to resent well off 60+ people that get free unlimited bus travel

[SuzzieScotland]

I can't afford a car, so I walk, cycle or bus everywhere.

The bus costs almost a pound a mile so it is seen as a treat for me.

A yearly ticket is 1000 or if your a student you can buy a £12 bus I'd card every year and get a yearly ticket that costs 750. This seams far too expensive.

Yet I see many pensioners who run two cars using the bus to get into town or to the airport totally free despite being well off. I think their would be uproar if a 20 pound admin fee a year was applied to these bus passes. In London a year ticket is 3k but anyone over 60 gets unlimited tube and bus despite 100000s of them still in full time work.

Just seams like the young and poor are getting a very raw deal to win grey votes.

[SuzzieScotland]

John, I don't have any of those apart from washing machine and carpet. Often work 60 hours a week, dh does close to 80 and heat our home by wood burner as central heating is too expensive.

Pensioners now are the richest people in society.

[PigletJohn]

with such hours, are you in business on your own? Not many employees like doing it, unless they feel they are being paid well.

[SuzzieScotland]

Dh is self employed, I do two jobs

[PigletJohn]

thanks.

I am a bit sad that you have no fridge, no phone, no car, no TV, and no home insulation, though.

[BleachedWhale]

OP - keep campaigning for retired, pension-drrawing non-earning folk to have free bus pases so that it is still in place when you are in that situation.

It's good that they spend theier money in shops etc and keep their money flowing, heaven forbid that they should add to congestion by driving in.

Older people typically travel at non-rush hour - they aren't denying you a seat, let go of your bitterness and stock up on karma.

[BleachedWhale]

"Pensioners now are the richest people in society."

What a ridiculous generalisation.

[SuzzieScotland]

Oh sorry John I do have a fridge.

I seen, I agree. I'm not saying all pensioners are rich, but on average they are compared to the young. The average person in their 6

[SuzzieScotland]

The average person in their 60s is far far richer than the average person in their 20s.

[Morgause]

Pensioners now are the richest people in society.

Telling lies doesn't help your case.

"The harsh reality of low income in later life
•1 in 6 pensioners (1.8 million or 16% of pensioners in the UK) live in poverty, defined as 60% of median income after housing costs
•Pensioners are also the biggest group of people on the brink of poverty with 1.2 million on the edge
•Low income in retirement is often linked to earlier low pay, or time out of employment - for example, due to caring responsibilities, disability or unemployment
•Women, those age 80 to 84, single people living alone, private tenants, and Pakistani and Bangladeshi people are at greater risk of pensioner poverty
•The numbers of people living on low income fell between 1997/98 and 2004/5; since then there has been little improvement "


1 in 6 pensioner is living in poverty

www.ageuk.org.uk/money-matters/income-and-tax/living-on-a-low-income-in-later-life/

[candycoatedwaterdrops]

Funny how older people find it perfectly acceptable to call the young lazy, but find it outrageous when the other is suggested.

Not sure if you were referring to me but I am actually 25.

[BleachedWhale]

Oh, for heavens sake!

Your 20s has always been a time of low income (building towards promotion) and high expenditure if you have started a family. Comparing people in ONE DECADE of a working life of 45 or 50 years of working life against 60 year olds - half of whom will still be working anyway if they have a retirement age of 65 - is silly maths.

Some pensioners will be wealthy, many, many many, are not.

Many people in their 20s are living a life of riley on relatively high earnings and no responsibilities, some are really struggling, some are very comfortable indeed.

[SuzzieScotland]

Mor that is propaganda.

All age groups have poverty. In the under 30s it is the highest.

If only 1 in 6 are in poverty why do 5 in 6 get the bus pass and rule discounts?

[SuzzieScotland]

Many people in their 20s are living a life of riley on relatively high earnings and no responsibilities


Care to put a percentage on that many?

[BleachedWhale]

You show your stats first.

[candycoatedwaterdrops]

"The average person in their 60s is far far richer than the average person in their 20s"

And in other news, bears shit in the woods....

Of course a person 40 years old than me has more money! They've been climbing the career ladder for 40 more years than me. They have had the opportunity to save money from 40 more years worth of wages.

[maggiemight]

Well you do sound unfortunate, but this All I want like millions of youngsters in the country, is to buy my own property is an example of what I mean, that you don't know what life was like for older people in their youth- it never crossed my mind when young in the 60s or 70s that I might once own my own property. That was what the privileged few did, doctors, lawyers etc. This is what I think you don't get. We may have money now but the life we lead up to that was pretty un luxurious.

My DM passed away at 87 a couple of years ago. Her latter life renting a housing assoc property and living on the basic pension, plus a few pounds from DF's pension, were the wealthiest she'd ever been. Her state pension was a lot of money compared to most of her adult life. The point, that it is all relative, and can't be compared to now is what I am trying to explain.

[SuzzieScotland]

How are young not sharing the wealth?

All is thread is about helping people based on need rather than age to win votes. Not anything to do with "hating old people" as others keep saying.

[Sicaq]

Your 20s has always been a time of low income, but today that time is telescoping out to cover your 30s and 40s. I'm early 40s and it is unusual indeed to find someone owning a home and not working 60 + hours a week just to keep their head above water. Holidays are non-existent, cars too expensive. Smartphones or not, those of working age today - in my view - tend to work harder and longer than those in the 60 - 75 age group ever did.

And I don't blame the pensioners for this, or resent them personally. I know many of pensionable age, including my father, who fully agree that the "young 'uns" are being well and truly shafted. A few refuse to use their bus passes in (a probably pointless) protest.

[echt]

Not quite on topic, but PigletJohn's description of life for many in the 60s was more or less mine, though we had a hand mangle washing machine and a TV. No holidays ever, or bikes.

Most of the people we knew were in the same position, and I mention this to support his general point, not to be playing the Three Yorkshiremen game.

[Debs75]

If you have a 20's couple vs a retired couple on the same income it is not the same. They both buy the same priced food, use the same priced gas and electric.
The retired couple will never have the chance to maximise their income further, they could be in ill health from working hard their whole lives. They have paid into the pension schemes and are now benefitting, however poorly from it.
The 20's couple have their whole life ahead of them to progress at work, to start a family they can make wise choices about their futures. OK they won't have everything they need and may have to scrimp for a while but that is how things work.

[ilovesooty]

This is the second thread the OP has started recently where she makes her resentment of older people very obvious.
I hope she gets to 60 odd and finds some contentment in her life. She seems to have the notion that she's the victim of some kind of exclusive raw deal.

[Greydog]

I'm now 60 - and qualify for a free local bus pass, but not a national one, and won't get that or my state pension until 2017. I got married in the 70s, and everything in our house, except for wedding presents was second hand. I still get most of my things from charity shops, and I'm sure there are lots of people who do. But during my last few years at work I noticed that amongst the ones who were getting married there were many (not all) who wanted everything - huge wedding, exotic honeymoon, and everything new in their home. It puzzled me as to how they would afford it, or even why they would want to spend so much money? If you're only young & starting out, why waste money like that?

[writtenguarantee]

1 in 6 pensioner is living in poverty

ok. give them a free bus pass. give the next 1/6 one too if they are on the brink of poverty. btw, i hope the definition of poverty includes wealth (not just income). Some pensioners are cash poor, but property rich. those people should have to pay.

that will now free up some cash for other worthy ventures (NHS, lowering university tuition for the poor etc etc).