To think it’s crazy that National Minimum wage is £27k

You can get fast fibre broadband for about half that. Anyone paying over £50 pm for a phone contract is paying for an expensive phone so a luxury that's not an essential, especially when we're talking about people on low incomes.

I know! I had to look at that that twice. Private school fees 😂

You are unbelievably out of touch if you think those amounts are normal. Our water costs are similar to yours, but our other costs are less than half.

Seeing as we're talking about people on low incomes, they're unlikely to be paying anywhere like those costs or living in the big houses that need over £5k pa in utilities and council tax.

😆 It's £45 a month for home phone and broadband (until recently paid by DH's employer) and 3 x £6 a month sim only packages. I don't know anyone doing it much cheaper. Most of my younger colleagues are paying £50 plus for one mobile.

A decade later the union had gone - and where you doing a night shift with a 30% premium on your wages

By 1990s manufacturing was moving away, it has had its day

12 years to late for you

I was earning more than you for a 20 hour week in 1989, as I got an evening shift premium, than you were 3 years later

Yes, a PP seems to think grandparents paying private school fees for their grandchildren is normal. They clearly inhabit a different world to the majority. I also don't know any pensioners in 4 or 5 bedroom houses.

I’m late 40’s. Able to buy a house at age 23 which has set us up basically. A few years younger we’d never have got on the housing ladder when we did. Have managed to buy and sell a couple of times to be in our current home. I am well aware that had I not bought the first house when I did for the price I did my life would be very different. It irritates me when people don’t realise they were lucky to buy a house pre 2003 when things started to go tits up.

They worked full time from 16 and saved often from very young. Those who bought in London young though usually had family help.

I know housing costs can be insane, I said that. But even with those included say £20k a year, we still would live comfortably on £41k for a couple. The house next door which is better than ours, is rented out for £1400 a month, so in reality we would pay less housing costs than £20k a year.

A lot of current pensioners were married in their early 20s and able to afford a decent, family house. The older folk I know were able to do this on fairly moderate wages. Some of them bought in London.

You live in a different world from me. Probably a different country too.

£750 for phones and the internet? Jesus I though we were bad at £230!

I’m trying to think of any who don’t, amongst our friends.,

God, I don't know any that do!

That is unbelievably low. We pay over £3k council tax, £2.5k gas/electric, £500 water, £750 phones and internet.

c.£7000

DF pays around £5k as a single person.

😆 Funnily enough I know a lot of tradesmen who earn exactly that figure on paper.

I should imagine if the current tax free allowance of £12,570 goes up then so will his ‘earnings’.

He has a very good tax accountant and some great customers who really appreciate a discount for cash.

And I don’t think that there is anything at all wrong with that btw, I absolutely love a tradesman who provides a discount for cash.

This has probably been covered in the rest of the thread but it’s got very long!

A four/five bedroom house which is what most of the pensioners I know live in.

A million? What type of house?

Posted too soon with fat fingers. I still save the £200 every month and that goes towards home improvements. I save £150 a month which goes towards paying annual house and car insurance and other annual payments. I put £200 aside for food and petrol and I pay monthly water, council tax, tv and broadband package, tv licence, pet insurance mobile phone and I put £100 for gas and electricity combined. Surplus goes into the savings account at the end of the month.

i'm now on my own as my partner who didn't contribute regularly and took more than he put in has moved out a week ago. Considering I've used less than one toilet roll in a week I can see my bills decreasing.

I haven't been abroad for years but have the occasional weekend away I would say I live very nicely on my wages.

They did but the PP was talking about pensioners being poor compared to people in work and I was responding to that as it’s not my experience. Also the difference in cost between their flat and the pensioners houses is about £1 million. How will they ever bridge that gap???

I'm on just a few pence above nmw and my contracted hours are 25 a week. I have to work extra to cover colleagues and last month I has just under £1,400 for the month. My mortgage is paid off but I still save the £200 a mon

They were being sarcastic. So many tradesmen report earnings of £12,570 (ie the tax free allowance) and charge cash above that. IE tax evasion.

How do you work out the £500 less?

We are pensioners, 75 and 82.
Five bed house, no mortgage.
Three cruises so far this year, another coming up in November, long haul last January.
Last tax return shows we paid tax on £31, 000 and £85,000 Teachers and DWP pensions
Many long years earning those teachers’ pensions.

There are still things like child benefit to add in. I know that’s not tonnes but if there are other things like that then you can see where it would add up.

1000 a month is quite a bit of leftover money. Especially after food.