I think just having one benefit payment is a good idea and even Labour support this but the delays in receiving the money causes a lot of problems. There have been a couple of tv progs about this recently and the lengths the staff go to whilst helping people is extraordinary. The other thing that struck me was the sheer number of people both young and old who are pretty much unemployable and beyond help, pretty sad.
It is the problems with the system I was referring to. I anticipate similar issues but on a much larger scale with Brexit.
Whilst being a keen remainer with benefit of hindsight your last para is very true. Guess many of us now regret that and had that course of action been followed then we wouldn’t be facing the current dire outcome and future of completely severing with mainland Europe,. And anybody who thinks rejoining this side of 2050 lives in cloud cuckoo land.
Unfortunately it is not clear that a) such a coalition around EEA/SM/CU membership could have emerged in late 2016 or early 2017 or that b) it would be picked up by the party in power as the policy model for implementing Brexit or c) even if it did would not have been stymied by Eurosceptic groups.
What is clear is that Farage would have been screaming to the rooftops about how we would be now completely controlled by the EU.
It depends how it pans out and how much pain the man in the street a) experiences and b) blames on Brexit/Brexiteers.
I’d be surprised if there is a significant Rejoin movement before 2030, certainly.
If there is still an EU to join I will be happy. My biggest concern now is the rest of the block. That is bothering me much more now that the fate of the UK, which has made it choice and will have to live with that.
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Being economical with the truth and downright lying when such an important issue was at stake are not the same.
You are obviously standing with the ERG Group and I would advise all members on this site not to reply to you.
What you have voted for is to damage the lives of many of your fellow citizens who have chosen to come and live here in France, many of whom are now in financial difficulties because of the drop in the exchange rate brought ab out by Brexit.
I really don’t know how you can sleep at night!
If there is an new Tory Party leadership election, the blue rinse ladies will see how they have been treated during lock-down and all their fellow OAP’s in Care Homes.
The whole lot of them don’t stand a chance!
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@Jane_Williamson @Robert_Hodge I am replying because I believe that Robert in all his dealings here and his convictions has been nothing but polite. He puts forward his views in measured tones and for that thank you.
I suspect you are not alone Robert, but putting ones head above the parapet on this topic only invites others less gracious to lapse into aggression. I appreciate feelings run deep, but find the continued need to go over, and over and over this ground quite worrying. I fear for the health of those who cannot move forward. We are where we are and now, surely, it’s about making the best of it, like I’m seeing with those who in the face of COVID are doing some amazing stuff with their businesses. There is always opportunity.
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and here is further bad news on the horizon…
Not only that, but there are indications that pension monies will be further hit if UK banks close their doors to expatriates with funds being paid therein. If the accounts are closed, people will suffer a double whammy as they may have to rely on funds being paid in sterling direct to French bank accounts taking a massive hit on exchange rates and equally, the other way, if they have a need to repatriate some of their funds from EUR to GBP…
And this is all due, of course, to the contributions people made to take the UK out of the EU - there is no escaping from that and for all the lies, it is unforgivable and shameful.
I’m firmly with @Jane_Williamson on this issue.
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To be fair the article refers to pension rates being lower if people have “contracted out” their NI payments to private pensions - they should have been made aware at the time that this could reduce their state pension payouts. While I’m sure many were not, or misunderstood, that is a separate matter and the headline does not refer to a new change.
However, as discussed at length on the forum, there are newer companies offering more innovative financial products which are likely to mitigate the effect of this.
assuming of course Paul that they have partners in the EU to whom they can transfer accounts.
Revolut have told me that is there plan if issues arise but… there may still be a hit in transferring GBP to a non UK GBP account - we will wait to see.
as to the other point, the article is silent on the issue of whether it will apply (or has been applied) retrospectively to pensioners already in receipt of their State pension or just those reaching retirement age sometime in the future. Isn’t it still though a kick in the teeth by the caring sharing Govt to so called «essential» workers like NHS and Police pensioners (of which both you -NHS and Robert -Police) are concerned?
Nobody tells me who I reply to
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I’m sure some will be surprised to learn that their NHS pension contributions might mean a lower state pension - a pain but it is not really a new “kick in the teeth” in the sense that contracting out (the 2008 NHS scheme was contracted out, I’m less sure about the 1995 or earlier schemes) always had this effect. Perhaps people should have taken more notice of how things worked? Not that NHS workers had much choice, of course.
Yes, I think it will affect me as I’ll not quite have 35 years not-contracted-out NI payments
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Well I left the NHS in 1987 (from which my NHS pension is derived) and my NI number ends in D. My wife was a teacher and hers ends in A (so not affected). It states that those affetected paid less NI contributions but it’s now so far back (and I no longer have the payslips) it’s difficult to check. But, as you say, it is what it is. I just hope that I don’t get a (further) hit.
You obviously don’t understand the difference between advise and tell.
Advise means that it is my opinion, but you have the choice to do what you want.
An unnecessary put down in my opinion, avis!
Thank you for your post Sue. Not everyone believes in the same thing and you have highlightedthe fact that we can all have different views and still be valid.
I am one of those that no longer put my head above the parapet and can sympathise with those that do try to put their views forward, only to be knocked back or insulted for being different.
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Being different is not (or certainly should not) be the problem.
pot kettle… IIRC the author of this message was abusive to someone in a thread (later locked) and refused to apologise or withdraw her comment to (I think) Izzy… 
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This ,the reply was to Izzy
You don’t sound to be a very nice person. The vote was taken by the people that live in the UK in the hope that things they didn’t like about the EU would change. Any one that left the UK to make a life in one of the countries of the EU did that because they thought it was best for them. Perhaps that is the same thinking of those that voted to leave.
Now I will sit back and wait for the abuse that seems to be directed at anyone who doesn’t agree with their views on Brexit and who look on those that voted to leave as “xenophobic, racist and ignorant British people”
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and IIRC @cat asked for her to amend or delete the comment before posting again… which she clearly did not. I think then cat locked the post to prevent further abuse thereby denying right minded people the opportunity to contribute further to that debate. Typical tactics by the leave brigade since they have no cogent argument and just act in a destructive manner 
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