Give and Take
By MysD
@mysdianait (66005)
Italy
February 22, 2016 8:08am CST
I just went down to take out the rubbish and saw that the postman has been today 
I just got a letter from the UK pension authority announcing that from April this year my weekly pension will increase by a whole 55 pennies ($0,77) a week.
I am always happy when things go in that direction and will now have enough for two extra cups of expresso coffee out with a friend every month once April gets here 
Things in Italy don't work like that at all.
Sneakily, without saying anything at all, they have been deducting €22 ($24.25) each month from my pension here and I am still trying to understand the reason. The basic gross amount is still the same. This deduction is for taxes but as my situation is still the same and the amount that they are taking would cover my monthly mobile ohone bill, it is getting on my nerves 
I have an appointment with the local pension people to see if this deduction is unjustified and if that is the case I will see a rebate eventually.
Meanwhile I look forward to my extra coffees in a couple of months 
How about where you are.
Are deductions and increases announced or do they just get on and do what they have to do without saying a word?
I just got a letter from the UK pension authority announcing that from April this year my weekly pension will increase by a whole 55 pennies ($0,77) a week.
I am always happy when things go in that direction and will now have enough for two extra cups of expresso coffee out with a friend every month once April gets here
Things in Italy don't work like that at all.
Sneakily, without saying anything at all, they have been deducting €22 ($24.25) each month from my pension here and I am still trying to understand the reason. The basic gross amount is still the same. This deduction is for taxes but as my situation is still the same and the amount that they are taking would cover my monthly mobile ohone bill, it is getting on my nerves
I have an appointment with the local pension people to see if this deduction is unjustified and if that is the case I will see a rebate eventually.
Meanwhile I look forward to my extra coffees in a couple of months
How about where you are.
Are deductions and increases announced or do they just get on and do what they have to do without saying a word?17 people like this
15 responses
@Asylum (47893)
• Manchester, England
22 Feb 16
@mysdianait I have worked here all my life and my pension amounts to an impressive £145. I do have a small private pension of £62 per month, from which they eagerly take £12 income tax.
2 people like this
@mysdianait (66005)
• Italy
22 Feb 16
@Asylum The small amount of pension that we receive for having worked since our teens is appalling Both my Uk and Italian pensions added together make the same amount as yours more or less but I have no other form of income. Thankfully I have things under control and am not complaining.
Both my Uk and Italian pensions added together make the same amount as yours more or less but I have no other form of income. Thankfully I have things under control and am not complaining.2 people like this
@mysdianait (66005)
• Italy
22 Feb 16
Would that be because yours is already above a certain level? Mine right now is the grand sum of twenty pounds a week (which is rightly all I deserve I guess after leaving there so young).
2 people like this
@mysdianait (66005)
• Italy
22 Feb 16
Yes I agree. Here even after they give you what seems rightfully yours, they could still want it back sometime later 
2 people like this
@mysdianait (66005)
• Italy
22 Feb 16
@LadyDuck Yes indeed! The people there are so darn protected and have so many extras too. It is a disgraceful state of affairs these days while so many poor people here are homeless and without food 
2 people like this
@LadyDuck (502148)
• Italy
22 Feb 16
@mysdianait I know, it's a weird system. The only thing sure is that they never will ask back money from those who are in Montecitorio, only to the citizens. It's a shame.
2 people like this
@mysdianait (66005)
• Italy
23 Feb 16
Here in Italy it is extremely rare that they increase and much more likely that there are deductions
1 person likes this
@mysdianait (66005)
• Italy
23 Feb 16
@SIMPLYD Oh yeah they 'talk' about rallying here but they never actually do it!
1 person likes this
@SIMPLYD (90717)
• Philippines
23 Feb 16
@mysdianait Deductions ? If they do that here , the pensioners will rally .
1 person likes this
@mysdianait (66005)
• Italy
24 Feb 16
@pgiblett Yes when I worked in Uk four years ago I stopped doing overtime onSundays because it was ot worthwhile as tha taxman aye it all up Thankfully Sunday overtime was not compulsory.
Thankfully Sunday overtime was not compulsory.1 person likes this
@pgiblett (6524)
• Canada
24 Feb 16
@mysdianait I know. I once has someone refuse to do overtime because it affected his tax status (apparently the government in question would hold onto 75% of his overtime pay till his tax bill was settled). Pensioners should not be taxed on state income in my view.
