10 signatures reached
To: Members of parliament in Scotland and the rest of U.K.
You robbed us of our pension at 60yrs- now shield us from raising pension tax!
Recognise that the wasp women were placed in a poverty gap due to inadequate preparation for moving the pensionable age from 60 to 66yrs.
We were forced to try to find work for six more years beyond the terms of our pension scheme- paid for over forty years, at the same time bringing up children. As women we routinely have lower pension contributions than male counter parts because of being women, mothers and the centre stage role we played in our families.
Finding work at 60 + for a woman, is not easy. Despite being driven by necessity and having a full track record of employment, the prospect of standing in front of a class of thirty or more; the new pension age for recruits bieng 70yrs, is not something to be desired from any point of view. The catch 22 is, you are too 'young!!!' to qualify for you pension and too old to be successful at interview. Ageism exists! ....and a person to be expected to teach until 70yrs, maybe for good reason.
We WASPS lost court cases calling for compensation, however, it is entirely possible to compensate those concerned, by giving women born in the fifities, a higher personal tax allowance, so that any small work pensions due from redundancy, don't negatively impact on the long awaited state pension by using up the tax allowance and reducing the pension in effect by as much as £200 out of the maximum £650 per month.
Having contributed to pensions so richly, we have had to do without anticipated income for six years beyond our expectations, due to change of law- twice!!
Why is this important?
It is important now because change is again iminent because of the national debt, fuelled by covid induced borrowing. Where will the government look to find money?...income tax is to be expected.
Raising taxes are currently under discussion and this is bound to include raising tax on pensions.
Once more it is the people who can afford it least, those who have invested most, huge amounts from thier salaries over forty or more years, who will be robbed of their life long intended benefits.
This comes at a time when the same people will be denied any other benefits due to unemployment and lack of resources... because they have a pension of some kind.
I feel we need to call for a 'shield' in raising tax on pensions, and most importantly the wasp women, who already had thier pensions stolen for six whole years in advance.
I suggest that shielding pensioners and raising the personal tax allowance so that occupational pensions don't lower state pension, is one viable way forward to protect and compensate.
In my own case , I spent almost £36, 000 of my lump sum from my occupational pension on the higher education for my family, when I was suddenly made redundant. This left a very small monthly amount, which has caused me to lose £150 of my monthly state pension, now that I finally can receive it.
Where are the planned benefits of 40+ years of paying into a pension scheme for my older years? How can a teacher, for example, be called upon to work on until, now, 70yrs to benefit from pension rights?
On the other hand , how many employers will employ you aged 66yrs, presently?... and yet you are expected to survive on this and pay your bills?
After a life time of work and bringing up families, our contributions are being eaten up by the government both before we get them and after we have got them.
There is no incentive in life for our children to pay huge contributions from their hard earned pay not to begin to begin to benefit until such an advanced age. What then will be our life expectancy?
This is imoral.. from a government who claim expenses for thier meals whilst on huge salaries and deny the kids on the line of poverty free meals.
A government with the loop hole to allow these 'business lunches' to by -pass the rule of 6 upheld for others an we can't celebrate our kids' graduations or family occasions.
A government getting rich on abusing tax payers' money on PPE and giving jobs for their mates, while we all endure unemployment, instead of tendering contracts with transparency.
