to hope the government has the guts to tax WEALTHY pensioners more

[ReallyTired]

The Fabian society has suggested that wealthy pensioners pay more tax.

www.bbc.co.uk/news/education-22220345

Some how I can't see a conservative wanting to tax wealthy pensioners more when they all vote Tory.

I find it unfair that pensioners with an income more the average family's income get free bus buses, winter fuel allowance, TV licence as well as paying less tax and national insurance. It is about time that the the wealthy pensioners took their share of the pain of the cuts.

I am in favour of well off pensioners having free bus passes, winter fuel allowance as these things encourage independence and improve health. I would like to see the money for these things clawed back by WEALTHY pensioners paying more income tax.

Square [17:45:30] you mean me! Me with 2 dc and 3 stepdc,me who worked for over 30 years with a total of 6 months off when babies were small, me who worked all day then did a degree in the evenings as I knew I would be chief breadwinner one day.Yes me-you on your £52k a year dare to call me entitled .
I do feel entitled to my pension and to my now mortgage free home. I pay my taxes as I always have and always will.I have had no other 'benefits'.You appear incredibly imcompetent in the management of your £52k.

No, he is not paying your share - we all are.

You don't hand!

And Grey I don't know your exact finances however 2 x salaries on less than 52k will often be pretty equal when you take in 2 x tax allowance,CB,TC,living in a cheaper area etc,etc.

If you're poor we're not talking about you.

But who are these wealthy pensioners. You are too vague. I would say they are retired lawyers/ doctors/ perhaps those who had their own business/ top civil servants/ retired bankers. Really a tiny fraction of the pop. So nailing them for more money will produce v little. If you include retired nurses, police, which would increase the numbers, well, they really don't have big enough pensions imv unless they were at the top of their game, so then there are also v few of them.

On the strength of you ILaws who appear to be doing v well you re wanting to change things to help yourself to a better lifestyle. But really, were ILs swanning in thousand pound holidays when they were your age. I bet not.

One thing which skewedthings was the late 80s house price boom. But there are swings and roundabouts there too, someone must have bought at the top of the market.

How?

I have continued to pay my NI and I think somebody mentioned further down thread that 52k would cover it.I presume you mean my cost to the NHS during these years(not a lot,never ill and I pay my own prescriptions unlike wealthy pensioners).

If not why exactly is it not ok to help fund my paultry 5 years off but it is ok to fund those pensioners who have never worked,are wealthy?

Also do you really think your DH's salary will not go up over the next 35-40 years, that you will not be in a position to earn and save towards your old age?

Most people struggle when their dcs are little. But go back 40 years later and it can be a different story, DCs left home for a start so less to share the income with.

She does mean you Grey, and she means me too when the time comes. Whilst she is at home not contributing tax wise the rest of us will fund her. No way will her DH fund his pension, hers and her NHS usage and education of her children. It is surprising how many people think others can fund their decision. Anyone as long as its not them...

I am not poor, I am not rich but I am comfortable and I dont feel guilty at all about that.I worked hard to get to this point.

Hand are you not reading my posts.I will have had 5 years off,I've never claimed anything bar CB.

How can you justify people retiring early,never working,being rich and climbing benefits however my 5 years are seen as an unfair drain.That is utter hypocrisy and just silly.

My dp is 48, not a spring chicken and people his age are reaching their ceiling in his sector.He does work hard and is good at his job so we'll see.

Kind of not seeing why they are entitled to their benefits,not expected to help the country financially,mil isn't seen as work shy etc,etc and I who has had 5 fecking years off in a lifetime am seen as lazy,not entitled to comment or to question millions of the younger generation continuously being clobbered.

You're fucking unreal, square.

You talk about 5 years off as if it's a drop in the ocean. It's at least 10% of a working life!

Millions of people don't have 5 fucking weeks out of work in a lifetime, nevermind 5 years!

And then you're preaching about how everyone else should be contributing to repaying the deficit!

You're contributing sweet FA and then bitching about how other people are getting something you won't get.

Jealous, bitter and grabby.

Who is retiring early or are rich having never worked? Unless you have married someone rich and are still with them. Think we are getting back to your PIL's who you clearly dislike.

Plenty of people won't have worked the years I will have and claimed an awful lot more.

Nobody is supporting me.Dp's money is my money,everything is joint and I get nothing free or any benefits.

That's ridiculous hand.

What shellyboobs said. Square you are on here bitching about pensioners. There is no NEED for you to do that.

Oh and Shelly I worked and saved for my 5 years off.I didn't start trying for a family until 30 and I had bought a flat and had my first 5 years later and instead of spending shedloads on an expensive lifestyle I saved for my 5 years off instead.

Also I had 3 in a year so having 5 years off was unavoidable and comparable to others with their dc spread out taking a year or two off each time.

I have worked at least part time since I was 16 yo. I have paid NI for 30 years. I still have 20 years to go. I deserve not be starving in a garret somewhere come my retirement. I am not expecting 20k holidays per year. I am not expecting any holidays per year.

Nobody is supporting me.Dp's money is my money,everything is joint and I get nothing free or any benefits.

You are not contributing to reducing the deficit.

You're just saying everyone else should!

What your DH earns is neither here nor there.

So let's get this straight there should be no discussion re wealthy pensioners ever and things should carry on exactly as they are.

Good luck with that one then.

Blimey Shelley, I wouldn't have put it quite as direct but you asre right... I have a very entitled customer! You wouldn't like to come and talk to them would you! They are a complete nightmare.

No it isn't Shelly,it is my money too,I facilitate it,I enable him to earn it as I funded his Masters and I'm caring for his children.

So how much are all the workers under the new tax threshold contributing or yes dare I say it pensioners?

The pensioners already paid YEARs off tax and continue to do so if they are wealthy. You are quibbling over a free bus pass, heck work gives me one of those, and WFA, which as already argued would cost more to work out who really deserves one.

Coming back into the employment market is very difficult. Wanting to work part time is even more difficult. I don't know what your skills are Square, are you going to come on next year saying you cannot find a role that fits in with your lifestyle...

Its the main reason I didn't do it. You are also putting great pressure on your partner to provide for you IMHO

thegreylady Hey the trouble is that until you get older no one knows what it is like yeh? They can only project as how they THINK life will be .
We know that we worked bloody hard with no child care /incentives from government /handy grandparents to look after our children .........trying to help our children with todays world . Paid our taxes.
I dont work now because my husband is ill . I dont claim benefits for myself. Our choice . My retirement age for pension has risen from 60 to 67 in the last few years . I was not given time to make up those years .

If my OH dies I am in deep shit despite working from age of 18 until 55 with all stamps and insurance paid .

And yes I will suck it up although I was told my pension was assured at age 60 . But too late for me now to do anything about it .
Ill health and the kind of work you do can sneak up on you as you age .

I

No hand I'm actually more than ready to go back,I'd like a change so not narrow in view.My kids are all in school there is no lifestyle to fit into.

There is no pressure on dp thanks to his Masters(and other qualifications I funded) he is very secure,masses of work in London and we'd move if needs be.Done that more than once.

Soooo if pensioners as a demographic are never to be discussed in any way shape or form how are we going to derease the ever increasing trillions?You've scorned any suggestion on here.

Just found this article in the Independent, so the government are obviously thinking about this too.

www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/politics/coalition-tax-on-pensioners-perks-will-spark-grey-backlash-8586825.html