Meet the Minister: you have your say
11/06/2009
Predictably, we have had a bulging postbag (physical and digital!) in response to last month’s interview of Rosie Winterton, (now ex-!) Minister of State for Pensions and The Ageing Society. (http://www.maturetimes.co.uk/node/8140) Here is a selection.
The question about age discrimination in the work place showed that this Government does not understand how easy it is for employers to stop employees from working past the default retirement age. The comment that they have outlawed the phrase ‘sorry this is our company policy’ has not made a jot of difference to making staff retire.
I am currently employed by a County Council in a managerial role and was told several months ago that they would not renew my contract as I would be 66 later in the year: all staff over 65 are placed on 12 month contracts, renewable every year). So the Government has not outlawed the practice! It does seem strange to me that there are a great number of MPs over 65 still able to carry on drawing a nice salary plus all the add-on ‘expenses’. Perhaps the same rules should apply to them!
It is all well and good them saying that they will review it in 2011
- that is too late for me. I would like action now.
Name & address supplied
I’ve just been given six months’ notice by a charity where I’ve worked for several years because I’m reaching 65. So much for progress in attitudes. Labour gave employers a loophole to continue dumping people on the grounds of their age by permitting discrimination after 65 and they will take it.
Mike Newland, by email
Pension Credit
‘There is no need to fill in forms as Pension Credit and other benefits can all be done over the phone’? I phoned the Credit line and spent 15 minutes with a pleasant lady answering questions. She concluded I was a qualifier and informed me she would pass me to her manager to continue.
A gentleman came on the phone and proceeded to ask the same questions. I explained I had just spent 15 minutes answering these questions so why did he not get those answers from his colleague. I can’t do that, he said.
The Data Protection Act forbids disclosure of that sort of information. At this point I hung up. I still have not claimed Pension Credit.
Terry Galligan, by email
EU comparisons
Rosie Winterton compares EU pension figures from 1997 and 2009, purporting to show that ‘we were something like 15% below the EU average…and now we are nearly 10% above…’. Grossly misleading: this latter figure is a product of low-income former Soviet bloc states like Poland joining the EU in 2007, not to mention The Czech Republic and Hungary in 2004.
If one were to compare the figures for the 1997 EU with those for the same core states today, I strongly suspect they would show the UK still below, even if possibly by a reduced figure.
Jacqueline Castles, by email
Lost pensions
I note that the minister was not asked anything about pension compensation for lost company pension schemes! After raising this matter with your Editor recently I still see that this issue is being ignored and no pressure is being put on demanding why the DWP/ government are not able to pay my compensation for years 2000 to 2004 via a revised FAS. This matter will be taken up by pensioners’ demonstration at Parliament Square on 3rd June 2009 and we request your support of it.
Peter D Beattie, by email