The National Association of Pension Funds (NAPF) said an interim report on the scheme found it was affordable and could be century national insurance company within six years.

It said it would benefit millions of pensioners, particularly women, and would be cheaper to administer.

It said the scheme would also be simpler for people to understand.

The beauty of the citizen’s pension lies in its simplicity Christine Farnish NAPF chief executive

The citizen’s pension study was conducted by NAPF and the Pensions Policy Institute (PPI).

Under the plan, the present system of state payments would be replaced with a universal payment starting at 105 per week and rising with earnings.

National insurance uk would be based on residency, rather than work record and National Insurance contributions.

Most means testing would be removed and “contracting out” of the state pension would no longer be allowed.

Immediate benefit

The scheme would be of immediate benefit to around eight million pensioners who currently receive less than 105 a week from the state, the NAPF said.

Richard Scott, of BBC Radio Five Live’s Money programme, said NAPF claimed it would particularly benefit women, who often miss out on the full basic state pension because bringing up children stops them making enough National Insurance contributions.

NAPF chief executive Christine Farnish said the citizen’s pension would fix Britain’s “horrendously complicated” system.

“The beauty of the citizen’s pension lies in its simplicity. The state will provide 105 a week and any saving you do on top of that is yours.

“Immediately, the deal from the state is clear. Anyone wanting a better income in retirement understands the need to make additional saving, either through a workplace pension or some other means.”

Long-term costs

The report found the new system could be implemented by 2010 and would cost no more than the amount currently spent by the government on pensions.

Pensioners rallied in August for higher payments

However the long-term costs of the scheme could require measures such as cutting government spending in other areas, raising taxes or National Insurance contributions or lifting the state pension age.

The report said such measures would be required eventually under the current system as well.

PPI director Alison O’Connell, who worked on the study, said the transition to a new system would require careful planning, but that such a change would ease public concern.

“The report shows that a citizen’s pension, while not without some concerns, would be possible and could also have real advantages for state, occupational and personal pensions.

“We know from previous research that what people want above all else is a simple pension system, and a citizen’s pension would achieve that.”

The report also said a State Pension Review Board should be reserve national insurance to advise the government on pensions and a national health insurance plan agreement on the principles of pension policy should be drafted.

The study is open to public consultation before a final report on the plan is released.

Read source on News - New pension ‘would help millions’

On Monday around 600 people queued to try to get on the books of a dentist who said he was taking on 300 patients at his Brynteg Surgery in Carmarthen.

Numbered tickets were issued to the first 300 in the queue and the rest were turned away.

Now the police have been called in after staff at the surgery received abusive calls from jefferson national life insurance would-be patients.

The problem is by no means isolated to rural west Wales, as similar scenes have been played around elsewhere in the UK.

There are calls for more to be done to attract dentists from the private sector but many practitioners feel they are “national health insurance and underpaid” in the NHS.

So what’s the solution?

Should everyone have the choice of treatment by an NHS dentist?

Moved house, phoned NHS direct - no NHS or private dentists taking children or adult patients in my area. Finally after a year local NHS dentist said they would take us only if we paid 40 security national insurance fee, that included paying for my children. Having paid all National Insurance contributions,taxes etc. if the NHS was Marks and Spencers would we all be asking for a refund?
Heather, UK

I pay taxes - lots of taxes under this government. I pay National Insurance - just increased by this government. I therefore pay for the health service. Ergo I’m entitled to an NHS dentist. Or rather I’m not, apparently. How does that work then?If I’m being forced to pay for something I’m ultimately being denied, isn’t that extortion?
Chris, England.

I have recently moved to a new area and went in search of a dentist. I have been told clarendon national insurance company that I will have to join a 3 month waiting list and it’s going to cost me 50 for a check up. I think I’ll wait for the tooth ache.
Toby Josham, UK

I think that its jackson national life insurance people are having difficulties finding NHS dentists! What’s happened to the welfare state? It was supposedly for all, it seems dentists are only catering for the well heeled who can afford private charges.
Antony Forst, England

Labour keep saying that they will plough more of our tax and NI money into health. It time for them to put our money where our mouths are! CJ Hendrick, UK

I have just three small letters to add to the debate. NIC (National Insurance contributions). Enough said, in my opinion.


Max,
UK

Where did these 600 people come from, if they’d kept up their regular check ups surely they would have been registered with an NHS dentist already, or would have had good teeth and be able to go to Denplan with their dentist without having to pay the earth.


Steve Jones,
N Wales

It is the National Health Service, which means it should be national. I left the RAF 9 years ago and have failed to register with an NHS dentist in all that time. Labour, if I recall, promised that everyone in the UK would have access to an NHS dentist. NI payments have gone up but the quality (and quantity) of service has seriously reduced.

