Jasmine Birtles: Pay your future self first

“I think putting people into a pension scheme effectively by stealth (you're in unless you actively opt out) is the wrong way to go. Whether or not to go into a pension arrangement is an important investment decision.

Take the case of lower-paid workers (who are the main group targetted by this). At the sort of level of contributions we are talking about, the "pot" built up will not be a big one in most cases. If these people have no other pension provision (apart from the state pension) what's the point? The chances are that pension credit etc will take them up to a total income figure higher than what they will get from the state pension plus a small workplace pension, so the workplace pension would be a waste of money in these cases, as the pension credit system would have got them to the same income level anyway.

So, unless you think you will be able to build up a decent pension pot prior to your retirement date, you're probably better off opting out of these schemes and using the money in other ways (but maybe not stuffing it into your mattress).”

“I know several people who paid dutifully into pensions for years and ended up with almost nothing having had their pensions robbed by the Government. I know people who should have retired five years ago still having to work because their pensions shrank - this is why I will NEVER have a pension. You are far better off stuffing money into a mattress and at least that way you are not making any bankers rich.”

“The truth hurts...doesn't it?”

“@ Blog, please, just go away, far away preferably”

“This ivory tower that I am supposedly sitting in, Nevman, was bought and paid for. I didn't get it from sponging off the taxpayer. I got it from working and investing in a pension whenever the opportunity arose. It's called 'investing in the future'.

I knew people who worked along side me and who wouldn't pay in to a pension scheme. Their attitude was 'I want the money now'. Well, I bet they're struggling now. I bet they're looking for help with tax credits and housing allowances etc...

And I say: they had the same opportunities as me. They could have put a little aside for a pension. They could have been independent in their retirement but they were short-sighted and, to some extent, greedy. Good luck to them but I make no apologies for my well-being and peace of mind in retirement.

The government has now acknowledged the fact that some people are better off on benefits than working and is, at last, doing something about it. In these austere times we can't afford lazy passengers.

There are genuine cases of those in need but not as many as claim benefits and they should be the target.”

“The only laziness I'm seeing round here, blogtodi, is falling back on insulting tabloid generalisations from the comfort of an ivory tower.

Wake up and smell the coffee - we've now got to the stage where the ratio of job applicants to vacancies is reaching four figures. Of course, that won't bother you in your cosy retirement, because you were lucky enough to work in an era when unions had the power to force employers to maintain high staffing levels and push up wages, contributing to the collapse of British industry which was a major factor in the economic mess which the following generations now find themselves in.

Still, chin chin, eh?”

“Yes, let's pour our hard earned cash into more benefits for the lazy...you know it makes sense.”

“Yeh... lets all "dig for victory" . You never know we might even be able to give even more billions away to all comers with what we scrimp and save for .”

“Indeed it is, blogtodi, and it's made even tougher by the selfishness of the 'Pull up the ladder, Jack, I'm all right' brigade.”

“Life is tough, isn't it?”