This time it's personal

Calton was checking the headlines to see if there was anything worth commenting on but he didn't get further than the one on the proposed pension changes. By the time he'd finished checking to see if he is affected (he is), and had dashed off an angry letter to his MP, it was gone 10pm so the choice was blog on the pensions or not at all. He is sure many readers will empathise, particularly those who, like Calton, are nearer retirement than not. How the hell can any of us plan for it when the Government keeps changing the goalposts? Not only does Calton now have to wait until he is 66 before he gets the state pension, he now has to have 35 years of NI contributions when he thought he was home and dry with 30 years! And what is going to happen to his SERPS contributions? He entrusted the Government with them, instead of contracting out, in the expectation that they would give him an enhanced pension. Is that still going to happen? Or are they going to get swallowed up in the flat rate pension so that he gets the same as someone who didn't pay extra contributions? Calton is all in favour of simplifying things (and a decent basic pension) but if you don't reward savers, people will not save. Simples!