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Guaranteed Pensions?

Former MemberFormer Member Posts: 1,876,323 The Mix Honorary Guru
Do you agree with the idea of a guaranteed pension irrespective of NI contributions?

My opinion is it's a good idea but my problem with it is in around 45-50 years time we will have millions of "ex-dole" pensioners ie people who have skived work all their lives and are still getting paid for.

I think they should bring this into force only for the people who actually worked and just give a basic "lower rate" pension to the skivers. I'm not including the people who are actually off work because they have been ill etc but I think they should be given a guaranteed pension as well as long as it's proven that they are unfit to work.

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    Former MemberFormer Member Posts: 1,876,323 The Mix Honorary Guru
    If you have a lower rate pension, it would just be topped up by income support or council tax exemption or some other state benefit.

    People should be encouraged to work. They should also strive for a financial-stress-free retirement. People don't take pensions very seriously in this country. We're too reliant generally on the state pension, which leaves a huge gulf between the people in private or company pension schemes and those on the basic state pension.
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    Former MemberFormer Member Posts: 1,876,323 The Mix Honorary Guru
    I think it's wise to be aware of why benefits and pensions of one sort or another are really paid out.

    1) If you don't give people stuff, they don't starve, they rob you.

    2) If you look after others, there is a chance they look after you.

    As far as not contributing goes, low paid work does all the actual real world stuff that need doing, like emptying bins and so on. There is a strong case for saying that those on high wages doing stuff that produces no physical goods have contributed nothing too.
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    Former MemberFormer Member Posts: 1,876,323 The Mix Honorary Guru
    Jazza wrote:
    we will have millions of "ex-dole" pensioners ie people who have skived work all their lives and are still getting paid for.

    .

    Do you actually beleive there are 'millions of Skivers'?
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    Former MemberFormer Member Posts: 1,876,323 The Mix Honorary Guru
    Toadborg wrote:
    Do you actually beleive there are 'millions of Skivers'?
    A bit of an exaggeration there, I apologise.

    And klintock, I wasn't talking about low paid work, I was talking about people who are able to work but choose not to and instead sponge off the govt. There's a girl who left my school last eyar who hasn't made the effort to get a job and claims "she can't be bothered". Her brother left 3 years ago and claims the same thing. He just sponges off the government whereas she is too young. Also; I don't think I'll ever see a skiving scumbag ever help anyone but themselves.
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    Former MemberFormer Member Posts: 1,876,323 The Mix Honorary Guru
    So you are happy to let old people die because they can't afford their heating bill?
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    Former MemberFormer Member Posts: 1,876,323 The Mix Honorary Guru
    And klintock, I wasn't talking about low paid work, I was talking about people who are able to work but choose not to and instead sponge off the govt

    My point was that there are plenty of people who contribute nothing who have pots of cash as well. The logic here is that if you have lots of arbitarily valued bits of paper it's ok to sit on your duff doing fuck all, but if you are short on a certain kind of paper it's a bad thing.

    Also I might add that a hell of a lot of what goes in our economy is the equivalent of pointless busiwork, producing cash but not a lot else. Anyone really need 50 types of mobile phone cover?
    There's a girl who left my school last eyar who hasn't made the effort to get a job and claims "she can't be bothered".

    Ever wondered why?
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    Former MemberFormer Member Posts: 1,876,323 The Mix Honorary Guru
    If humans were content with what they needed then we would all be living at best as subsistence farmers.

    You certainly would not have your nice PC to do all these nice enjoyable things on (which you don't need anyway)
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    Former MemberFormer Member Posts: 1,876,323 The Mix Honorary Guru
    the thing is NI contributins are just a form of general taxation, they only partially fund pensions
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    Former MemberFormer Member Posts: 1,876,323 The Mix Honorary Guru
    If humans were content with what they needed then we would all be living at best as subsistence farmers.

    Yeah, right. You know little about how people work then.
    You certainly would not have your nice PC to do all these nice enjoyable things on (which you don't need anyway)

    And you mistook my post for something else entirely.

    The guy was saying that some people don't contribute so shouldn't get pensions. My point was that once food, lighting etc (neccessities) have been provided, then you are in the land of busiwork, or non-contribution. In fact some of the stuff that get's done that strictly speaking we don't need to have done is positively damaging. (pollution etc.)

    Under no circumstances was i saying that we should only do what we need to. (I's what actually happens anyway but there is no way of showing you that, more than likely.)
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    Former MemberFormer Member Posts: 1,876,323 The Mix Honorary Guru
    klintock wrote:
    Yeah, right. You know little about how people work then.





    Please impart your wisdom then.........
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    Former MemberFormer Member Posts: 1,876,323 The Mix Honorary Guru
    pensions should be based on work

    obviously we have to give the wasters some form of pension in order to live a basic life..but the bare minimum is all they deserve if they have spent their whole life avoiding work.

    i do think there needs to be more safeguards in the whole pension scheme though, and obviously different rules would have to apply to those who have never worked because of disability etc
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    Former MemberFormer Member Posts: 1,876,323 The Mix Honorary Guru
    It would cost a bit in the short term but I really think that NI should go towards a persons OWN pension, not just into the pot.

    Each month on your wage slip you should be told how much you are paying and how much that will give you a week for your pension.

    This would empower people to top up their own pension and therefore take responsibility.
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    Former MemberFormer Member Posts: 1,876,323 The Mix Honorary Guru
    id be well up for a government based personal pension scheme probably have slightly lower returns than private ones, but with far more security

    everyone should get a pension which is enough to live off though :)
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