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There is still a benefit, in some cases, to buying back the years and continuing to buy them back until reaching retirment age, even if you die before the UK retirement age. I have an AVC, with 200k and was anticipating that this sum would have to bolster my pension payments over a 20/25 year...

I think there is a lot of undue panic regarding population decline. We will simply have to engage slightly different economic models, rather than the ever expanding, ever destructive capitalist monster. The 5k at birth idea, relies on a capital market expanding, exponentially into the future...

If she needs a wheelchair, to get around, and can only mobilise for very short distances, then she would meet the criteria. My Father in Law had both his legs and was able to move, with assistance, or the use of a walker, from a to b, short distances. But he was categorised as completely, or...

Do you know about this scheme? https://www.citizensinformation.ie/en/travel-and-recreation/transport-and-disability/tax-relief-for-disabled-drivers-and-disabled-passengers/ It will allow you to buy a new car, with no VRT and no road tax. Or you could get a UK car, and not need to pay the...

Your private healhcare is heavily subsidised by the state. How many nurses does the private sector train? How many doctors? Physios, radiographers, Occupational Therapists, plus a long list of highly skilled professional healthcare workers? And when it comes to acute care, or cancer care...

Well, mum or dad, or Cyril, would still have agency, their own decision making. They might be pressurised by some, but I doubt it. In the UK family members see their only hope of inheritiance disappearing year by year, if their parent is in a care home. My parents did not own property, so...

Indeed, so maybe free universal care for the elderly, financed by increased inheritance tax is the way. It can be a lottery if Joe in the 500k house pops off in his sleep and Tom, in the house next door, gets dementia and needs years of professional care.

This could lead to people being neglected in homes, without the right support. Sad to say, it happens in the UK. Families will push for their elderly relative to stay in the family home, with limited support and out of the nursing home. Even though they, almost certainly, need to be in a...

OK, I'll rephrase. My pension will be less than half the average working wage and fully integrated into the state pension. If you are so adamant that improved pension arrangements for highly paid workers are beneficial, why not have the same zeal for those on average or lower wages. My...

You're right, its a total red herring. I don't see any mass emigration of hospital consultants, or any public servants on 200k salaries. https://www.irishtimes.com/health/2024/02/07/facts-dont-support-narrative-of-irish-doctors-collectively-emigrating-to-australia-says-minister/ Its the...

Lump sums, from pension schemes, are treated as reckonable income, for the year they are received. But they divide the total lump sum, by the number of years you were in your pension scheme. So, for example, if you receive a lump sum of 30k and you were in the scheme for 20 years, the...

It will. In fact, combined with the tax relief, it could make your AVC's cost neutral. Pension contributions are deducted from the Reckonable Income, for SUSI support. If you have an annual income of 60k, depending on how much your children earn, you will, already be exempt from the...

You can get a rough idea, using this calculator. https://www.pwc.ie/issues/budget/income-tax-calculator.html

Well, it happens. Many people do it to cover funeral costs, or leave a small inheritance behind. Perhaps if family members are chipping in with the weekly shop, or providing transport, or basic clothing, it can happen very easily. I would agree they should be discouraged from saving, too...

I think, in this case, the re-imbursement is valid, as the applicant, clearly had substantial means, whilst applying for a means tested benefit. It is very different from a frugal pensioner, receiving only the non contributory pension, who, saves some money, from that income. Although rare...

Child maintenance payments will be removed from the means test on May 1st, for some social welfare payments. Hopefully that will help you, as a lone parent. It would be worth checking with the Local Authority, to see if the child maintenance payments will be removed from the HAP means test, in...

The Croke Park Agreement, saw public sector sick pay schemes, slashed in half. It made a great headline, but when people have serious illnesses they end up in this situation. It seriously effects the lower paid public sector workers. I am not sure , from your post, if your illness is...

So, this guy, probably, has some sort of early retirement scheme, or savings, or some income stream which allows him to spend several weeks in Greece. He can't be on Jobseekers, because they only allow 2 weeks per year and they are pretty strict about it. If he is late 50's , then he has...

I am in the public sector, but like the vast majority of public sector workers, my pension will be well below the average working wage. I'll get out the smallest violin, I can find, for anyone, public or private, who has to worry about a tax bill, because their pension is too big.

Wouldn't it be fairer to link the SFT to the average pension fund. People who can pull together 2million quid, or have acces to a pension valued at 2 million quid, will, presumably, have substantial income or assets. Those in the public sector have no choice on their pension arrangments, as...