How much is the basic state pension?

[Osem]

Don't ask the shadow Work & Pensions Secretary:

http://www.standard.co.uk/news/polit...o-9750464.html

I don't know, Miliband hasn't got a clue what his own household's shopping budget is and Rachel Reeves seems very confused about something so basic.

They've been banging on about the 'cost of living crisis' for ages so it's strange that they don't seem to be any more in touch with the lives of ordinary people than those evil out of touch Tories they like to smear at every opportunity.

I heard another of their senior people, Harriet Harman possibly, being interviewed yesterday about the minimum wage. She was in full flow blaming the tax credit system for the taxpayer effectively subsidising big business when she just stopped herself saying " the tax credit system we created...", preferring to modify it to the "tax credit system which has developed..." (or words to that effect). Not that doing so excuses her party for any blame in the matter, I mean they presided over years when Brown's typically complicated 'solution' to a simple problem was having exactly the same effect and never chose to do anything about it. How very odd...

Anyway, Miliband apparently wants 10 years to put right what the ConDems have done. I take it that he reckons what he and his cohorts did to the UK isn't any longer a problem which needs attending to. In which case maybe HMG has achieved something after all. In any event it's a bit rich telling us he needs 10 years to put right 5 years of mayhem when he's been criticising the other side for not managing to undo 13 years worth of typical Labour chaos and ineptitude in a single term of coalition government.

[Qtx]

Off-topic but...reading that post and then your signaturet, this song popped in to my head with the word revolution swopped for devolution: Tracy Chapman - Talkin' bout a Revolution

[Gary L]

It's around £100 per week.

At the moment, it's £113.10 per week.

[Osem]

Originally Posted by Hugh

At the moment, it's £113.10 per week.

Watch out, Miliband might offer you a job...

[Mr Angry]

Originally Posted by Hugh

At the moment, it's £113.10 per week.

In fairness that's the maximum. Not everyone will receive that as it's contributions based.

[Tinky]

Assuming she hasn't not made the required contributions i.e. because of having children or paying the lower stamp a married woman's pension is £67.93 per week.

Originally Posted by Tinky

Assuming she hasn't not made the required contributions i.e. because of having children or paying the lower stamp a married woman's pension is £67.93 per week.

The raising children bit might not apply if she received the child benefit during that period..it is or was used as a means of getting one's NI contribution made towards one's pension.

[Tinky]

Sorry Maggy, you are correct. I am talking from personal experience however, when there was no child benefit as such and women could opt to pay the small stamp while working. The family allowance as it was called then paid me 40p (8/-) per week and then only for the second child onwards. As here:-

When did child benefit start? Child Benefit history has its origins in post-war Britain when the coalition government tried to ease burden on families suffering amid housing shortages and food rationing.Known as the Family Allowance, the 5 shillings a week payment was given to parents only for their second and subsequent children, thus helping shore up the depleted population by encouraging more births.It continued through the post-war boom but was restructured when the economy turned down again, being reinvented as Child Benefit in the second half of the 1970s. The new payments were tax free and first-time mothers also became eligible.The recession of the early 1990s brought further changes, with the introduction of a higher rate for the first child, while the other rates were frozen.

[Osem]

Miliband seemingly doesn't agree with Bill "the economy, stupid" Clinton. It's so important, he forgot to mention it during an interminable conference speech in which he definitely had plenty of time. No mention of immigration (aka Labour's social engineering project) either. Strange that he didn't want to chat about what a success that's been for those at the bottom of the pile he claims to care so much about... Maybe he was just too busy trying to appear in touch with real people and getting in all those name checks and personal attacks on the ConDems. Seriously, can anyone see this guy running the country?...

Originally Posted by Mr Angry

In fairness that's the maximum. Not everyone will receive that as it's contributions based.

Thanks for the clarification.

Originally Posted by Mr Angry

In fairness that's the maximum. Not everyone will receive that as it's contributions based.

Did they apply the flat rate retrospectively? Presumably there are those receiving higher state pensions now than others?

[Mr Angry]

Originally Posted by Damien

Did they apply the flat rate retrospectively? Presumably there are those receiving higher state pensions now than others?

In all honesty I'm not sure, Damien. I'd say you'd be right about the rate differences but in my experience it's a very difficult field to navigate.

[Ramrod]

Originally Posted by Osem

Seriously, can anyone see this guy running the country?...

Sadly, I can. Not because he's capable of doing a good job of running the country but because the Conservatives always make themselves unpopular by having to clean up the mess that they inherit from Labour and then Labour capitalise on that unpopularity.

[arcimedes]

Originally Posted by Ramrod

Sadly, I can. Not because he's capable of doing a good job of running the country but because the Conservatives always make themselves unpopular by having to clean up the mess that they inherit from Labour and then Labour capitalise on that unpopularity.

In that case they need another term especially as they were held back by the LibDems.