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[Weaver]

[burakkucat]

[Weaver]

[4candles]

Sounds more romantic than my meeting the future Mrs Candles at an 18+ dance. Do tell us more...   

[Ronski]

Weaver, like me can't get his state pension until he's 67, as he's in Scotland he can look forward to a free bus pass when he reaches 60 though.

[Weaver]

[Alex Atkin UK]

Curious, what was the last architecture you wrote games for?

[Weaver]

[kitz]

Weaver, like me can't get his state pension until he's 67, as he's in Scotland he can look forward to a free bus pass when he reaches 60 though.

When I started contributing to my works pension scheme my scheduled state retirement age was aged 60.   I've not yet quite reached 60 but that retirement date just keeps stretching further and further into the future. 

I'm not sure what it is going to be now 67,68?   
I know I can check on the gov website, but  I've seen so many changes affecting me and at the rate they have been doing, who's to say it wont again. I've seen changes 60>62>65>67.  Its currently 66 rising to 67 and whilst they originally set a date for 68, they are now proposing to bring that date forward.   Even the .gov site says it is under review and although I shouldn't be affected, you can hardly blame someone for being sceptical when they announce further reviews.    It's like trying to play catchup and they keep moving the finishing line before I get there.

Another thing I found out that is scheduled to possibly change this year is free prescriptions.   It had escaped my knowledge that once you reach 60 you are entitled to free prescriptions.   It was a builder/joiner doing some work for me who mentioned this was under review. 
Topic came up as he'd seen the rather large deliveries of items I need and he mused that he was due to get free prescriptions in a few months time when he reached 60, but expected that to be withdrawn this year and realigned to state retirement date.   Wonder how that will work out for those   already in the 60+ age group.  It's meant to only affect England, Scotland & Wales remains unaffected.   

He was saying he currently needs meds for arthritis etc mainly brought about from doing his job and also gets pain from (RSI?) usage of power tools.  So although being in the trade since leaving school at 16, its only the past couple of years he has physically started having problems with certain labour jobs and really could not see him being able to continue doing his job for another 8 years.     He said it may be possible for an office worker to continue until 68, but a large chunk of those who perform manual labour type work quite often physically struggle when they reach their 60's.


It's quite a dilemma for any gov, where you have a population living far longer lives than when the National Insurance scheme was brought in.  How many of them are physically fit enough to perform manual intensive work.  There is also pressure on the NHS for medical conditions that arise later in life.  Whilst we may try to live healthier lifestyles, in a way we are just delaying the inevitable.   Gosh how depressing.     

[Weaver]

[Alex Atkin UK]

He said it may be possible for an office worker to continue until 68, but a large chunk of those who perform manual labour type work quite often physically struggle when they reach their 60's.

Absolutely spot on, it seems grossly unreasonable that someone who has trashed their body doing manual work all or most of their life (some of the most valuable members of society, not that I think that should necessarily be considered as by that token on the surface I'd be seen as a drain on society) are treated the same as someone who had a job that was more body friendly.

[Weaver]

[Alex Atkin UK]

Moving there was a lifestyle choice, but assuming everyone HAD that choice is wrong.  Someone born in a rural area wont necessarily have the opportunity to leave.  But its a similar argument they will make for anyone stuck in a dead-end job, they should just "go do something else", like its so easy to train for a new job (never mind the cost) and find one that pays decent.

They also seem to lose that sense of irony that they pushed for Brexit while not supporting the farms we now need more than ever, as importing food is harder and those farms no longer have EU help with running costs.  I know from the local butcher that Lamb for example was a big EU seller, he would only buy UK Lamb on request or when it was cheaper because EU demand made it expensive.  Which might seem bad on the surface, but farm work is hard and it was the only thing keeping them economically viable.

The whole argument for things like decent broadband in rural areas falls down on the fact that had it remained nationalised, it wouldn't have mattered that some areas cost more and others less, as we all shared the cost of doing it.  The same way we don't say "oh we can't treat your cancer because it costs more than a broken toe".

[Weaver]

[Alex Atkin UK]

You don't need a weather map for Scotland though, its always cold and raining.