000 or women £100000 and you’ve only had 2 years of happy retirement.
Hello god what’s happening with all my contributions I never got and retirement didn’t last long did it.
Pension is a right not a benefit when you’ve worked and contributed 50 years or so
You contribute to your pension via national insurance all your working life.
When you retire you get state pension it was women 60 changed to 65 now going to 68. What’s limit there going to push it to.
This is the money you have contributed as a example. say state pension is £10000 a year you have had to work and contribute for 3 more years men and 8 more years women .
You die at 70. You have had £20000 of state pension instead of £50000 or women £100000 and you’ve only had 2 years of happy retirement.
Hello god what’s happening with all my contributions I never got and retirement didn’t last long did it.
Pension is a right not a benefit when you’ve worked and contributed 50 years or so
Just live a bit longer so you get more years of pension. Simple.
Not many people die at 70 these days. Most people live for twenty years with a pension and then it becomes a bargain.
Which is exactly why the retirement age is going up. But as someone said a few posts back what if you do a manual job. Several of my family are scaffolders. Their bodies are a mess by the time they hit 50. How are they supposed to work until 68.
Not many people die at 70 these days. Most people live for twenty years with a pension and then it becomes a bargain.
So Steve people on here moaning there pension don’t cover there bills should stop moaning because they’ve got a bargain living 20 years not being able to pay there bills.
Why have we got the highest retirement age in Europe except for Germany.oh yes because ours is such a bargain.
Can’t wait to I retire and have to get a job at B&Q or McDonald’s to pay all me bills.
Not many people die at 70 these days. Most people live for twenty years with a pension and then it becomes a bargain.
So Steve people on here moaning there pension don’t cover there bills should stop moaning because they’ve got a bargain living 20 years not being able to pay there bills.
Why have we got the highest retirement age in Europe except for Germany.oh yes because ours is such a bargain.
Can’t wait to I retire and have to get a job at B&Q or McDonald’s to pay all me bills.
The state pension should be part of your retirement planning, not the only income you rely on. Employer pension or private pension should be something everyone thinks about - and the younger you start the better.
Your NI contributions don't go into 'your' pot - that isn't how the welfare state works. The contributions you make today are paying for the pensions payable today.
Not many people die at 70 these days. Most people live for twenty years with a pension and then it becomes a bargain.
So Steve people on here moaning there pension don’t cover there bills should stop moaning because they’ve got a bargain living 20 years not being able to pay there bills.
Why have we got the highest retirement age in Europe except for Germany.oh yes because ours is such a bargain.
Can’t wait to I retire and have to get a job at B&Q or McDonald’s to pay all me bills.
The state pension should be part of your retirement planning, not the only income you rely on. Employer pension or private pension should be something everyone thinks about - and the younger you start the better.
Completely this. And it is stuff that we should be teaching at schools.
So grateful that my old man encouraged me to put a decent percentage into a private pension as soon as I started working. It's not going to be life changing when it comes to retiring but it should makes things a hell of a lot more comfortable.
So there you go redmidland and mendonca at Asda.big bad bobmonro says it’s you’re own fault.should have set up your own private pension. Because our governments have been and are to shit to run the country. Bobs not bothered his worked hard sitting in his nice warm office pen pushing.
If you saved, had a company pension and or set your own pension up you could be retired already.
Personally I'd never rely solely on the government.
If you save. You do realise some people don't have a pot to piss in. Good luck to all of you who have a decent pension or will have a decent pension. I probably should have more of a pension than what's in my pocket. Been times even when I worked 6 days a week I had hardly any money. It is what it is for me , I suppose latter in life I could of put a bit of money into a pension. But I also want to live a bit now.
Never voted labour or believed in trade unions probably only voted 3 times in my life.can’t stand politicians but I can’t believe the smugness of the politicians and the rich so selfish and righteous. Bet you agree we should pay for GP and A&E visits next don’t you bob.because you’ve got private health care.
My monthly bill has risen from 75 per month to 125 over the last 2 years I now get 66 back meaning my monthly cost is 59 ..so in effect I pay 16 less than I did 2 years ago.I expect there are others in this position.
What kind of CH and HW system do you have? I don't get how you can get by without Gas.
Never voted labour or believed in trade unions probably only voted 3 times in my life.can’t stand politicians but I can’t believe the smugness of the politicians and the rich so selfish and righteous. Bet you agree we should pay for GP and A&E visits next don’t you bob.because you’ve got private health care.
