# Pension



## charry (Aug 1, 2021)

I will start receiving my pension in 11 days time when I become 66,  well actually, I won’t get it until 12th September as it is paid in arrears.........
But can you believe,   They then take away my carers allowance, and some of my husbands disability allowances, so  I won’t benefit at all..........
I have saved the government thousands, since looking after my husband for 9 yrs, on my own, without any help at all..and have never used respite ........
Our nursing homes here, are charging 3.000 a week for caring for someone like my husband !!
I’m utterly disgusted with this country, ...WHEN .....They are still letting in immigrants on there boats, and  rehousing and feeding them ..............
End of Rant !!!


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## Capt Lightning (Aug 1, 2021)

Totally agree with you charry.  I'm in a more fortunate position, but I resent having paid tax all my working life, I now get taxed on my pension and get no additional benefits because apparently I can afford it.  The social security system here stinks - the more you contribute, the less you receive.   All the while, the government is allowing the UK to be the world's dumping ground and we're expected to pick up the tab!


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## Colleen (Aug 1, 2021)

I'm so sorry charry  It's a real slap in the face for all the hard work for so many years. It's not any different here in the US. There are a few states that don't tax your pension but most do. Another thing that irks me....why at our age (80 & 74) should we pay school taxes, which are sky high, when we don't even have any grandchildren that would go to school.? It's pretty sucky.


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## Wren (Aug 1, 2021)

Very unfair, if you took a paid job you would still get your pension, being a Carer is a full time job, saving the government a fortune and being paid a pittance


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## Lewkat (Aug 1, 2021)

charry said:


> I will start receiving my pension in 11 days time when I become 66,  well actually, I won’t get it until 12th September as it is paid in arrears.........
> But can you believe,   They then take away my carers allowance, and some of my husbands disability allowances, so  I won’t benefit at all..........
> I have saved the government thousands, since looking after my husband for 9 yrs, on my own, without any help at all..and have never used respite ........
> Our nursing homes here, are charging 3.000 a week for caring for someone like my husband !!
> ...


Are you sure you aren't in the U.S.A.?  It's a disgrace over here.


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## peppermint (Aug 1, 2021)

Well, I love America...Even though the person in charge is a crazy person, he is letting in immigrants who we don't even know
who they are...God Help US....I'm old, but I feel for my kids....I'm done....


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## HoneyNut (Aug 1, 2021)

The state I live in has decided now (was at end of May) that they will slowly stop taxing Social Security, thank goodness.  I wish the federal government wouldn't tax Social Security, or at least improve it.
Nebraska, USA:
"A bill unanimously passed by senators and signed into law by the governor phases out taxing Social Security benefits on state income. The first year is a 5% reduction, 20% the second year and *10% every year after that* until the tax is gone.
"Social Security was created to keep our elderly citizens and disabled citizens out of poverty. It was not created as a source of revenues for the states. And we're just trying to take it back to that concept,""


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## Alligatorob (Aug 1, 2021)

Hey Charry, sorry to hear about your situation.  I think it is a relatively common problem in most western countries, and one that is getting worse.  One of the reasons is just age structure, too many of us baby boomers being supported by too few younger folks.  When my grandparents collected social security it was a lot better, lots more people paying in and fewer collecting.  Couple that with the typical incompetence of government in trying to manage things really hurts.


charry said:


> I have saved the government thousands, since looking after my husband for 9 yrs, on my own, without any help at all..and have never used respite ........


Don't ever expect the government, any government to recognize and appreciate this kind of thing.  An unfortunate state of affairs, but it is the way of things.

Sorry I can't offer you any solutions, I suppose there are not really any, none that I know of.  If it helps here in the US things are no better, some differences in the details but no better.

And if ranting helps, feel free to rant here.  You may not get much help, but you will get sympathy.


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## wasserball (Aug 3, 2021)

What you say is true, the current generations cannot put aside enough to support the retired SS recipients.  However, there is no such thing as a federal SS account.  If there isn't enough tax money collected to support the approved federal budget, guess what?  The government just print more dollars.


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## wasserball (Aug 4, 2021)

Fear not, SS benefit is not affected by the amount current workers pay for SS.  That is totally bunk!  By statute, cost-of-living adjustments (COLAs) for Social Security benefits are calculated using the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) Consumer Price Index for Urban Wage Earners and Clerical Workers (CPI-W). Again, the government just print more money to satisfy the approved budget.  Who are the losers?  Those who keep dollars in savings and foreign countries holding dollars.


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## Aneeda72 (Aug 4, 2021)

charry said:


> I will start receiving my pension in 11 days time when I become 66,  well actually, I won’t get it until 12th September as it is paid in arrears.........
> But can you believe,   They then take away my carers allowance, and some of my husbands disability allowances, so  I won’t benefit at all..........
> I have saved the government thousands, since looking after my husband for 9 yrs, on my own, without any help at all..and have never used respite ........
> Our nursing homes here, are charging 3.000 a week for caring for someone like my husband !!
> ...


