Another pointless thread

As Hopkin sang in 68;

"Once upon a time there was a tavern
Where we used to raise a glass or two
Remember how we laughed away the hours"

Who knew?

Sorry about this post but I have to get it off my chest. WINTER FUEL PAYMENTS!!!!!! DESPITE MY ADVISING VIA THE INTERNET THAT MY WIFE AND I ARE NOT ENTITLED TO £200.00 EACH(via advisory letter from them) yes you guessed, we each receive £200.00. Exasperation does not cover it. Not fit for purpose. Can't blame Covid for everything. Could keep the £200.00 and buy another lens I suppose.

...................That's why we've not got ours

His Nibs got his. Not 200 quid though. €11. That'll keep us going all winter. I am always amazed we get it tbh.

Just had a whatsapp from my nephew thanking me for my Christmas card and asking if it was supposed to be completely blank

The cards come from the printer in sets of ten, with one extra blank one on top. Oops.
Still perhaps it sums up 2020 better than the card he was supposed to receive

You'll see that card sometime...

Because I've retired on a private pension and have no intention of getting another job just to pay more tax I'm not entitled to ANY state hand outs.

If I go to the DHSS site and enter details I get told in no uncertain terms I'm not allowed ANYTHING!!

And that's after a working life paying taxes and claiming nothing.

I could go on...

Hi
I got my £200 now what to spend it on
I could always put it to my gas and electric bill
Neil

from what I saw, it's snowing in Bedford Falls.

Wonderful

Just heard a bell ring......

Don't you get the basic state pension? His Nibs gets a tiny one based on his employment in the UK, along with a small civil service type pension.
I won't get anything according to DWP when I am old enough.

Luckily I do get a Dutch pension. Everyone here qualifies regardless of emplyment record. You get a set amount for every year you live in the Netherlands over the age of 14. I get mine now because His Nibs retired a month before they did away with the partner pension. Otherwise I'd have to wait until I'm nearly 67.

What a rubbish programme the Hit List is.

Well that's where you made your big mistake! My wife worked part time jobs, sometimes two or three at a time, up to retirement but only gets half a state pension whereas those who never worked get a full one.

I dont get a pension from the UK when the time comes, even though I worked and paid a full stamp, even when I didn't need to, and when I wasn't working claimed Child Benefit, which was supposed to count. They have lost half my records, and based on what I told them said I hadn't worked long enough and half the time I got Child Benefit didn't count.
I don't get anything should His Nibs keel over either, just a pittance from his Civil Service pension, my small Dutch pension and whatever is left in the annuity.

I retired early, I've 4 years to go to my state pension, which may or maynot be reduced.

Because I worked for a local authority for the last 30odd years I was 'contracted out' of paying a full state stamp.Not a problem until some snotty little rich boy politician changed the rules and said that to get afull state pension I (or we as local govt. employees) could pay a top up.

The closer to retirement the higher the 'contribution', so much so that I'd have been taking just over half my wage home, so...

....I cut and ran on my only just sufficient council pension and will wait and see what happens when I get to 66.

apart from that I have a slight head ache this morning, could be something to do too much beer last night...

For some extra pin money, which I believe is non taxable up to £2000 pa in the UK, you could monetise your photography if you have time on your hands. As many stock photo sites are US based you will need to download a form to avoid the US Government deducting tax at source but it is a one-off and pretty simple. Stock photography doesn’t justify the amount of effort in any commercial sense but uploading your back catalogue to two or three sites is a way of filling a wet winter. I have a piddling portfolio on Shutterstock, Alamy and Adobe Stock, and there is no predicting what will sell but getting key wording right is crucial - there is plenty on YouTube to advise. Shutterstock has reduced its commission level so I haven’t bothered since June but I still get several a month there, sometimes three or four a day, and next month I might just start again. For a reasonable income you need a good quality portfolio of many thousands and short video clips pay more but the odd few quid dropping into my PayPal account is nice to see.

You'll get a state pension based on years of national insurance contributions, same as I did (and I was 'contracted out', too). It will be the higher of what you would get under the old State Pension rules and what you would get if the new State Pension had been in place at the start of your working life. The reason there's a deduction from the new state pension is because the old pension worked on the basis of basic + additional (if 'contracted in') while the new pension starts from a higher level and subtracts (if 'contracted out'). You can get a pension forecast from the government website if you really want a number. And don't forget to apply for the pension when the Big Day approaches .

The other thing that will happen when you turn 66 is headaches after the night before will be worse due to the liver being older...

Steve