until you get into your 50,s i think most rarely think about retirement. its living for the present thats important to them. saying that there does seem a dislike of pensioners by the younger generation that never seemed around in the past. a lot could be down to percentage rises as an 8 per cent rise on a state pension in real money is far less than the 3 per cent their yearly rise is.

University originally was so Doctors, Dentists Engineers could be ‘trained up’ when Blair made his education, education statement universities then decided to add loads of new courses which at the end only produced a degree in nought worthwhile. The students left with loads of debt no idea what it was like in the real world getting up to go to work and no jobs to suit the ‘skills’ they learned at uni.
Now we have apprentices in all walks of life, before they were office juniors etc, an apprenticeship was to to train skilled workers not how to learn how to push paper. In my trade an apprenticeship now consists of 2 years solid at college then hoping a companies will come along and employ you.

University originally was so Doctors, Dentists Engineers could be ‘trained up’ when Blair made his education, education statement universities then decided to add loads of new courses which at the end only produced a degree in nought worthwhile. The students left with loads of debt no idea what it was like in the real world getting up to go to work and no jobs to suit the ‘skills’ they learned at uni.
Now we have apprentices in all walks of life, before they were office juniors etc, an apprenticeship was to to train skilled workers not how to learn how to push paper. In my trade an apprenticeship now consists of 2 years solid at college then hoping a companies will come along and employ you.

I seethe when I hear the word ‘apprentice’ used for every shit course. It was seized upon by the spin doctors several years ago and stuck on every daft training course to try and give it some credence.
I served a four year apprenticeship, first year in the training school which was strictly run and fail to fit in and you were out on your ear. In your second year you were sent out into the real world were you had your on the job training till you completed your apprenticeship.
I had to travel through to Middlesbrough for a four year course on day relief and started at 9am till 9.30pm, which allowing for two breaks was 11.5 hours in the classroom which is more than most full time students do in a week and after passing my exams was asked to attend a new course for a further year without night classes thank god, it was only 9am till 6 p with an hour for lunch….so I really would like the word apprenticeship protected as a lot of people moved up through management from their apprenticeship..
Shit, I sound t like the four Yorkshireman on the Monty Python sketch.

P.S. The worst part of going to Middlesbrough was finishing of a night at 9.30 and legging it down ‘over the border’ to the Transporter for 10 O’ clock past the Captain Cook pub, had a couple of run in’s there just going past the bloody place.

Residents of The Tees Valley dont get this but residents over 66 in County Durham do.

"Half-price travel on certain local train services:
Chester-le-Street, Seaham or Horden to/from Newcastle or Middlesbrough (and any station in between)
Bishop Auckland, Shildon, Newton Aycliffe or Heighington to/from Middlesbrough (and any station in between)"

London and other major cities as well as Wales,Scotland,NI get substantially better travel concessions than us on Teesside.

My piss is boiling.

again it should be a national concession and not one at a whim of an area council where a short distance over a border can give you a better or worse a deal.

I only found out yesterday that you have to apply for your State Pension. I foolishly assumed as the DWP knows everything about me they would simply send me my pension when I get to the right age. Why would anyone not be wanting their pension that would make applying or not a choice someone may make?

Personally I never applied nor do I know anybody unless rules have been changed

https://www.gov.uk/new-state-pension/how-to-claim

And from what I've heard it takes about 8 weeks for them to process your application so stockpile the tins of beans from your last pay packet.

If anybody knows different I'd like to hear as this was not what I was expecting.

You have to apply.

I got a letter saying I had to apply, did it online in a few minutes then they called me within an hour to confirm I was eligible, how much I'd get, and the date I'd get my 1st payment.

Nowadays you have to apply so they know you are still alive and kicking.

That sounds a lot more promising than the bulls**t I was told yesterday

Think the letter came telling me I had to apply about 6 months before Pension Age.

Sunak saying the Tories will increase the tax threshold for pensioners, I think it’s damage limitation for Tories knowing they won’t win the election same as their scheme for a new type of National Service. They are trying to attract the votes of the grey rinse brigade who tend to have more interest in politics than the younger electorate.

A billionaire trying to bribe oaps with £2 a week rise from next year. WOW
. Will any of these 2 muppets shows look after workers by saying they Gunna raise the tax thresholds to about 15k before July.
A natural vote winner.
It ain't to late for Reforms offer of 20k earnings before tax.
Quickest n Easiest way to reward actually working for a living. Hey

i applied on my 35th birthday but the bastards made me wait another 30 years.

do not know if its just a rumour but yesterday at my over 50,s club some were talking about the possibility of pensioners having to start paying national insurance again. rumour or somebody getting it wrong or mixed up but more than one said they,d heard of something.

Thats sounds about right.

Well if you were born before the 12th of never, You may have made the cut.

This has been mentioned but it was going to apply to people who carried on working after their retirement age, currently they don’t pay N.I.

We have always had one of the worst pensions in Europe….trouble is you contribute all your life and someone else gets just the same for never having worked.

if others in europe get more pension than us because they have contributed more then thats fine but not if our workshy get the same as someone who put their 40 years in. problem is they know quite well they,d not be chuched out onto the street and if you have no pride then who is the mug.