Why don’t Labour get it?

The scales have finally fallen and now the envy is clear to see…

These pensioners have worked hard for everything they have. People like my dad, a joiner who owns his own building firm and worked a manual job in all weathers for almost 50 years. I can count the number of days he's taken off sick on one hand.

It’s easy to sneer. But just remember that one day, you will be a pensioner and so will any children you have.

Pensioners were the working generation for years. They had their time of penny pinching and hard work. Were probably less entitled too. I think about my parents who had one holiday a year - never abroad - both worked. We weren’t well off. They deserve a nice retirement.

The trouble is people are not being incentivised to work hard and do well. I'm disabled but work two jobs. I get taxed to death to pay for benefits for people less ill than me. We're not eligible for anything other than PIP because DH has a professional salary. I'm funding benefits for others and a pension for others that I will never live to see.

There is an entitlement in many young people that simply didn't exist when I was growing up. We expected to have to work hard to have nice things. We expected to have to work in jobs we didn't like so we could climb the ladder. We didn't get to say we were too 'anxious' or 'depressed' to go to work.

My parents spent their first married years living with my granny because they were waiting for a council house. We do need to build more affordable housing stock which can't pass into private hands!

Target pensioners again.

The triple lock was a good policy when introduced but it should be paused now. Regardless of what pensioner spend in garden centres.

I think it should be a lot higher. We shouldn’t have billionaires and millionaires when working people cannot afford to live.

Imagine a society where the working generation could afford to have some disposable income as opposed to facing the highest tax burden since WW2, and barely being able to afford to live.

What proportion of income tax do you think comes from the top 10% of earners? What do you think the right proportion should be?

I do think logically.

Your responses on this thread demonstrate that....

Oh here we go again. Target pensioners again. If it wasn’t for pensioners a lot of places wouldn’t survive. Garden centres, National trust etc, holiday cottages, cafes and shops. (Google grey economy). They easily put their pensions back into the economy.

@TwistyTurnip whoever you vote for the fact remains we have an ageing population and that it costs.

I do think logically. That’s why I will never, ever vote Labour, and will be glad to see them gone come the next election.

As yes, because us younguns just spend spend spend!! Nothing to do with the baby boomer generation hoarding property and wealth

No AI needed to spot the arrogance in pretending pensioners haven’t earned their dues through decades of NI contributions. The pension’s not a gift, it’s payback

@TwistyTurnip think logically about it & perhaps read about how pensions are funded.

This is the issue. It’s not “demonising” them to point out the genuine issues that exist in this country. Last year when they tried to means test the WFA you had swathes of people sat in million pound plus houses complaining that without it, they couldn’t afford to heat their homes.

so downsize. Much the same as any working family would do if they couldn’t afford to run their household.

No AI needed to spot the arrogance in pretending pensioners haven’t earned their dues through decades of NI contributions. The pension’s not a gift, it’s payback. Try again 😊

By equity in property you mean second homes, portfolios- not a pensioners primary residence I take it.
Hardly fair to say to the home owner you can live off the money in your home but continue to fund the rent for those who spent their money rather than saving and buying a home.

@HeavenInMyHeart I don't think we should demonise pensioners but it is frustrating that so many don't seem to understand the economic realities. Just mentioning that we have an ageing population and that it costs results in cries of ageism.

Why should the taxpayers sustain people’s inheritances?!

They shouldn't obviously.

NI? Pension? Possible student loan?

A minimum wage shelf stacker working 40 hours a week takes home £1753 nett pay a month currently - under my scheme he'd take home £1777. He's actually very slightly better off so I don't see a problem.

It’s absolutely awful, isn’t it? The way a lot of pensioners act is the snatching of the ladder behind them.

They benefitted from lower costs of living and low property prices. But now they face paying a fair share, they revolt. The number of pensioners who sit in huge houses, saying they can’t afford to heat and run them, but refuse to downsize because they want to pass it on, is staggering. Why should the taxpayers sustain people’s inheritances?!

Now, the typical pensioner household is likely to have higher living standards than a working-age family. And the poorest fifth of pensioner households are better off than the poorest fifth of working-age families.

This isn't sustainable

In which case you shouldn’t be discussing politics!!

It's not the doctors fault that the shelf stacker preferred relaxing, hobbies and socialising to studying for a better paid job.

We need shelf stackers and doctors so advising everyone to be a doctor is pointless.

This is the DH you despise and you’re leaving him @MincePiesAndStilton ?