Chancellor promises debate on pensions
Discussion
Gordon Brown promised yesterday that there would be a "national debate" before the Government implemented any plans to increase the retirement age to 67.
I am in favour, what are your views?
Full Telegraph article
Gordon Brown promised yesterday that there would be a "national debate" before the Government implemented any plans to increase the retirement age to 67.
Gordon Brown: ‘the Labour Government will listen to what people are saying right across the country’
The Chancellor sought to reassure voters a day after David Blunkett, the Work and Pensions Secretary, suggested that delaying the state pension age was one way of tackling the looming pensions crisis.
Lord Turner's pensions commission is due to produce a blueprint for the wholesale reform of the pensions system when it publishes its final report later this year.
But Mr Brown's comments suggest that the Government will not want to take forward any of the commission's radical recommendations until after the next general election.
Speaking in Scotland, where he was campaigning in the Livingston by-election, Mr Brown told reporters: "There's going to be no decision on these things until there has been a national debate.
"It is the Labour Government that has made possible this huge review of pensions. And it's the Labour Government that will then listen to what people are saying right across the country."
Mr Blunkett floated the idea of raising the state pension age after a visit to the US, where the retirement age is to go up to 67 over the next 20 years.
19 September 2005: Blunkett says pension age could be raised to 67
I am in favour, what are your views?
Full Telegraph article
Gordon Brown promised yesterday that there would be a "national debate" before the Government implemented any plans to increase the retirement age to 67.
Gordon Brown: ‘the Labour Government will listen to what people are saying right across the country’
The Chancellor sought to reassure voters a day after David Blunkett, the Work and Pensions Secretary, suggested that delaying the state pension age was one way of tackling the looming pensions crisis.
Lord Turner's pensions commission is due to produce a blueprint for the wholesale reform of the pensions system when it publishes its final report later this year.
But Mr Brown's comments suggest that the Government will not want to take forward any of the commission's radical recommendations until after the next general election.
Speaking in Scotland, where he was campaigning in the Livingston by-election, Mr Brown told reporters: "There's going to be no decision on these things until there has been a national debate.
"It is the Labour Government that has made possible this huge review of pensions. And it's the Labour Government that will then listen to what people are saying right across the country."
Mr Blunkett floated the idea of raising the state pension age after a visit to the US, where the retirement age is to go up to 67 over the next 20 years.
19 September 2005: Blunkett says pension age could be raised to 67
It will be a bit like the Classic Car tax after 25 years which Gordon Brown abolished to make it 1973 or older.....i.e. you won't ever be old enough to retire but will have to make increased contributions as there are too many pensioners............it's all just the usual government lies about lack of money.
Guess which we'll end up with...
Well done JagLover! We'll have you voting Lib or Lab soon! 
Dear Mr Brown.
Stop removing £5 billion a year in Pension Tax.
Dear Labour.
Make Public & Private sector pensions commesurate with each other so as to avoid final salary pension schemes in the Public sector (part funded by we the taxpayers) costing the Country literally billions a year. Honestly, final two thirds pension after 30 years. WTF !!!
Increase the pension contributions of women, who statstically live longer & will thus remove more from the overall pension pot.
Easy really.
Stop removing £5 billion a year in Pension Tax.
Dear Labour.
Make Public & Private sector pensions commesurate with each other so as to avoid final salary pension schemes in the Public sector (part funded by we the taxpayers) costing the Country literally billions a year. Honestly, final two thirds pension after 30 years. WTF !!!
Increase the pension contributions of women, who statstically live longer & will thus remove more from the overall pension pot.
Easy really.
JagLover said:
It is not all lies.
We have rising life expectancies and an ageing population, raising the retirement age to 67 from 65 will be a big help in keeping the state pension affordable.
I think there is an element of smoke and mirrors going on here. I know many working couples who aren't having children because they are working themselves to death and simply can't afford kids. By the time they can afford to have children, they find that, biologically, they have left it too late.
