A non means tested flat rate pension for all?

[Osem]

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-politics-11618019

The idea apparently is that by taking out the complexities and costs associated with means testing etc., more could be paid out to pensioners irrespective of their contributions.

Does this sound like a good idea?

I thought it was linked to NI contributions? Kinda sucks if you have been working your whole life only not too see that reflected. Guess it's better than people struggling on a small one though.

Some more info from the BBC

[nomadking]

It's just another wheeze to give women money for not actually doing anything.

certainly beats phasing it out which had bets on happening

Originally Posted by nomadking

It's just another wheeze to give women money for not actually doing anything.

Yes. It's a conspiracy.

Originally Posted by nomadking

It's just another wheeze to give women money for not actually doing anything.

Do you actually engage your brain before speaking/typing?

The vast majority of women these days work unless they have taken time off to care for small children and then many of them return to work long before the children are ready because one wage is not enough.Whatever your particular problem with the women in your life you really have no right to judge the rest of us..because you know nothing about the majority.Your experience is not that of everyone else.Plus pension ages are just about caught up or should be by 2015.

[nomadking]

From linked article in first post.

James Landale BBC News deputy political editor
Liberal Democrats would be happy to see women and lower earners get more.

Why should people who have contributed national insurance all their lives get the same pension as those who have not?

The catching up of pension ages is not by choice, but because of equality rules eventually having to be applied after decades.

From the actual article

Some women who currently fail to qualify for the full basic state pension because they have stopped working to raise children and therefore lack enough NI contributions.

Women are disadvantaged at present because they are normally the carers for children, so I believe it is right that they should get the same pension.

btw, it's a popular myth that the NI Contributions pay for the State Pension

You are required to pay National Insurance contributions in order to ensure that you are entitled to receive certain state benefits if you need them, and the State Pension when you retire.

The contributions you make are not direct savings for your own pension: the contributions that taxpayers make today are paying for the pensions of today.

The pensions of the future will be paid for by the taxpayers paying contributions in the future

[j52c]

Originally Posted by Osem

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-politics-11618019

The idea apparently is that by taking out the complexities and costs associated with means testing etc., more could be paid out to pensioners irrespective of their contributions.

Does this sound like a good idea?

In your link above, go down the page to the James Landale Analysis column, he says:-

"In other words, this policy is work in progress, it's not going to happen for a long while and it will only affect future pensioners."

If the above is true it is going to make some pensioners very angry indeed, and so it should.

Originally Posted by nomadking

From linked article in first post.

The catching up of pension ages is not by choice, but because of equality rules eventually having to be applied after decades.

And women also tend to earn less because they are the ones who take on low paid or part time jobs so they can be carers of their children and families.Then there are the full time carers of physically damaged or mentally damaged children or life partners who save the government an estimated £87 billion per year by being carers many of whom are women..I think they deserve a decent pension myself as well.

Originally Posted by Hugh

btw, it's a popular myth that the NI Contributions pay for the State Pension

So goes everyone get the same regardless of contributions after they have contributed enough, however much that is, to achieve the base rate?

Probably - that's how the tax system works at the moment (you pay your income tax, and if you need roads, hospitals, etc, you get the use of them, no matter how much/little you've paid in).

[Chrysalis]

Originally Posted by Osem

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-politics-11618019

The idea apparently is that by taking out the complexities and costs associated with means testing etc., more could be paid out to pensioners irrespective of their contributions.

Does this sound like a good idea?

one thing that always goes unquestioned.

is why pensions (a benefit just like JSA and IB etc.) gets increases without a fuss been made but other benefits get squeezed.

the answer to your question is no, and is further evidence of "we all in it together" been complete rubbish.

Pensions and benefits are fundamentally different. They're so completely different that if you don't already recognise that to be the case, it's going to be nigh-on impossible to answer your question in any way you're likely to understand.