Pensioners call for effective revision of pensions cap

MBorg

Oct 28th 2009, 00:16

@ " Pension age should be increased to closer to 70 immediately ""

How very nice ! Are you over 70 yourself by any chance ? Have you ever worked ? What a way to solve the pension problem. Well done !

Galea. L

Oct 27th 2009, 22:26

A. Zahra
Simply referring to the past when pensions were capped at a high enough level so that pensioners actually received their 2/3 pension and when only one pension was receivable means that you have no valid argument to counteract my and the other arguments presented here. It has become the trade mark of pn apologists to refer back to the past because they cannot rebut presented arguments. Furthermore, who has been in government since 1987 apart from a short period? So why didn't the PN governments remove the capping?

E Gatt Perhaps having a job in an office may enable one to work until 70, but can you say that to many manual workers? And if you work until you are 70 you would have worked and contributed for at least 50 years, only to receive your pension for a few years if you live to receive a pension at all that is.

michael fenech

Oct 27th 2009, 19:03

@ A.Zahra.

MR.ZAHRA, YOU’RE LIVING IN THE PAST.

Mintoff is long gone, it’s the PN that should be doing something about no one else,they are in GOVRNMENT, ant they??????????????????????

wally vella-zarb

Oct 27th 2009, 18:11

A.Zahra, what does Dom Mintoff have to do with it? At the time of the capping the benchmark chosen was an annual income of around LM6000. The pension legislation capped pensions at 2/3 of that benchmark. It was acceptable because not many people were earning Lm 6000 at that time..Mintoff stepped down in 1984. TWENTY FIVE YEARS AGO! Since then an annual income of Lm 6000 is considered peanuts for someone who is qualified. Why is it that practically nothing was done about capping in these last twenty five years? Nobody in his senses can blame Mintoff for that!

MBorg

Oct 27th 2009, 17:13

The maximum pension cap should be revised. It is a sorry joke that after paying Social Security Comtribution at a high rate for 30 or 40 years you find that you can bearly live on the pension you are entiled.

It is not right that some pensioners are now living below the poverty line. Pensioners who find that they have to think twice before they buy certain items of food ,like meat, fish or fruit. Some pensioners find that they cant even afford to buy pills that they might need to better their lives.

It is very unfair , to say the least, that MPs do not have their pensions capped. The Government must do something to better this situation, after all MPs did not contribute any higher rate for their pensions. If needs be MPs pensions should be capped or even lowered.,and the national pension increased.

A. Zahra

Oct 27th 2009, 15:33

@ L. Galea
Thank Dom Mintoff for the capping of pensions. Thank him also for only permitting workers to receive one pension only. MPs thank him for not capping their pension.

Louis Gatt

Oct 27th 2009, 15:22

The pension cap is unfair and unjust. The Authorities should look into this and rectify in the comming Budget. Why is it that after we paid so many taxes and national insurance contributions we end up with such a low pension too low to cope with ageing problems? Capping should be withdrawn for everybody not only for politicians! Everybody has a right to a decent retirement pension without exception. Such anomalies should be rectified without delay.

Jan Fredericks

Oct 27th 2009, 15:08

Comparing the pension what i receive from my country the Netherlands taking local wages in consideration,, the pensions in Malta is not only a joke for the poor local pensioners but also a laugh as how poor and measly it is........we call it PEANUTS.

E Gatt

Oct 27th 2009, 13:54

We are lucky that we live in a time when people are living longer and healthier. The birth rate is also falling.

Unless we want to burden the younger (shrinking) generation with the costs of paying out pensions to an ever increasing percentage of pensioners, we need to realise that the pension age has to be higher than 60/61. There are plans to increase it in a number of years time but in my opinion the pension age should be increased to closer to 70 immediately (it’s already late!)

michael fenech

Oct 27th 2009, 13:41

This shows the mentality of the Maltese voter. Series points like the pension is never an issue come election time, we are to busy arguing what happened 40 and 50 years ago ( no COKE and no MARS BARS) and we have to make sure that it will never happen again, ( they keep telling us better the devil you know than the one you don’t) well, well the devil we knew for the last 22 years ( PN) did absolutely nothing about the citizens pensions, while the MP’s keep improving there own benefits.

Wake up and smell the coffee people we’re going down..

v mercieca

Oct 27th 2009, 13:05

40 odd years paying the Social Security Contribution at the full higher rate and finding out that now the pension is not enough to sustain my normal life style, even after reducing my entertaining expenses down to about 10% of what they were before, which in the first place were never high.

Galea. L

Oct 27th 2009, 11:58

The pensions cap is a disgrace to a country which prides itself on being in the European Union. To rub salt into the wound the MPs do not have their pension capped and are entitled to 2/3 of the current MP's salary. This is more discriminatory when one considers the different capping levels which depend on the date of birth and retirement year. The Alliance of Pensioners' Organisations should not stop at this call if the ceiling is not removed, but should initiate a court case and if need be take the case to the European Court of Human Rights for discrimination on the status of persons. All pensioners of whatever political colour are right behind you because they are all being discriminated against by the government. If need be call for a support rally and launch a petition to back you up, although I am sure that no one will object to having 2/3 pension without and reductions.