Quote: DaButt @ 11th March 2022, 5:41 PM(Can't seem to quote posts today. Must be something glitchy on the forums today, earlier I couldn't get anything to display.)
Quote: Aaron @ 11th March 2022, 6:22 PMOops.
Yes, I notice it had gone a bit strange.
Just received notification of my (and my wife's, of course) pension increase, and it makes me even more comfortable, so thank you Boris.
AND, I'm so glad I worked those extra 5 years beyond my retirement date, which resulted in 5 years of no NI payments and now a mega pension. Very pleased. ?
Quote: Hercules Grytpype Thynne @ 17th March 2022, 10:39 AMJust received notification of my (and my wife's, of course) pension increase, and it makes me even more comfortable, so thank you Boris.
AND, I'm so glad I worked those extra 5 years beyond my retirement date, which resulted in 5 years of no NI payments and now a mega pension. Very pleased. ?
Yes I've seen that after 66 I don't have to pay NI.
Quote: Chappers @ 17th March 2022, 8:26 PMYes I've seen that after 66 I don't have to pay NI.
At the moment you stop paying National Insurance when you reach state pension age (whenever that may be in your case) or - if you're self employed - at the end of the tax year in which you reach state pension age (in the case of class 4 contributions). But I wouldn't necessarily bank on that continuing to be the case long term. There's a budget (or whatever they call it now) next week.
Quote: Billy Bunter @ 17th March 2022, 9:02 PMAt the moment you stop paying National Insurance when you reach state pension age (whenever that may be in your case) or - if you're self employed - at the end of the tax year in which you reach state pension age (in the case of class 4 contributions). But I wouldn't necessarily bank on that continuing to be the case long term.
Sorry. I'm a bit confused. My letter says I won't pay any NI contributions. So will I have to or won't I?
Quote: Chappers @ 17th March 2022, 9:11 PMSorry. I'm a bit confused. My letter says I won't pay any NI contributions. So will I have to or won't I?
At the moment you stop paying National Insurance when you reach state pension age (whenever that may be in your case) or - if you're self employed - at the end of the tax year in which you reach state pension age (in the case of class 4 contributions). Not sure I can put it any other way. Particularly as I don't know your age or employment status.
But if that's what your letter says - and assuming your letter is from the DWP or HMRC and not from Bert over the road - then no doubt it is correct.
Hmm, well I can say for certain that I paid no NI for 5 years, which was a helluva saving, AND as I have already mentioned, made one helluva difference to my final state pension - making it for me, a no brainer win win.
Now, if they change that in the next budget, or whatever, then that clearly is another matter. For now though, if you have that letter Dave, then that is how it stands for you at the moment., but you know how those bastards can "change their mind."
Speaking of inflation, as we were just doing on the Vintage Advert thread, I came across an envelope that was sent to me in 1969 with 5 Life magazines from the UK distributor , which cost 4/6 ("four and six" or "four shillings and sixpence"), that's 22½p in today's money, and that parcel 1st class would now cost £5.57, which doesn't seem too bad, given the wages then and now, because if you were on £15 a week, that wasn't a bad wage.
Quote: Hercules Grytpype Thynne @ 18th March 2022, 10:40 AMSpeaking of inflation, as we were just doing on the Vintage Advert thread, I came across an envelope that was sent to me in 1969 with 5 Life magazines from the UK distributor , which cost 4/6 ("four and six" or "four shillings and sixpence"), that's 22½p in today's money, and that parcel 1st class would now cost £5.57, which doesn't seem too bad, given the wages then and now, because if you were on £15 a week, that wasn't a bad wage.
What sort of "Life magazines" were these?
Quote: Chappers @ 18th March 2022, 6:08 PMWhat sort of "Life magazines" were these?
Well, Life magazine - THE Life magazine, what can I tell you...........as it happens, I have the front cover of one in a folder somewhere and will post it here in a mo.....................
Probably one of the most famous magazines of all time
Three very brave men there.The first crew after the Apollo 1 fire.There was a lot of tension between them and Mission Control though apparently and none of them flew again.
