理解できない 年金s

By DAILY MAIL REPORTER
Updated: 00:00 BST, 1 December 1999

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The 明言する／公表する 年金 is the bedrock of most pensioners' 財政／金融s. Around 70% of pensioner 世帯s rely on 明言する／公表する 利益s for at least half of their income. But there are 非常に／多数の problems with the system, very few of which are 存在 演説（する）／住所d.

The biggest problem of all is 簡単に that the system is often 理解できない. The 公式の／役人 booklets are usually pure gobbledygook, and the 政府 機関s cannot be relied on to give 正確な （警察などへの）密告，告訴（状）. < /p>

This is what lies behind the 抱擁する 熱狂的興奮状態 this year 原因（となる）d by the planned changes to 未亡人s' 利益s under the 明言する／公表する 収入s 関係のある 年金 計画／陰謀 (Serps).

未亡人s 現在／一般に get the 十分な Serps 年金 to which their husband was する権利を与えるd. Under the planned changes, women 未亡人d after April 5, 2000 would get half that 量.

The 決定／判定勝ち（する） to 削減（する） the 年金 was taken in 1986, but was not publicised until 比較して recently. The 政府 has 譲歩するd that this 延期する is 全く unsatis-factory and has said it will try to come up with a 補償（金） 協定 by April 2000. If it fails, it will defer bringing in the change until it has sorted something out.

This is a 重要な victory, but one of very few.

Many married women have その上の 推論する／理由 to feel 不正に let 負かす／撃墜する by the system. More than 340,000 of them have continued to 支払う／賃金 減ずるd 率 国家の 保険 出資／貢献s, その為に 奪うing themselves of a 明言する／公表する 年金 in their own 権利.

Many were unaware that 支払う／賃金ing at the lower 率 had this 影響, and some feel they have been 不正に advised by the DSS on the question of whether or not it was worthwhile switching to 支払う／賃金ing 十分な 出資／貢献s.

Mrs Shelley Naisbett, from Worksop, 令状s: 'I have worked all my life since I was 15 and have been told I will get the grand total of £2.43 a week when I retire.

'I was told by the DHSS when I was in my 40s that there was no point changing to a 十分な stamp. I feel now that was wrong （警察などへの）密告，告訴（状）, as my husband is わずかに younger than me.'

Another problem people have with the system is 簡単に not 存在 made aware of 利益s they might qualify for.

The Home 責任／義務s 保護 (HRP) 計画／陰謀 is a 事例／患者 in point. This helps people who stopped work to look after children or a sick 親族 by cutting the number of years they need to 支払う／賃金 NI 出資／貢献s ーするために get a 明言する／公表する 年金.

To qualify for HRP, you 普通は need to be getting child 利益, （人命などを）奪う，主張するing income support while you are looking after someone, or caring for someone who gets 出席 allowance or a 類似の 利益.

But you may not automatically get the 利益 of HRP, even if you do qualify, as one reader discovered.

Mrs 夜明け Bernard wrote: 'My mother, who is 62, 離婚d and remarried and was told she was only する権利を与えるd to a 年金 of 41p a week. She was told by a friend about HRP and, when she made 調査s, she was awarded 12 extra years. 'She can 支払う／賃金 a small 量 to 最高の，を越す up her stamp, and will then be する権利を与えるd to £16.69 a week 明言する／公表する 年金. This is her 権利, but nobody from the 利益s 機関 or the Inland 歳入 made her aware of it.'

Many more people are doubtless in the dark about their entitlement. And even if they do find out and make a （人命などを）奪う，主張する, they are only する権利を与えるd to three months 支援する 支払い（額）. This is the 事例／患者 with any 明言する／公表する 年金 entitlement - if you fail to （人命などを）奪う，主張する it from the date you become する権利を与えるd, you will lose out.

Another reader, Mrs Janet Meek, wrote to 警告する people about deferring their 明言する／公表する 年金s. She was advised to do so on the grounds that it was only a small 量, and would be even smaller after 税金. But she did not realise that deferring meant she would 簡単に lose those 支払い（額）s.

She says: 'I put off taking my 年金 to age 65, only to find it had 増加するd from £2.13 a week to just £2.52, and that I had lost the whole five years' 支援する 支払う／賃金. I feel very let 負かす／撃墜する by the system.' Age 関心 報告（する）／憶測s that the biggest （民事の）告訴 it hears from people about the basic 明言する／公表する 年金 is 簡単に that it is not enough.

Pensioners still feel aggrieved that the 年金 is 増加するd each year in line with インフレーション, rather than 収入s. The link with 収入s was broken in 1980. Had it not been, the basic 年金 would now be £99.70 a week, rather than £66.75.

The prospects of this change 存在 逆転するd are 事実上 nil. However, the 政府 did see fit to 増加する its 最小限 income 保証（人） in line with 収入s this year, and has said it will carry on doing so for the 残り／休憩（する） of this 議会.

The 最小限 income 保証（人） is a means-実験（する）d 最高の，を越す-up to the 明言する／公表する 年金 that can be （人命などを）奪う，主張するd by pensioners on low incomes who have いっそう少なく than £8,000 貯金. It raises their income to £75 a week, or わずかに more if they are over 75.

From next April, the 最小限 income 保証（人） will go up to £78.45, while the basic 年金 will go up by just 75p to £67.50.

Age 関心 見積（る）s that around 700,000 of the 2.4 million pensioners 適格の to （人命などを）奪う，主張する the extra 量 fail to do so.

The charity has an （警察などへの）密告，告訴（状） line people can call for help on 明言する／公表する 年金s (0800 009966), and publishes several helpful fact sheets.