I don’t know what letting immigrants in the country has to do with you getting less money from the government.  They come from a place, I am sure, where you would have gotten nothing from their government for the care of your husband.

I took care of my adopted disabled son since he was 18 months old, so 16 years plus, and social service misrepresented his total care condition to us.  I never got any carers allowance.  What is that?  Never had respite either, although I know what that is.

I get 800 dollars a month for the work I did, at companies, during my life.   I couldn’t/can’t  even afford a bed under a bridge.


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## Aneeda72 (Aug 4, 2021)

Colleen said:


> I'm so sorry charry  It's a real slap in the face for all the hard work for so many years. It's not any different here in the US. There are a few states that don't tax your pension but most do. Another thing that irks me....why at our age (80 & 74) should we pay school taxes, which are sky high, when we don't even have any grandchildren that would go to school.? It's pretty sucky.


I agree, grandchildren or no grandchildren, we should not have to pay school taxes.


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## fmdog44 (Aug 4, 2021)

An ambulance ride no matter how far is $1,600 in Houston. This while the EMTs make next to nothing as they save our lives. If they go out on a call and don't bring in a patient they earn nothing! Zero dollars.


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## charry (Aug 4, 2021)

Aneeda72 said:


> I don’t know what letting immigrants in the country has to do with you getting less money from the government.  They come from a place, I am sure, where you would have gotten nothing from their government for the care of your husband.
> 
> I took care of my adopted disabled son since he was 18 months old, so 16 years plus, and social service misrepresented his total care condition to us.  I never got any carers allowance.  What is that?  Never had respite either, although I know what that is.
> 
> I get 800 dollars a month for the work I did, at companies, during my life.   I couldn’t/can’t  even afford a bed under a bridge.


I’m so happy you were content , and well done .....


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## Aneeda72 (Aug 4, 2021)

charry said:


> I’m so happy you were content , and well done .....


Hmm, not sure what you mean.  Do I wish I got more social security, yes.  But it’s my fault in a way.  My three birth children were all born with multiple disabilities of varying degrees.  One child died three days after his birth.  The other two required a lot of intervention in the early years; and required me to stay home.

Then I adopted my son who was total care and my son with DS.  Again, very rough early years so I had to stay home to keep them alive.  Then when the youngest was around 13 I was able to work, but I didn’t work long enough to get more than basic social security.  Then I became disabled.  

Do I wish I had more money from social security?  YES.  Would I trade one minute of the time that I spent with and on my children for money?  Well, I suppose so.  Changing the diaper of an 18 year old hairy butt man-child, yup, I could trade that time for money for sure.


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## charry (Aug 5, 2021)

I’ve just heard back from my local mp , and NO, 
Once I get my full pension, I won’t be entitled to Carers Allowance.....
.
So.....I will get 4 carers in everyday, 1 physio, 3 times aweek, a chiropodist every 6 weeks and the list goes on...............
Yes I am entitled to these , but I don’t want them .......
I need our life as normal as  possible ,that’s why I’ve never used the system ......
There’ are others out there more  needy  than us ......xxx


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## Myquest55 (Aug 5, 2021)

Okay, two things here - 
One - school taxes support the whole community.  The better the school, the more desirable the community and property values steady out or rise.  Its like a HOA fee that covers the pool - even if you don't use it, it is an available amenity that is desirable when you go to sell. It benefits the entire neighborhood and school tax benefits the entire community.   It would be nice if the town/community could put those taxes on a sliding scale against income though.

Two - immigrants coming into the country will usually, willingly, do the work that entitled Americans will not.  They did an experiment in GA, some years back, and took low risk inmates from the prison to work on the farms.  Guess what?  No one wanted to work!!!  It was a disaster!  Look around - who cleans rooms at the hotels or hospitals?  No self respecting American wants to do that!  Who is working 12 hrs/day on road crews and other menial tasks?  Think about it.  I am pretty sure most immigrants aren't sitting around having their groceries delivered and playing video games.  

Just some thoughts.


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## Aneeda72 (Aug 5, 2021)

charry said:


> I’ve just heard back from my local mp , and NO,
> Once I get my full pension, I won’t be entitled to Carers Allowance.....
> .
> So.....I will get 4 carers in everyday, 1 physio, 3 times aweek, a chiropodist every 6 weeks and the list goes on...............
> ...


I hate when strangers, medical people come into my home, which is why I always refuse home based care.


