Letter from the Govt.

[grahamw48]

I got a letter from the gov. this morning telling me I'll soon be entitled to something called 'Pension Credit'.

Well, this made me laugh so much that I had to take a quick run up and down the stairs and do a couple of handstands in the lounge...to prove them wrong.

I now have a broken ornament and a pulled muscle in my leg.

[stevewool]

tell us more

[grahamw48]

Just an age-related thing to top up one's meagre finances (if they are meagre...it's means-tested).

Made me laugh, to even think of myself as a 'pensioner' . haha

[andy222]

I got a letter from the gov. this morning telling me I'll soon be entitled to something called 'Pension Credit'.

Well, this made me laugh so much that I had to take a quick run up and down the stairs and do a couple of handstands in the lounge...to prove them wrong.

I now have a broken ornament and a pulled muscle in my leg.

Put a claim in graham.

[Arthur Little]

... without intending to offend the sensitivities of any of our (dare I say?) older members, 'Pension Credit' is an extremely valuable resource for supplementing the incomes of those people aged 60 and over who are already retired from full time employment and/or whose resultant earning power falls below an acceptable level.

Let's not mock it.

[andy222]

Funny you should mention this I had a letter from HMRC not so long back asking me to fill a form in because it wouldnt be long to getting my state pension. Its 14 years away.

[Arthur Little]

Moreover ... Guaranteed Pension Credit entitles its recipients to a substantial reduction in Council Tax, FREE dental treatment, discount on spectacles and no prescription charges in England (Scotland being already exempt).

It is well-worth having!

[grahamw48]

I think it's the same as being unemployed, but no need to sign on. Hmm.

[Arthur Little]

Funny you should mention this I had a letter from HMRC not so long back asking me to fill a form in because it wouldnt be long to getting my state pension. Its 14 years away.

... fine! But it comes around QUICKER than you would expect, Andy.

[Arthur Little]

I think it's the same as being unemployed, but no need to sign on. Hmm.

Whilst you're technically correct, Graham ... the expression "early retired" tends to sound preferable to the word "unemployed" when speaking in terms of older folks who are no longer working - albeit, there ISN'T any requirement for those over 60 to "sign on" if they've paid their full, statutory National Insurance Contributions and also meet the means-tested criteria.

[KeithD]

I retired in 1986, got a war pension, and have been working hard ever since

[stevewool]

with myself retiring early 60 instead of 60 something what ever the figure is, anyway i have worked since i was 17 and with just 6 months in all that time out of work, so with my reckoning thats over 43 years, so surely i will get a state pension, yes i cannot claim it till i am at retirement age which is going to another 6 years i think, am i right

[imagine]

with myself retiring early 60 instead of 60 something what ever the figure is, anyway i have worked since i was 17 and with just 6 months in all that time out of work, so with my reconing thats over 43 years, so surely i will get a state pension, yes i cannot claim it till i am at retirement age which is going to another 6 years i think, am i right

you only need 30 yrs contributions, sorry nothing extra for the other 13 yrs


depends when you were born, you may retire at 65, but you may not get your pension untill later depending on your date of birth,

example , i was born feb 1954, i can retire at 65, but i wont get any pension untill im 65 and a half

[imagine]

I got a letter from the gov. this morning telling me I'll soon be entitled to something called 'Pension Credit'.

Well, this made me laugh so much that I had to take a quick run up and down the stairs and do a couple of handstands in the lounge...to prove them wrong.

I now have a broken ornament and a pulled muscle in my leg.

they say anything about a free bus pass?

[bigmac]

i get pension credit--first claimed it when i was 60 means i'm guaranteed over £140 a week--yes please !! but i do get a bit knocked off because i have savings over the £10 grand threshold.

oh--and you can still work--so if you do part time and get say--£100 a week--you get it topped up to the full amount. better than a poke in the eye.

but i think new claimants now have to be 0ver 62.

[grahamw48]

Can't really see myself living large on 140 quid a week.

No mention of bus pass, which would come in handy.

Looks like people a year or two older than me are the last of the lucky ones, but I'd rather be that bit younger anyway I suppose.

Still, now that we're all having to do our bit to help pay off the wealthy bankers' miss-management, MPs' fraud and theft, a million illegals and sob-story lying 'asylum-seekers', plus other assorted parasitic detritus....

[andy222]

... fine! But it comes around QUICKER than you would expect, Andy.

I hope it does come round quick Arthur so I can get out of here.