State pension is not sufficient to stay on and leaves many struggling – ballot outcomes
The state pension isn’t sufficient to stay on – leaving many pensioners struggling to make ends meet, say Mirror readers.
They have been talking out after we revealed a pensioner from Cornwall was compelled to take a job as a taxi driver after being left with simply £6 a month to stay on. Rob Trewhella, from Penzance, stated he was unable to outlive on his State Pension alone. The 67-year-old pensioner says out of his state pension of £814 a month he has to pay non-public hire of £675 a month, council tax of £104 and electrical energy of round £40.
He stated: “It’s just a tiny flat with electric storage heaters so if I don’t turn the heating on and keep it down to £30 a month, I’m left with £6. I have to be frugal. I’ll do a batch of cooking to not use the oven too much. I keep the lights off. Two of the bulbs have gone and I just leave it like that with one bulb working.
“If I feel cold, I will not put the heating on. I’ve got a smart metre here and I watch it ticking over. When you put a microwave on the light turns red and it just piles on. I put an extra layer on when I’m a bit chilly. If I go shopping, I’ve never done this before. I’m now looking for the bargains.
“There used to be a time when I would buy myself a nice new pair of Levis. Now I buy all my clothes from Tesco or Sainsburys or a Chinese company online which is cheap. I’ve got a coat that I wear in colder months and I’ve had that for 11 years. I’m terrified and I know many people are in the same boat.”
To survive he went again to work and now drives for greater than 25 hours every week for £250. Rob, a former tree surgeon and butcher, is fuming now his pension goes to be taxed. “Why is it that I began work at 18 once I left school and I’ve been paying tax and nationwide insurance coverage all my working life. Now I’m at a degree the place I’m having to work to boost my state pension and I’ve been bloody taxed? The state pension must be completely protected, that must be the cash you paid in all of your working life.
We requested readers in the event that they felt the state pension was sufficient to stay on, with simply 45 saying sure it was, and 1,267 saying no it wasn’t. Hundreds of you commented on our unique story, here is only a collection of what a few of you needed to say:
‘It’s laborious dwelling on fundamental state pension’
Lozza06: “I know a number of pensioners who have had to find work to pay the bills, especially those on the lower pension. I am lucky I have a works pension to top mine up. I am so glad I was persuaded to start one in my late 20s. Now I instil into my children and my grandchildren to make sure they have a works pension. But this is okay if you have work. Keep a capitalist government in power and these may only be the pensions you can get … or you will be too old to care.”
Davebrad stated: “An all too widespread story sadly, and never simply right here (eurostat revealed) – “In 2022, 95.3 million individuals within the EU (22% of the inhabitants) have been liable to poverty or social exclusion, i.e. lived in households experiencing no less than one of many three poverty and social exclusion dangers: danger of poverty, extreme materials and social deprivation, and/or dwelling in a family with very low work depth.” 95.3m!”
Soltrader: “This country probably needs a revolution.”
Renta: “Yep Tory Britain … work all your life and try to exist on a measly pension while they give billions to foreign war or HS2 – a money pit. They want us to croak so we never get our pension. It’s why they put the pension age up, while they pack up at 50.”
Mrs Ted: “The problem for many pensioners, and those soon to be one, is that the world suddenly started to move too fast. No one could have foreseen how much rent, food and inflation generally would rise to such shockingly high levels, so quickly. All very well to blame the individuals but Workplace Pensions were only introduced in 2012 and took years to trickle down to the smaller employers. Many firms still don’t have a scheme. For those on low paid jobs, self employed or seasonal work paying into a private pension was usually unaffordable. Pensioners are barred from receiving many of the benefits that non-pensioners can claim. Pension Credits cannot be claimed if your income is more than £201 a week (your state pension is just over £201 a week!).”
Xbyker: “A lot of people think the state pension is a nice bit of money for them when they retire, it’s not enough to live a carefree life of dining out and holidays – and if they haven’t planned ahead with a private pension it’s a hard slog.”
Blueandy: “This is why I nagged my son constantly about taking advantage of a company pension and taking out a private pension as well when he started working. You cannot expect to have any lifestyle in retirement if you rely solely on the State Pension.”
Jcbdigger: “I’m 71 and only gave up work last July due to health issues. It’s hard living on basic state pension. They pay just enough to take you £1 over the limit so you can’t clam pension credits.”