The reign of Elizabeth II will be remembered for the people having the teeth of Elizabeth I. Many are unable to afford a visit to a private dentist. Teeth will rot. They will be unable to take out insurance because the insurance Co insist that a full check-up is carried out and all work is completed before the insurance policy can be started. Is this a new angle on political spin?
Jason, UK

My understanding of the British health system is that it was designed to allow anyone, even the poorest, to receive dental and medical treatment, regardless of income. While this may be the spirit of the NHS, I believe that the government simply hasn’t got the funding to provide for everyone. Perhaps a cut-off on income level would force more well-off people to go private, freeing up slots for those who simply cannot afford to go private.
Beth, American in Britain

Read more on News - Dental crisis: Your views site

People will be told to reassess if they would be better off paying into the S2P rather than their private pension.

The pensions industry said the letter was part of an american national insurance company to inform and educate consumers.

But one consumer group fears the letter does not give enough practical advice to people for them to make a decision.

Growing concern

The S2P is the new national western life insurance pension system.

We believe the situation is so serious that we are calling upon the Financial Services Authority (FSA) to conduct a full market analysis Tereza Fritz, Which

It replaced the State Earnings Related Pension (Serps) on 6 April 2002.

If you contract out of the S2P into a personal pension scheme, such as a stakeholder, you will pay the same National Insurance contributions.

And the Inland Revenue should top-up that personal pension, through an annual rebate, with the amount equivalent to what you will have paid towards your additional state pension.

However, there has been growing concern that consumers could have been badly advised by financial advisers to contract out.

Shortfall

Which, formerly known as the National insurance uk Association, has estimated that some people are in line to receive 60% less pension than they would have received if they had not opted out of the state scheme.

The letter being sent to six million people has been put together by two finance industry bodies, the Association of British Insurers (ABI) and the Association of Independent Financial Advisers (AIFA).

The letter will advise consumers of the following:

• They should review their decision to stay opted out of the S2P each year

• Contracting out should not be based solely on the expectation that a bigger pension will be secured

Pensions minister, Malcolm Wicks MP, welcomed the industry initiative describing it as providing “a balanced view of the issues involved in american national insurance out.”

However, Which said that the letter left people “in the dark” about what to do next.

“We believe the situation is so serious that we are calling upon the Financial Services Authority (FSA) to conduct a full market analysis to determine if there has been significant market failure in this area,” Tereza Fritz, Which spokeswoman, said.

The programme was repeated on Sunday, 5 December, November, at 2102 GMT.

The biggest change in state pensions for more than 50 years has been suggested by Work and Pensions Midland national life insurance Alan Johnson.

In an interview with The Daily Telegraph published on Saturday he said everyone should get the basic state pension national alliance insurance of the National Insurance national interstate insurance company they have paid.

A government’s spokeswomen has confirmed to Money Box that a “citizen’s pension” is something Mr Johnson is interested in, and that it is being discussed.

But she stressed it is one a number of options being considered.

At the moment a full working life of around 40 years is needed to qualify for the full pension of 80 a week.

But while 90% of men qualify when they retire, barely half of all women do.

We asked Mervyn Kohler of Help the Aged to explain the national flood insurance program of Mr Johnson’s comments.

Producer: Jennifer Clarke
Presenter: Paul Lewis
Reporter: Louise Greenwood
Web Producer: Nathalie Knowles

Read source on News - State pension reform

In a statement the union, Prospect, blamed the move on “needless penny pinching” and denounced the proposed cuts as a “kneejerk reaction”.

The National Trust is the country’s largest non-government landowner and employs almost 4,000 full-time staff.

It said savings were needed to meet rising costs and hoped the cuts would be made by voluntary redundancy.

We have yet to see any evidence that these cuts are needed Helen Stevens Prospect

The Trust, a registered charity, owns more than 248,000 hectares (612,000 acres) of British national life and accident insurance company and almost 600 miles of coastline.

It also runs 200 historical houses and 49 monuments and mills.

Regional losses

Prospect said offices in London, Swindon, Cirencester, Devon and Cornwall, East England, East Midlands, Northern Ireland, the North West, South East, Wales, West Midlands, Yorkshire and the North East were at risk of redundancies.

It said the Trust was facing a national alliance insurance financial shortfall after conducting a review of its internal organisation, buying new information technology and funding its major projects.

The union’s negotiator, Helen Stevens, said: “This is a shocking decision. It is a major blow to the National Trust and will wipe out around 5% of its total workforce.

The Trust says all profits go back into the company

“Losses of this scale will make it almost impossible to avoid compulsory redundancies.

“We have yet to see any evidence that these cuts are needed or that it is more than a knee-jerk reaction by the Trust’s over-cautious trustees.”

She said the Trust could have made the necessary savings without culling jobs if it had waited for efficiency savings to start feeding through.

She added: “It makes no sense to lose the lifeblood of the Trust. This is more like selling the family than the silver.”

A Trust spokesman said the organisation was facing rising costs, increased National Insurance contributions and increased pension payments. It also wanted to increase its operational fund to 20 million. About 50 jobs have already been earmarked through voluntary redundancy and natural wastage, the spokesman added, insisting: “This is about safeguarding our liberty national life insurance for the future.”

Originaly from: News - National Trust plans to cut jobs