Not many people die at 70 these days. Most people live for twenty years with a pension and then it becomes a bargain.
Which is exactly why the retirement age is going up. But as someone said a few posts back what if you do a manual job. Several of my family are scaffolders. Their bodies are a mess by the time they hit 50. How are they supposed to work until 68.
Bungalows?
Can empathise as I've never had a 9-5 office job and am on my feet all day at work in a manual job. I'm putting as much as I can into my work pension and have had a private one since I started work (though that was mis-sold at the time by the Midland bank!)
Some cost of living price increases we're doing tomorrow at work:
Heinz Tomato Ketchup £3.30 to £3.90
Heinz Baked Beans £1.20 to £1.70
Loyd Grossman sauce £2.50 to £3.50
McVities Digestives £1.50 to £2
Catsan Cat Litter £8.10 to £10
Over the last 9 months or so these kind of increases have been happening weekly across the store and on the most basic essentials too: a single pint of milk that was 49p last Easter is now 95p, a tub of spread on offer would be £1 but now would be £1.85, eggs (if you can find any!) about 50% more expensive. Then there's the disappearing entry-level priced products - where you could previously buy a Tesco Value product or Morrisons Saver item many have been withdrawn so the regular own-label or a branded product becomes the 'cheapest' option.
It's come to something when we have to put security tags on bottles of cooking oil because they've got so expensive people now nick that rather than wines & spirits.
These figures are a few years behind the times but illustrate the problem. Or, at least part of it. To be comfortable in retirement you need £13k per annum as an individual; £18k as a couple. Your state pension provides £9k To make up the balance you'd need to put £60 per month into a private pension plan of some description from the age of 21. Or your employer could do it for you.
Trouble is "comfortable" doesn't hack it. As it does not include recreational expenditure. The estimate is that you'd need £19k (£26k as a couple) to buy holidays, season tickets to Charlton, etc.
As said above, education is sadly lacking in that these basic facts are not explained to school children. AND THEY SHOULD BE.
Perhaps I'm weird but at 18 I got a job that I knew would provide me with a decent pension. It was my number one consideration. People should think very carefully about their career choices. Here's an example. If you don't mind working in dreadful dangerous conditions you'd earn maybe £4 an hour more as a roofer than as a police officer. I know which one I'd choose though.
One more thing, I am shocked by some of the figures quoted for energy bills. How is anyone paying £500 per month for energy? My bill is around half that (and I'm here most of the time and have the heating on when I need it.)
My monthly bill has risen from 75 per month to 125 over the last 2 years I now get 66 back meaning my monthly cost is 59 ..so in effect I pay 16 less than I did 2 years ago.I expect there are others in this position.
What kind of CH and HW system do you have? I don't get how you can get by without Gas.
The posts by MIA and Red are shocking to read. I think in general people are unbelievably very relaxed about this unbelievable rise in energy costs but I suspect that attitudes won’t last into next winter. Food prices set to continue to increase even though inflation next year set to decrease towards around 6%. Wage stagnation for some years. Food Inflation and increases in interest rates plus energy costs are seriously going to piss people off eventually.
So just what does it take in 2023 for Joe Public to get a little bit angry about something that is affecting a large proportion of the population? We, as a nation, seem to have become very docile since the 1970s, when having no sugar to put in your tea at work seemed to trigger a mass walkout.
I don't know if we have given up or if the apathy is that thick in this country people don't bother - the student fees protests in 2010 were a big thing at the time and were reported on a lot but had 0 success and it seems nowadays the government have such a strong stranglehold on the media outlets that protests/strikes get reported on incredibly negatively or barely reported on at times too. Add in that the government is currently actively attempting to criminalise protests tells you, which is criminal in itself imo.
As a comparison - the French are currently striking at a proposed rise of the state pension age to 64 from 62. The state pension age will rise to 68 in 2044/2046 in the UK.
I read today that the tories are having a row about bringing this forward. I should add the row isnt about it being brought forward but how far it should be brought forward. Sometime in the 2030's is what the BBC article said.
Sorry if you think I’m being personal. Not trying to be personal but trying to make a point.which seems to be going by the wayside.I apologise to you bob. If u think I’m being personal.
But there is a big unbalance in our county at the moment with the rich and poor. I wouldn’t class myself as poor and definitely not rich. But the burdens of the problems should be shared more equally than they are.
