Government Pensions

[Nottm_George]

I am at present on Pension Credits and I was told that I might be entitled to my state pension early, I will be 62 in May 2012 can anyone give any more information thanks.

[factor-fiction]

Are you male or female?
If male, I can't think why you might get a pension before 65. Mind you I'm not sure why you are getting Pension credits already

[factor-fiction]

Well, I've learnt something tonight- it seems men can get Pension Credit at your age. See the example on here:
http://www.direct.gov...nsionCredit/DG_180159
I don't understand the logic, but I also never understood why men had to wait 5 years longer than women.
It seems to me that these means-tested payments of pension credits mean that it's not worthwhile contributing to and claiming small private pensions.

[sunny-dave]

Hmmm - well spotted factor

Yet another disincentive for people to actually plan/save for retirement ...

... and another 'why am I bl**dy bothering' moment for those of us who are stuffing money into pensions.

It sometimes seems like a co-ordinated plan to break the spirit of 'middle income Britain' as it is crushed between the tax breaks for 'megabucks @ankers' and the feather-bed provided for the indigent/improvident ...

[EDDIE51]

F 30 yes you are right not worth paying into a private pension unless it is a very large one.
I have qualified for pension credit guarantee and am in the process of claiming it. I have a private pension of £26 a week and my pension credit will be reduced by the exact same amount to compensate for it. Total waste of money paying into the pension in the 1st place .
Pension credit garantees an income of £203 a week for a couple ( or I think £168 single person) any income you have from a private pension is deducted from pension credit. If you get pension credit you also automatically get the max possible housing benefit and pay no council tax . Oh, you get the winter fuel allowance as well and a free bus pass.
I'm better off now than when I was working !