Quote: psmith @ 19th March 2022, 7:38 AMThree very brave men there.The first crew after the Apollo 1 fire.There was a lot of tension between them and Mission Control though apparently and none of them flew again.
Yes, that was horrendous and I shudder every time I think about it. Seen docs. on it and it doesn't make for good viewing. I hope those men really are Resting In Peace.
One documentary I watched was about the wives, who met each year to support each other as none of them were obviously the same after the tragedy; but it got to Pat White the most who did eventually commit suicide. So sad.
Just as the story about the sheep counting woman was true, this is also a true story as odd things always happen to me. I was wantings to go to the all night garage at 3am so I rings for a taxi. I tell them not to drive into my road as it is a cul de sacs and people at the end don't like car headlights shining through their bedroom windows. "I will walks up to the corner of the road and get in the vehicle there instead" I says. I'm standings there on that corner for half an hour and nothing arrives so I decides to give up and go home. But just as I do a car flies past me and round the corner into my roads. Great I think. Not only is it half an hour late but my instruction about shining headlights has been ignored.
On taking a few steps round the corner, I notice it has been parked half way down my road on the other side. It has its headlights offs. So either it is my taxi driver who has got everything wrong apart from the message that the lights must not be shone into people's windows or more likely it is someone going into another house. I waits for a long time for someone to get out but no one does. So then I thinks it must be my taxis after all. I start walking towards the vehicle and just as I get close to its rear the drivers door opens and this big African woman gets out.
She sees me and lets out the most god almighty shriek. It really shook me but not as much as her fury immediately after it. She's shoutings "you scared me. Who the hell are you?" I thought she was goings to wake all the neighbours. So I'm sayings I am terribly sorry but I thoughts you were my taxi driver. She says - still shouting wildly and not in very good English - "I Am taxi, I AM taxi. You scared me." So I says to her it might be best if we just cancels it. She bellows "NO. You get in NOW". I says to her "I don't think so" and she bellows "GET IN". So I have tos.
Once in , she says "Where you go?" I says "I told the office that but I can say it again" which I do. She says "don't know it - I need to ring office". Then she takes five minutes trying to find the right buttons on her speaker phone before shouting at them in Swahili or Urdu. They in turn are shouting back at her in the same language. it is clears to me that none of thems knows what they are doing. Once she finishes she says "I still don't know" and I says "looks I am getting out". She bellows "NO, NO, I ring again". The door was locked. It was likes some nightmare.
Suddenly another car comes round the corner into the cul-de-sacs which is very rare at that time. It goes past my house and this African woman's car and stops right at the end of the road with the full glare of its headlights going into the bedrooms. I see this as my opportunity to escape. "Looks" I says to her. "You have to let me out as that is my taxis. There has obviously been some terrible mistake." I'm also thinking I know damned wells that is not my taxis as it is 45 minutes late, it is not on the corner and its lights are shining but what the hell.
She does let me go but then she also gets out of the car. As I am opening her doors to get out, I'm thinkings this could be very difficult as I can't just run back down the road into my home. I have to walk over to the driver of the other vehicles to make it look like he is a taxi driver and his vehicle is a taxi which I am about to get into although I can't. Somehow not only am I am goings to have to walk over to his door but also say something, though I couldn't immediately think of anything, without him shrieking and shouting furiously at me. Worse, I am goings to have to keep the conversation lasting for a long times as only then is there the chance for her to drives out believing I have got into that vehicles as a taxi.
Anyways, I walk over and the driver winds down his window. I says to hims "this is a bit difficult - see that big furious looking African woman over there - I was first in her car as I thought that was a taxi I had called for but now I think maybe it was and maybe it wasn't but I don't want to do that journey with her anyways"........I'm looking furtively behind me to see if she seems like she is about to drive out yet and she is still standing there glaring........"and while I know you yourselfs are not a taxi and never was going to be my taxis, I have to make it seem to hers that you are until she goes away so can we just keep talkings please for as long as it takes". And he goes "well if your name is Mr Horseradish this is your taxi".
So I's wave to her all friendly like and gets in his.
Then we drives out.
983 occurrences of the letter s though.