The pension scheme fallout

THE dream of "living happily ever after" has turned into a financial nightmare for hundreds in the EU Early Retirement scheme for farmers.

Many say they were "short changed", because their pensions were not index-linked, leaving their incomes eroded by inflation, and losing half their buying power over the ten-year pension term.

But the big shock was unexpected 'claw-back' bills from the Department of Agriculture for thousands of euro.