Paying widows pensions would cost £10m. by 2024
Friday 20th May 2011, 2:29PM BST.
COMPENSATING widows caught out by a pension change would cost the States just under £10m. over 20 years, Social Security has said.
Minister Mark Dorey (pictured) quoted the figure in response to a petition submitted by campaigner Deputy Barry Paint.
In 2004, the department replaced the widow’s pension with one that took into account the Gender Equalisation Law, giving women a pension in their own right.
The change meant that instead of a weekly allowance that lasted until a widow remarried or qualified for a pension in their own right at 65, widows received bereavement allowance – a weekly payment that lasted up to a year.
But Deputy Paint said many women who had expected to receive a pension following their husband’s death were caught out by the change.
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I understand that a lot of widows here were also caught out if their husbands had an occupational pension benefit on retirement, in that a slightly higher annuity rate would be paid if the spouse opted to be sole annuitant.I find this to be on the whole, a very irresponsible choice to have made. It is a well known fact that women tend to outlive men. Here on Guernsey it was traditional where our older generation are concerned, for the women to run the home, bring up the children, etc, whilst the male bought in the wages, did the books and made their financial plans.
Coupled with this and the distressing situation many widows now face, due to this ludicrous G E Law many are now having to cope with a double whammy.
Whowever was responsible for bringing about this Statute, they, the Law Officers and the actuaries concerned were quite clearly lacking the true facts and do not appear to have thought through the future impact that their crass decisions have brought about.
I think that it is now up to the States to rectify matters – election time is but a short few months away, let us hope they will stop faffing about over flumes, bury the back biting, cut the committee cackle,crack down on consultancy, jump out of overseas jollies,whatever it takes.
Bring on Tribal or take them away, I believe they only get paid for results within their agenda, so most must be looking for other jobs anyway.
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I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again. The whole idea of returning to a widow’s pension is sexist, discriminatory nonsense and the 14 who’ve signed this requete have shown themselves to be unfit to govern. If this is passed it will be be silliest most retrogressive U-turn this States has made since it came into power more than three years ago. Idiots.
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@Martino
I very much doubt that those widows who have found themselves in this horribly anxious and worrying situation would understand the full impetus of your rather strange outburst.
Get over and, deal with your gender problems, hatred and scorn for your fellow beings is a very destructive medium.
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what this really highlights is that hardly anyone, deputies included, understands how the “insurance” system works.
it is an income related tax to raise revenue to pay benefits to people NOW.
it is not a savings plan designed to pay out at some point in the future.
the number and type of contributions you make determine what benefits you may receive – the actual amounts are more or less irrelevant.
when the system was overhauled it did leave a few people worse off ….. but now it is fairer for all, with many many more being better off as a result …
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Martino, as you said to me back along `calm down my dear`.I`m sure your still in nappies, or maybe a little older say play school age?! Anyway, whichever your the IDIOT!
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Well well! at last some one had found out that Martino, isn’t human at all, Not sure what planet he come from “I did see a film some time ago called planet of the Apes” do people think he escaped?
Anyway the widows can’t have a Pension, after all how would retiring “whatcher may call em,” get their GOLDEN pension
A case of ‘flagrante delicto’
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