UK Petition for Fair Pensions
– Neglect of the Elderly is a Disgrace

by Michael Thompson

Millions of elderly people in Britain today are having to choose between eating, and heating their homes because the State pension is so low. And what’s more the media are sweeping this issue under the carpet.

Cold kills 200 British pensioners a day during winter. Nine elderly people die from cold related illnesses, against a backdrop of soaring energy bills.

The Government’s future 2016 State pensions policy is inadequate and will be two tier. Today’s pensioners will continue to receive a meagre State pension and means tested handouts, only future pensioners will receive a £144 a week State pension based on contributions made, and means testing will be abolished.

So the UK’s existing 12 million pensioners will continue to be more worse off than their EU counterparts whose State pensions are much higher. I’m sure that a lot of elderly people believe they will be getting this full Universal State pension come April 2016. But they wont. This only applies to new pensioners from 2016.

When The Chancellor announced plans for the new state pension, he and all the media called it the Universal state pension. The rate would be £144 (at today’s rates), and it would be payable to all pensioners from April 2016. Now, that is what myself and others understood Universal to mean.

There was no announcement stating that this would only apply to new pensioners, and more importantly, that the amount payable would still be based on your national insurance contributions – needing 35 years contributions to get the full payment.

Britain is part of Europe at a cost of £60 million per day after net rebate, yet UK pensioners are not allowed to receive and enjoy Europe’s much higher State pensions. This is wrong!. As we are a part of Europe, Britain’s State pension should be upgraded accordingly. There is an EU ruling which says that all pensioners of the EU should be treated the same regardless of where they now live.

At the EU Laeken summit in Belgium in 2001, there was a ratified proposal that all EU member States, of which Britain is one, should endeavour to attain a State pension level of 40 per cent of their median wages as their basic State pension by 2007, and thereafter work toward 60 per cent.

This is how we did in 2007, compared to the rest of Europe.

STATE PENSION AS A PROPORTION OF AVERAGE WAGE 2007 COUNTRY % OF AV EARNINGS.
Greece 95.7 %
Luxemburg 88.3 %
Netherlands 81.9 %
Spain 81.2 %
Denmark 79.8 %
Italy 67.9 %
Sweden 62.1 %
EU AVERAGE 60% %
France 51.2 %
Germany 39.9 %
Estonia 32.9 %
Ireland 32.5 %
UK 30%

This is how we are doing this year, 2013, compared to the rest of Europe.

State pension comparison 2013

Max State Avg% of pension age

Country Pension Pay Avg Men & Woman.
Spain £26,630 £23,491 113% 65 65
Germany £26,366 £29,366 90% 65 65
France £15,811 £29,817 53% 60 60
N’lands £10,981 £35,627 31% 65 65
Denmark £11,381 £45,661 25% 65 65
Ireland £10,415 £41,803 25% 65 65
UK £7,488 £31,413 24% 65 62
Greece £3,756 £17,772 21% 65 65

Nothing has changed for Britain’s pensioners since this ratified proposal was made.

Millions of UK pensioners still live in poverty on a much lower State pension than European pensioners receive.

We in Link-Age UK wide are relative younger people taking this issue on, on behalf of our elderly people, wish to urge the Government to stick to the agreement made at the Laeken Summit in 2001, that due to the ratified proposal all member states should endeavour to attain a level of 40% of their median wages as their basic state pension by 2007 and thereafter work towards 60%. and to bring UK State pensions in line with Europe, this should be adhered to.

We in Link-Age UK wide are relative younger people taking this issue on, on behalf of our elderly people, wish to urge the Government to stick to the agreement made at the Laeken Summit in 2001, that due to the ratified proposal all member states should endeavour to attain a level of 40% of their median wages as their basic state pension by 2007 and thereafter work towards 60%. and to bring UK State pensions in line with Europe, this should be adhered to.

Please support this petition and send a message to the Government through your own constituent MP, or can contact Michael after 7pm any evening to receive a “free” copy of a letter to send directly to their MP at the House of Commons, and not their MP’s constituency address, because this is an issue of national importance, it is not a local matter.

People must have a pen and paper at hand when they ring.
The phone number to ring is 01803/ 857020. Also for those online, there is a petition, “Department for Works and Pensions:. We urge the UK Government to bring UK State pensions in line with Europe. Please take 30 seconds to sign it right now.
Here’s the link.

http://epetitions.direct.gov.uk/petitions/51449

Here’s why this is important.
Nothing has changed for Britain’s elderly people since the pensions and earnings link was cut in 1980, and this ratified proposal was made at the Laeken Summit in Belgium in 2001, and was agreed by “all” member States of which Britain is one.

I urge people to contract me at the above number after 7pm, and to sign our petition to show your disgust at this disgraceful situation for all UK pensioners, and force Parliament to discuss this issue which will bring Britain’s State pensions crisis to the media’s attention.