Blair plans to subsidise the pensions shortfall by targeting the sick and disabled who
"languish on benefits"!
"languish on benefits"!
Labour may attempt to plug the pensions shortfall by slashing incapacity benefit spending, Tony Blair has said.
He admitted spending on pensions would have to rise, but he said this could be partly offset by making people "languishing on benefits" get jobs.
The Prime Minister is under pressure to explain how he would solve the pensions crisis if Labour wins a third term.
More than 12 million people are not saving enough for their retirement, the Pensions Commission found this week.
'Spend more'
The Commission's report, by chairman Adair Turner, said a mix of higher taxes, more saving and a higher average retirement age was needed to plug the gap.
The government's pensions policy is literally falling apart at the seams
George Osborne, shadow chief secretary to the Treasury
In a speech to centre left leaders in Budapest, Mr Blair indicated incapacity benefit money would be diverted into the pensions pot.
"In the UK today we have a big debate about how we can provide pensions for people for the future.
"And we will probably have to spend more as a government supporting pensions in the future.
"But that will mean we will have to spend less, particularly in areas where there are people who could work but who presently languish on benefits."
http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk_politics/3745580.stm
He admitted spending on pensions would have to rise, but he said this could be partly offset by making people "languishing on benefits" get jobs.
The Prime Minister is under pressure to explain how he would solve the pensions crisis if Labour wins a third term.
More than 12 million people are not saving enough for their retirement, the Pensions Commission found this week.
'Spend more'
The Commission's report, by chairman Adair Turner, said a mix of higher taxes, more saving and a higher average retirement age was needed to plug the gap.
The government's pensions policy is literally falling apart at the seams
George Osborne, shadow chief secretary to the Treasury
In a speech to centre left leaders in Budapest, Mr Blair indicated incapacity benefit money would be diverted into the pensions pot.
"In the UK today we have a big debate about how we can provide pensions for people for the future.
"And we will probably have to spend more as a government supporting pensions in the future.
"But that will mean we will have to spend less, particularly in areas where there are people who could work but who presently languish on benefits."
http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk_politics/3745580.stm
Comments
Hide the following 3 comments
Ask the Pensions Commissioner
16.10.2004 15:47
The Pensions Commission is chaired by Adair Turner, who is not a civil servant. Instead he is Vice Chairman of Merrill Lynch Europe, director of United Business Media and a professor at the LSE. He was previously Director General of the Confederation of British Industry (CBI) and was also with BP and Chase Manhatten.
This guy clearly is not going to have to rely on an old age pension when he retires...
Perhaps people here would like to ask him at what age he will retire and what weekly pension he will get?
He is currently proposing that people should retire at 67 and get just 100 pounds per week.
His e-mail address is:
Go on, ask him!!!
old-and-broke
always the same
16.10.2004 22:21
How often does a needed and valuable social benefit get threatened with reduction or withdrawal because of the legions of abusers who creep out of the woodwork. End result is a reduction of help to those in genuine need.
Both justify this as taking money from "the government" but as it turns out it will have been from their genuinely incapacitated brothers and sisters.
raggy
how much do you earn?
17.10.2004 15:29
your friends might not be telling you the whole truth
I have chronic back pain,the consultant has been unable to find the cause because I have not had an MRI or other tests that would find out the cause.Sometimes I am in excruting pain but noone ever sees me then.They only see me on my better days when I go out.
Many people on longterm incapacity are in fact depressed but dont want it on their sick note.
Before i went on incapacity I was living on £53 a week dole and was unable to eat properly and my debts were getting bigger by the month,this is why people will stay on incapacity.dole has only gone up about a fiver since labour got in thus condemning people to fraud by taking illegal part time work,there are lots of business owners who only want to take on unemplyed people because they can pay them £3 an hour or less.
I would love to get a job,but once you are longterm unemployed noone will give you one.
I still sometimes apply,but not as often.You cannot begin to imagine what it like spending years,yes years applying for jobs most of which you never hear from,then getting the occasional interview and being rejected yet again.For people over the age of 50 it is virtually impossible to get a job unless you already have one, yes most jobs advertised are merely passed around among those who already have jobs,also many jobs are extremely low paid.
It suits the state to have a large army of surplus labour as it gives them more control over the workforce.
If you are miserable then no one wants to know you,hence your'friends' cheerfulness.
I now have about £20 more to live on than when I was on the dole but it is still difficult to manage.I am not proud of it but what else can one do.This is about survival.Without this I may be dead from suicide by now.
So you are wrong to resent your friends bit of extra money.Are you thinking od shopping them to the fraud section?Have you ever done anything to help them find work?One problem that people whohavnt worked for some time have is a total lack of references.
How much do you earn?
languisher