Thursday, October 25, 2012

Welfare State Attacked

Lord Bichard, former head of the benefits agency, suggested the retired should undertake community service – or have their pensions docked. He made the comments during a session of committee investigating the impact on public services of an ageing population. Four years ago, the pension arrangements of people like Lord Bichard were analysed. It was found that their average pension pot was worth just under £850,000. It’s a bit rich for him to be thinking that someone on a state pension of around £5,300 a year is a “negative burden”

Dot Gibson, general secretary of the National Pensioners Convention, said: “This amounts to little more than national service for the over-60s and is absolutely outrageous. “Those who have paid their National Insurance contributions for 30 or more years are entitled to receive their state pension and there should be no attempt to put further barriers in their way.”

Meantime,  the Work and Pensions Secretary Iain Duncan Smith  says the welfare system is encouraging poorer families to have more children and denying them the incentive to get a job.

A government source said: “The benefits system is supposed to be a safety net — not a lifestyle choice"

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