The fact is that the people who are having children are people who are unconcerned with the economics. The rest of us are paying to raise their children, so can't afford our own, or don't have stable long term relationships because they are welded to desks.
I'll be fascinated to see whether the prophecised increase in life expectancy for our generation actually materialises. Rising stress levels, poor diet and increasing obesity will, I think, offset medical advancement.
MILF said:
Make Public & Private sector pensions commesurate with each other so as to avoid final salary pension schemes in the Public sector (part funded by we the taxpayers) costing the Country literally billions a year. Honestly, final two thirds pension after 30 years. WTF !!!
.
partly as a result of Mr Browns 1m+ new public sector jobs the government pension deficit is running at a predicted £890bn which we are all expected to pay for out of our taxes!timmy30 said:
My view is that had the chancellor not implemented a £5bn stealth tax per annum on the pension of every adult in this country that it would not be necessary.
Why should we all work 2 years extra to fund the black whole in public finances made by that fecker?
That is a separate issue, yes Gordon Brown is partly responsible for the destruction of private pensions, but that has nothing to do with the affordability of the basic state pension. .
MILF said:
Make Public & Private sector pensions commesurate with each other so as to avoid final salary pension schemes in the Public sector (part funded by we the taxpayers) costing the Country literally billions a year. Honestly, final two thirds pension after 30 years. WTF !!!
Agreed
They need to raise the retirement age in the public sector from 60 to at least 65.
Also provide the same benifts as they would get in a private sector final salary pension scheme.
Whether they will or not is another matter, the public sector unions hold allot of power within Labour.
JagLover said:
Of course, when hell freezes over.
*sigh* it was a joke.
I actually agree with you on the age thing. A pensions crisis is an inherent problem caused by people living longer. I do believe that people should at least contribute to their own retirement but the Government should do more to protect the people who have no private pension scheme or those whose pensions funds have been stolen by a company going into liquidation.
Is this just like Blair claiming after the election that he had 'listened to the people' during his election campaign? Judging by what that undercover reporter found while working in his campaign office, it seems unlikely that he spoke to a single member of the public as every single public appearance seemed to have been choreographed with audiences bussed in for the occasion.
If only national insurance contributions were to a "contributory" pot of money for ones self, and not to a benefit type arrangement where the government simply "promises" to pay at retirement, and just blows your contribution there and then on whatever it pleases.
So much can change. The burden right now however is huge, as promises made were simply unrealistic. How can a government promise billions in pensions and benefits far in the future?
Should all be down to money we contribute, and that money is there specifically for us when we retire.
Scum government, as per usual.
Glad I've started young with my pension, hopefully with some other good investments I'll not be high and dry when I get a bit older!
Dave
So much can change. The burden right now however is huge, as promises made were simply unrealistic. How can a government promise billions in pensions and benefits far in the future?
Should all be down to money we contribute, and that money is there specifically for us when we retire.
Scum government, as per usual.
Glad I've started young with my pension, hopefully with some other good investments I'll not be high and dry when I get a bit older!
Dave
JagLover said:
It is not all lies.
We have rising life expectancies and an ageing population, <A title="Best Raising" style="COLOR: #65b45c; TEXT-DECORATION: underline" href="http://69.42.87.214/cgi-bin/ezlclk.fcgi?id=10428" target=_blank>raising</A> the retirement age to 67 from 65 will be a big help in keeping the state pension affordable.
You just believe any old crap presented to you sometimes don't you?
This is basically a ploy to get the overworked overtaxed private sector to accept the additional burden of people working an extra 2 years while the state sector carries on providing non contributory final salary schemes for lazy idle bastards who spend their entire working life carrying out pointless tasks. I bet 90% of the stress related illness, ME and nervous breakdowns occur in the civil service, so the parasites not only do no uselful work, they spend half their working life off sick as they move inevitably toward their goal of enhanced pension rights for retiring early on "health grounds". Debate? There is no need for a debate, just give me an ouzi and a bag of clips and let me loose in Whitehall for a few hours. 
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