Alan Shanks

Gent in purple, "State pensioners who have contributed their whole lives are on a lot less than minimum wage" "I'm very lucky to have a small German pension, and believe me, it's a lot more than what we pay in this country" "Most of western Europe their pensions are much higher than the state pension in this country" "I'm lucky I get a pension from the military" "But people on the basic state pension, I reall feel sorry for them" My view: The full new State Pension is roughly £12,548 a year. Someone working 37.5 hours a week on the £12.71 minimum wage earns about £24,785 before tax. That puts the full new State Pension at barely half a full-time minimum-wage salary. Government figures show that 12% of pensioner families received their income entirely from the State Pension and other state benefits in 2024/25. That same year, around 1.7 million pensioners — one in seven — were living in relative poverty after housing costs. A better pension means being able to heat your home, eat properly and see friends without calculating what you’ll have to go without afterwards. It also means money spent in the communities where pensioners live. After a lifetime of working, caring and contributing, financial security should be something people can expect.