I live in Ireland and get the UK pension. Even with the 20 sterling a week increase as I was on Incapacity so many years before reaching 60, this was way below Irish pension levels. I was told I could not get it topped up but meta very kind Social Welfare Complaints officer at a craft fair who told me I could. The difference is gratefully received. We get all kinds of extra bits here so like you I am not grumbling. Far from it. Here too the pensionable age is rising; we are living longer...

I'm grumbling. Really grumbling.

My original pension age 60 then was raised to 63, then with very little notice it went up to 64. Luckily we had savings, but our finances were based on the on pension being received at 63. Of course, with the pension age rising so has the age for other benefits, ie free travel, fuel allowances and other related benefits. As it happens, I wouldn't have applied for these, but the last raise in age really did discriminate against women.

Yep, bring the men and women's rate to age parity, but for goodness sake do it fairly - giving people the chance to prepare financially

I know the feeling Chris, mine was 60 then 64 and 4 months, then 66 and now 65 and 11 months because about 300,000 women were unfairly affected. I don't want to seem ungrateful but what difference does 1 month make. Luckily I had 2 private pensions I could take, one at 55 and one at 60. They tell us to plan for our future and then pull the rug out from under us.