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## Aneeda72 (Aug 5, 2021)

Myquest55 said:


> Okay, two things here -
> One - school taxes support the whole community.  The better the school, the more desirable the community and property values steady out or rise.  Its like a HOA fee that covers the pool - even if you don't use it, it is an available amenity that is desirable when you go to sell. It benefits the entire neighborhood and school tax benefits the entire community.   It would be nice if the town/community could put those taxes on a sliding scale against income though.
> 
> Two - immigrants coming into the country will usually, willingly, do the work that entitled Americans will not.  They did an experiment in GA, some years back, and took low risk inmates from the prison to work on the farms.  Guess what?  No one wanted to work!!!  It was a disaster!  Look around - who cleans rooms at the hotels or hospitals?  No self respecting American wants to do that!  Who is working 12 hrs/day on road crews and other menial tasks?  Think about it.  I am pretty sure most immigrants aren't sitting around having their groceries delivered and playing video games.
> ...


Well, if our schools were good I might agree, but they are not.

As to “no self respecting American wants to do that” look around again.  I worked as a maid in the past.  My daughter, while in college, worked as a janitor.  Plenty of “self respecting” Americans work in these jobs.  Lots of field workers are second and third generation Americans.  Lots of people of color are self respecting Americans, don’t assume field workers are immigrants.

My mother, as a child during the depression, picked cotton on her uncle’s farm, in Texas, after her family’s farm was lost. A young, yes white, self respecting American who wished to eat grew up picking cotton.  My father grew up on a dirt farm in Kansas.  They were born in the USA.


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## StarSong (Aug 5, 2021)

Colleen said:


> Another thing that irks me....why at our age (80 & 74) should we pay school taxes, which are sky high, when we don't even have any grandchildren that would go to school.?





Aneeda72 said:


> I agree, grandchildren or no grandchildren, we should not have to pay school taxes.


Paying for schools whether or not you have children or grandchildren currently attending is part of the social contract of living in a society with public school systems.  An educated population benefits everyone - old and young.  

I never had disabled children - should I be on the hook for the extra costs of special needs?
I put my children through private school - should I have been excused from public school taxes?   
My family was never on welfare, food stamps, subsidized housing or other government benefits - should I not pay those taxes? 
I've disagreed with every war since the day I was born - why do I have to pay a share of the defense budget?  

You see where I'm going here, right?


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## Lee (Aug 5, 2021)

Charry, I have known you a long time and I know how hard you have worked taking care of your husband....you have been his rock.

Maybe you could try out a few of the services they are offering you, I know you want things to be normal but the fact remains that you can also wear yourself to a frazzle and that is not good for either of you.

I am so sorry this is happening to you.


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## Aneeda72 (Aug 5, 2021)

StarSong said:


> Paying for schools whether or not you have children or grandchildren currently attending is part of the social contract of living in a society with public school systems.  An educated population benefits everyone - old and young.
> 
> I never had disabled children - should I be on the hook for the extra costs of special needs?
> I put my children through private school - should I have been excused from public school taxes?
> ...


Yes, we are actually a socialist democracy .

Our taxes are not specialized, they go into a pot, someone reaches into the pot, and pulls out a piece of meat or a turnip.  lately, it’s mostly turnips.  Our country is headed for big changes as we cannot continue the way we are.  I foresee, in my crystal ball, a major depression.  I hope I am wrong.

But I am pretty sure you didn’t disagree with WWII, I could be wrong but then that might mean you are not the good person I know you are.  WWII was necessary.  Since then, a lot of our wars have been endless and stupid.  We no longer need “boots on the ground”.  I agree with some wars, disagree about some others.  But, we have all the bombs we need.  We should use them.


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## StarSong (Aug 6, 2021)

Aneeda72 said:


> But I am pretty sure you didn’t disagree with WWII, I could be wrong but then that might mean you are not the good person I know you are. WWII was necessary. Since then, a lot of our wars have been endless and stupid. We no longer need “boots on the ground”. I agree with some wars, disagree about some others. But, we have all the bombs we need. We should use them.


WWII was long over by the time I was born.  That's why I specified the time period of my own lifetime.  

WWII was necessary, but the foolish splitting of "the spoils" of WWII spawned numerous new wars, anger and resentments.


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## StarSong (Aug 6, 2021)

fmdog44 said:


> An ambulance ride no matter how far is $1,600 in Houston. This while the EMTs make next to nothing as they save our lives. If they go out on a call and don't bring in a patient they earn nothing! Zero dollars.


Wait, what?  Houston's fire department EMTs are paid based on their "sales" of transporting people to a hospital?  That's difficult to imagine.

I know someone who worked for a Los Angeles private ambulance transport company.  He was paid based on the hours he worked, not on whether he convinced someone to take a ride to the hospital.

LAFD uniformed personnel (firefighters and firefighter/paramedic) have a minimum starting salary of $71,000 per year.


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## fmdog44 (Aug 6, 2021)

peppermint said:


> Well, I love America...Even though the person in charge is a crazy person, he is letting in immigrants who we don't even know
> who they are...God Help US....I'm old, but I feel for my kids....I'm done....


Immigrants have been pouring in illegally since Columbus discovered Ohio.


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