A million skilled EU workers see their future outside Britain

Getting the dole is not an easy option, apart from anything else it is becoming harder and hard to qualify under the new Universal Credit scheme.

It is a level playing field and you are never going to see those million unemployed go away that number is close to being structural in this economy.

You currently have people revolving through unemployment continuously that 1.3 million are never all the same people however there will be some permanently unemployed like my old friend Smith (deceased).

I used the Dole long time ago here is my record, I had my first job age 15 which is why the numbers work out as they do.

Without it I could have become a bum who contributed nothing instead of the 42 years I have contributed, have a look at the third image that's my NI contribution last year.

edit: many of my earlier NI years I paid a lot more than that.




These are the gaps in my record.




And here are the details


Last years numbers this is NI contributions alone.

Yes I know

I'm taking the logical and common sense route here Jim. I could easily say I asked 10 people if they eat bacon sandwiches, and using the methodology you describe, I'm confident that translates as 10 million eat bacon sandwiches. It certainly is a divisive science, and you wonder why people are sceptical and suspicious of these so called surveys.

I check my NI contributions online on a yearly basis, and I've only got 5 more years of contributions before I'm entitled to full state pension. Only problem is I can't claim till I'm 67, which is 17 years away. So any NI contributions after the 5 years make zero difference to the amount of state pension I will be entitled to. I fully expect the age limit to rise anyway, so I foresee 69 or 70 being a more realistic age. I suppose this is what happens when people live longer.