I am an ex public service worker who was employed in the Benefit service. The level of abuse that many benefit workers received was enough to justify their early pensions. But as the good doctor points out, the government has managed to convince the public that they and only they pay for our pensions. But they in fact pay between 10 - 14% of their salaries toward their pension. With 14% pension, 12% NI and 20% tax, that makes a total of 46% of a public service employee salary deducted. More importantly, the last government agreed a deal with public service employees in 2005 to restructure pensions. They now want to rip up that agreement as if it never existed. Is this the kind of behaviour that people want of their elected government?