100 signatures reached
To: The coalition government
The truth about the new state pension
To clearly explain the formula and criteria governing the new state pension which is to be introduced in 2016, clarifying accurately how much pensioners will get. I want the government to admit the public were deliberately misled when the new scheme was launched in 2013.
Why is this important?
I believe that the government has totally misled the electorate regarding the introduction of the new state pension in 2016.Mr Cameron's pitch at the launch in 2013 promised that "the idea here is that for new pensioners in 2017 instead of the £100 or so basic state pension it'll be over £140" This promise has been repeated and reinforced by other government members such as Steve Webb and Ian Duncan Smith. Consequently, most people retiring after 2016 believe they will receive a state pension in excess of £150 a week.
This is completely untrue and misleading. Firstly, anyone of the millions of people in an occupational pension were automatically opted out of paying additional state pension contributions .All of these people, providing they have paid 35 years NI, will only receive the old state pension of £113/week. Those who paid into "the additional state pension" will receive, quite correctly, what they would have been due under the old system
The question to ask, therefore, is who actually is better off under the new system. The truthful answer is very few people. For the majority nothing changes. There will be only gradual increases to the state pension as people pay the increased NI contributions .Only in 30+ years will David Cameron's promise of equality for all be true. Unsurprisingly, the government has been" economical with the truth" It is all "smoke and mirrors"- a cheap headline and vote winner. My intention is to highlight the situation so that millions of people are not misled into expecting far more than they will actually receive. I want the government to admit their inaccurate rhetoric and publish a true and accurate guide of future state pensions.
This is completely untrue and misleading. Firstly, anyone of the millions of people in an occupational pension were automatically opted out of paying additional state pension contributions .All of these people, providing they have paid 35 years NI, will only receive the old state pension of £113/week. Those who paid into "the additional state pension" will receive, quite correctly, what they would have been due under the old system
The question to ask, therefore, is who actually is better off under the new system. The truthful answer is very few people. For the majority nothing changes. There will be only gradual increases to the state pension as people pay the increased NI contributions .Only in 30+ years will David Cameron's promise of equality for all be true. Unsurprisingly, the government has been" economical with the truth" It is all "smoke and mirrors"- a cheap headline and vote winner. My intention is to highlight the situation so that millions of people are not misled into expecting far more than they will actually receive. I want the government to admit their inaccurate rhetoric and publish a true and accurate guide of future state pensions.
