How long will you live?

[stogie bear]

In the UK they are having a sale on pensions! (Well - they make it easy for you if you want to play 'catch up' with the contributions that you have fallen behind on!)

I got my pension forecast and they told me how much I was in arrears and made me a generous offer to 'catch up' with the payments that I had skipped since 1997.

Thing is I won't get a pension till I'm 66! That's about 18 years down the line! So that got me thinking about how long I'll live and if it was worth paying up my dues for a full UK old age pension.

I've decided that it IS worth making those back payments and the check is in the post! (I'm still gonna be about 6 years shy of the requirements but I can pay them by standing order for the next few years - it's about a pound a day!)

The pension is about 90 pounds a week! It'll probably be slightly more when I get to draw it - although what it will be worth is another story!

Anyway - I decided to ask the internet when I was going to die but none of the internet people could agree and I did 7 different on-line 'quizes' and came up with the following answers...

81 - 87(!) - 80 - 77 - 75 - 74 - 75

Some of the tests were by insurance companies, and other entertainment sites...

So if you average those results out I'll probably hit 78, but only just.

Anyone for cribbage?  

[Grinder]

Wil be interesting to see if the state pension is not done away with in the next 20 years or so.

If you don't mind me asking SB, what sort of figure are we talking about as I haven't paid a penny to the Govt since 1988! Mind you, I have been working tax free since then...

Still, 90 sheets a week is not to be sneezed at (2/3 LTs at least) so I might be interested in dropping Gogs Brown and Droopy Darling a cheque...

[stogie bear]

I too stopped paying back in '87 when I left for warmer climes.

A couple of weeks ago I asked for (and got) a 'Pensions Forecast.'

It contained all the details of money I had paid and money due.

A loophole allows you to pay back payments missed from as long ago as 1997. (The computer failed to send out reminders so the government has decided to allow payments instead of fight it out in court later.)

But these have to be paid by April 2009 so get in touch with the pensions people NOW and get that money paid up.

Quickest way to get the figures is to ring up state pension forecasting on 0845 3000168 and they'll supply them along with a state pension forecast. (you can do it online but theres 2-3week leadin whilst waiting for the ID and PIN)

It would cost you more than 120,000 quid to buy the state pension as an income on the open market, so as you can see, it's a bargain!

[Grinder]

Thanks Stogie

Bargain indeed. I owe you a beer for that - might be back in town to check on the house soon so I'll let you and other BMs know in advance. Always nice to indulge in a pint of stout with a few fellow LB lovers...