To think well done on Tue government for looking after OAPs

[Marue]

Fair play to the Tories they are looking after pensioners. There is lots of Tory bashing on here but the people that have worked hard their whole lives for the benefit of the country are rightly being looked after. They have kept to their word and I'm pleased to live in a country that looks after the elderly and makes sure they dont have to freeze or starve themselves.

Just felt like we needed a positive thread after that other one :)

Yeah, well done dismantling the NHS so many pensioners rely on. Way to fucking look after people. And the shambles that is the care system. The Tories really look after that well.

Cannot believe there are still people naive enough to fall for the 'worked hard all their lives' load of bollocks. For the benefit of the country? Haahahaaa.

Let's hope all those pensioners have cars because bus services are being cut left, rightn and centre.

Hahahaha very funny OP, very funny!

Sadly I suspect you're not joking though.

Who says these pensioners have all worked hard all their lives? Generalisation?
I know plenty of OAPs who spent their working lives as skiving bastards, and most of them are now rich bastards.
Oh, and it's those of us who are currently working and paying taxes that are paying for them. When today's pensioners were working they were paying for yesterday's pensioners.

You won't think that if you ever have to be discharged from hospital to a care home, the care is shocking.

That's all any bloody government will look after. I wish for once the cuts would affect the pensioners (biggest welfare users) and the money be used to help working aged families.

Yes I'm in a bad mood

Pensions make up over 60% of the welfare budget.

Yes. So the majority of the welfare budget

I wonder if they'll look after the next generation of pensioners, who will also have worked hard for the benefit of the country, as well. Somehow I doubt it. I'm not expecting there to be a universal state pension by the time we retire. I don't think we'll even have an NHS!
I'm very glad they haven't taken anything from vulnerable pensioners (why would they? They're the ones who vote for them), but to take from children, the sick and disabled while handing out fuel allowances and travel passes to very wealthy older people is wrong.
If it's possible to assess other benefits according to income, I don't know why it's impossible for pensioners.

Oh and care homes are private enterprises. There are no state run homes.

Meanwhile, those of us who haven't yet reached retirement age are watching that happy Nirvana retreat further and further into the future, because apparently the pensions bill is so high that the country can't afford people to retire until they're nearly dead. At the same time, education leavers in their late teens/early 20s are scrabbling round for employment because 60+ year olds haven't vacated the jobs they might otherwise be doing. The only way I can see this making economic sense is if unemployment benefits are massively cheaper than retirement ones. It certainly doesn't make emotional sense.

Vom.

REALLY
oh yes lets forget about disabled children/adults......lets be positive that they look after some OAPS not all

Lots of pensioners haven't worked hard all their lives. And why should rich pensioners get benefits, because that's what Winter Fuel Allowance, Free bus pass and TV licence are, when the working poor, sick, disabled and unemployed are getting their's cut?

The only reason the Tories look after the pensioners is because they vote for them.

Very fucking funny.
I've lost out on 6 years of pension, 6 years of bus pass, the waiting times for a new hip are ridiculous, disability payments are being denied.
They've taken from the young, the poor, the unemployed, the disabled, are taking from the old - only people they're not taking from are the wealthy.

My Dad did fuck all, all of his 'working' life, but he did fuck all in a naice office, wearing a suit. The bloke sitting outside the petrol station shivering for a few pence works harder than he did.

yes I love the idea that every 60 year old in the UK 'worked hard' all their lives!

60 is hardly 'elderly' btw

wouldn't it be nice if we could look after other people as well

I don't begrudge pensioners their benefits - I don't begrudge anyone their benefits - but your hyperbole is daft

With four grandparents trying to get care at the minute I don't see how any of them are being looked after with £11,000 a MONTH care bills. Who the fuck elderly are you talking about being looked after?!

Pensioners are the demographic most likely to vote. The government will want to please them, which is why state pension increases by approx 2.2% yearly whilst public sector workers get a 1% salary increase, and tax credits and child benefit are cut/frozen. Universal pensioner benefits are untouched, no means testing there. Not all these pensioners worked hard. Some did, some coasted, some were skivers, as with any age group.

I grew up in the 1970s and 1980s, when many pensioners had lived through two wars. I sort of understand the "for their country" argument then, given what they'd endured (although again, I guess not all of them were brave and self-sacrificing). However, today's pensioners have avoided forced active service in world wars and have enjoyed massive house price inflation, NHS provision, universal vaccination programmes, free university tuition, the option of investing in privatised shares, the welfare state...they're not a hard done by group by any means.

people the OP is on a wind up.
we would be better talking about something else (LIKE sexy firemen/woman) than engaging

If you have moved into a care home you no longer need your house so you sell it to pay for your board and lodging (bills you'd pay in your own home regardless of income) and if you have enough you pay your care on top.

At £11k for 4 adults that's £2500 per person. That's really pretty cheap for residential care

Is it because of the recent Conservative conference all these threads are suddenly popping up? Or is it because of the Scottish elections next year?

Of course they look after pensioners, that's their core vote. It won't stop them whinging on about the benefits bill whilst artistically failing to mention that the vast majority of it is accounted for by pensioners.

The population is growing older and we cannot sustain their health or social care but people will always blather on about their state pensions. How lucky, eh? FFS.

Not to disagree with your main point, saucony, but IMO we can sustain the health and social care needs of an ageing population. It's all a question of how much tax we want to pay and what we want to spend it on. I'm not advocating high tax as such, but it is a choice that could be made.