1 person likes this
@mysdianait (66005)
• Italy
22 Feb 16
I left UK when I was 22 and started receving the UK pension last December. I have the italian pension since a year earlier. The Italians are taking it from my Italian pension as they cannot touch the UK one (or they probably would take it from there too!). It appears as a tax deduction but there is no reason to take more than they were taking last year as my situation has not changed one bit. I hope to find out why they are taking it really soon and then hope to get it back too.
1 person likes this
@mysdianait (66005)
• Italy
22 Feb 16
@jaboUK Yes I saw it 
Better an increase than a deduction. 
However I am so used to receiving letters from Italian public offcies/institutions etc that when I see one from UK I always fear what is inside. Fortunately it is always good news from there and totally different from how things work over here.
Better an increase than a deduction.
However I am so used to receiving letters from Italian public offcies/institutions etc that when I see one from UK I always fear what is inside. Fortunately it is always good news from there and totally different from how things work over here.1 person likes this
@jaboUK (64346)
• United Kingdom
22 Feb 16
@mysdianait Thanks for explaining. I deleted part of my original comment as I saw your other comment about getting an Italian pension. (which is what I asked you about, and I assume you saw it before I deleted it as you have answered that question).
1 person likes this
@JudyEv (381751)
• Rockingham, Australia
23 Feb 16
Vince paid our Visacard account and took some cash from our account then went to Centrelink (Social Services) and our pension has now gone up a little based on the bank balance. Not sure how long it will last. I don't think you ever win for long playing these guys.
1 person likes this
@mysdianait (66005)
• Italy
23 Feb 16
I fear you are right and it is so unfair too. Here they want to know tha average balance throughout the year in your bank to be able to asess you financially. Fortunately mine is always almost empty.
1 person likes this
@mysdianait (66005)
• Italy
23 Feb 16
@JudyEv That is very bad indeed. I imagine that older people have to deal with this office too and it is unfair that they must be expected to make a journey like that. Very unfair.
1 person likes this
@JudyEv (381751)
• Rockingham, Australia
23 Feb 16
@mysdianait It is the most dreadful organisation to deal with. You can wait 45 minutes or more on hold on the phone. They say don't send snail mail as you won't get an answer for several months and the website is very difficult to navigate. So some have to travel perhaps for several hours to attend the office where they might wait for an hour or so anyway before seeing anyone.
1 person likes this
@mysdianait (66005)
• Italy
23 Feb 16
Until I started receiving the pension I had no idea either that retired people pay taxes and I find it totally wrong, especially those who receive a very low amount for the pension.
@mysdianait (66005)
• Italy
22 Feb 16
I hope you will have good news! Corruption is rife here too and spoils it for the hionest people.
@stringer321 (5682)
• Kiryat Ata, Israel
22 Aug 16
Those monthly payments we have to watch all the time are annoying and I tend to forget about them and ignore them.
Many times, the mails that reports the payments are not so understandable, many components of the payments and the fees, who has the patience to investigate all of that ?
I used to pay Greenpeace 35 Shekel every month, and 2 years ago, I thought that I stopped.
I registered again and I have been paying 50 Shekels every month since then. I don't like it and when my credit card expires, I won't renew my payments to Greenpeace. Even though, they make a good job protecting earth. I think they need to volunteer more and don't recruit donations. They pay salary for the ones that recruit the contributors.
Plus, my pension is really bad, I haven't been working in a steady job and I'm already 34 and 7 months. :-(
I'm trying to save money and I hope my dad's savings will save me when I feel like retiring.
@mysdianait (66005)
• Italy
22 Feb 16
Thank you and I hope so too. It may not be a huge amount but every bit helps, especially noawadays.
@mysdianait (66005)
• Italy
22 Feb 16
Oh don't think that I am rich because that is definately not the case at all! Every little helps, especially if the others are taking some away. Thank you!
@mysdianait (66005)
• Italy
24 Feb 16
Ugh! I hope not Next thing they will be needing help for the US drones using the Italian military airport of Sigonella to go to Libia
Next thing they will be needing help for the US drones using the Italian military airport of Sigonella to go to Libia 
@mysdianait (66005)
• Italy
22 Feb 16
I hope it will sort it out and that the money will be refunded.