Sorry if you think I’m being personal. Not trying to be personal but trying to make a point.which seems to be going by the wayside.I apologise to you bob. If u think I’m being personal.
But there is a big unbalance in our county at the moment with the rich and poor. I wouldn’t class myself as poor and definitely not rich. But the burdens of the problems should be shared more equally than they are.
End off
But the burdens of the problems are already unbalanced. To the extent that 30% of all income tax is paid by just 300,000 people. How many "rich" people do you think there are? Meanwhile, over half of all households are net recipients of state money. None of this is sustainable. Long term, people need to be taught how to make sensible life choices. The benefits system was set up to be a safety net, not a lifestyle choice.
Sorry if you think I’m being personal. Not trying to be personal but trying to make a point.which seems to be going by the wayside.I apologise to you bob. If u think I’m being personal.
But there is a big unbalance in our county at the moment with the rich and poor. I wouldn’t class myself as poor and definitely not rich. But the burdens of the problems should be shared more equally than they are.
End off
But the burdens of the problems are already unbalanced. To the extent that 30% of all income tax is paid by just 300,000 people. How many "rich" people do you think there are? Meanwhile, over half of all households are net recipients of state money. None of this is sustainable. Long term, people need to be taught how to make sensible life choices. The benefits system was set up to be a safety net, not a lifestyle choice.
Sorry if you think I’m being personal. Not trying to be personal but trying to make a point.which seems to be going by the wayside.I apologise to you bob. If u think I’m being personal.
But there is a big unbalance in our county at the moment with the rich and poor. I wouldn’t class myself as poor and definitely not rich. But the burdens of the problems should be shared more equally than they are.
End off
But the burdens of the problems are already unbalanced. To the extent that 30% of all income tax is paid by just 300,000 people. How many "rich" people do you think there are? Meanwhile, over half of all households are net recipients of state money. None of this is sustainable. Long term, people need to be taught how to make sensible life choices. The benefits system was set up to be a safety net, not a lifestyle choice.
Close thread.
Why? Do you not agree that there should be a policy of including financial literacy in each school's curriculum?
Comments
At 48 I don't think I will see a state pension.
Current forecast for my private pension at 65 is a caravan in Syria.
say state pension is £10000 a year you have had to work and contribute for 3 more years men and 8 more years women .
and you’ve only had 2 years of happy retirement.
But as someone said a few posts back what if you do a manual job.
Several of my family are scaffolders.
Their bodies are a mess by the time they hit 50.
How are they supposed to work until 68.
Your NI contributions don't go into 'your' pot - that isn't how the welfare state works. The contributions you make today are paying for the pensions payable today.
So grateful that my old man encouraged me to put a decent percentage into a private pension as soon as I started working. It's not going to be life changing when it comes to retiring but it should makes things a hell of a lot more comfortable.
Bobs not bothered his worked hard sitting in his nice warm office pen pushing.
Personally I'd never rely solely on the government.
You do realise some people don't have a pot to piss in.
Good luck to all of you who have a decent pension or will have a decent pension.
I probably should have more of a pension than what's in my pocket.
Been times even when I worked 6 days a week I had hardly any money.
It is what it is for me , I suppose latter in life I could of put a bit of money into a pension.
But I also want to live a bit now.
Bungalows?
Can empathise as I've never had a 9-5 office job and am on my feet all day at work in a manual job. I'm putting as much as I can into my work pension and have had a private one since I started work (though that was mis-sold at the time by the Midland bank!)
It's come to something when we have to put security tags on bottles of cooking oil because they've got so expensive people now nick that rather than wines & spirits.
Trouble is "comfortable" doesn't hack it. As it does not include recreational expenditure. The estimate is that you'd need £19k (£26k as a couple) to buy holidays, season tickets to Charlton, etc.
As said above, education is sadly lacking in that these basic facts are not explained to school children. AND THEY SHOULD BE.
Perhaps I'm weird but at 18 I got a job that I knew would provide me with a decent pension. It was my number one consideration. People should think very carefully about their career choices. Here's an example. If you don't mind working in dreadful dangerous conditions you'd earn maybe £4 an hour more as a roofer than as a police officer. I know which one I'd choose though.
One more thing, I am shocked by some of the figures quoted for energy bills. How is anyone paying £500 per month for energy? My bill is around half that (and I'm here most of the time and have the heating on when I need it.)
I wouldn’t class myself as poor and definitely not rich. But the burdens of the problems should be shared more equally than they are.