To think that with over 1million pensioners in poverty, removing the WFA makes Labour the nasty party, who tell blatant lies?

[TealTraybake]

And hypocritical lies at that. Just a few months ago Labour ‘vowed to be the party for pensioners’

‘Nearly 1 million people aged over 66 in the UK are living in deprivation, according to government statistics, the highest number since comparable records began.
Labour, which analysed figures from Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) records, has vowed to be the party for pensioners, with plans to insulate millions of homes and reduce energy bills. It has also “committed to retaining” the triple lock which guarantees annual rises to the state pension’

I understand the WFA should be means tested - but the current threshold is far too low. Food prices have gone up. Energy prices have gone up. Some pensioners need that WFA 🥺.

https://www.theguardian.com/society/2024/apr/16/nearly-1m-uk-pensioners-deprivation-official-figures

Well that’s ironic. As a mythical 6 figure unicorn I am quite well off. Plenty of people lining up to tax me to death and pull me down though. Despite my taxes paying a huge chunk into society. All very one sided this.

This.

"Why because they live in a house someone younger can't afford?
For gods sake stop being a martyr, there will always be someone better off than you for all sorts of reasons but that's not a good reason to bring them down."

@Scenicgirl why do you think it's acceptable to say this to someone? Is it because they are not a pensioner? If I said that pensioners need to accept that there will always be others who are better off than them and they just need to put up and shut up would you be okay with that?

A prime example really.

As a society I do want to protect the elderly alone pensioners I know. They won't be here much longer.

We need to reorganise whatever to make sure they get to stay where they are until then.

I’d agree with you. Reality is we can’t afford with with an ageing population and not enough net contributors.

Are you tired?

"Well that’s ironic. As a mythical 6 figure unicorn I am quite well off. Plenty of people lining up to tax me to death and pull me down though. Despite my taxes paying a huge chunk into society. All very one sided this."

@Aduvetday it's amazing isn't it? We are either earning too much and are monsters or not earning enough and are drains on society who need to pull our socks up.

NotSmallButFunSize · 11/09/2024 20:32

Yeah well, being of the generation that now has a £60k student loan debt, house prices 8 billion times my salary, affected by endless cuts to public services (have been asked already this school year to buy my son nearly £100 worth of resources just for him to be able to study for his GCSEs because it is unaffordable for the school) etc etc etc.

I personally think it's time the older generations took their turn at being affected by austerity.

They're not the only ones with fucking massive energy bills 🙄most of the rest of us have fucking massive mortgages too.

All of this. Many older people (baby boomers) are utterly clueless about the real-life genuine struggles of younger people - millennials and Gen Z, and also many of Gen X. Their ignorance - and sense of entitlement is quite breathtaking. It never ceases to amaze me.

As pps have said, over 65s are not all fragile wispy little feathers who will blow away in the wind. Many of them are tough, assertive, and strong, and some have better physical health than some people a generation younger. I bloody well know plenty of them. And I know they go on lengthy cruises, they redecorate their home every 2 years, they maintain massive gardens, they do half marathons, and do 7-10 mile walks every weekend (and several 5 mile walks in between,) and they go scuba diving, and horse riding etc... No WAY would they have problem moving house (in order to downsize.)

And as I said, most of them have never given a shiny shite about all the cuts younger people have had to suffer over the years, OR the massive house prices they have had to endure, OR the fact that uni fees were tripled over a decade ago, and peoples PIP and ESA was taken away if they didn't tick the right boxes on the form, or meet the points target on the 'descriptors' page!

And along with free uni education and super cheap houses, the generations that followed the baby boomers will not benefit from gold plated final salary private pensions, and massive payments from endowment mortgages. Like THE baby boomers did.

Yes it IS about time pensioners/baby boomers got hit with something. They have been shielded, and had it easy for a long time. I really REALLY don't care if anyone thinks I sound callous or unfeeling. I genuinely don't care, so save your breath.

I have had (as someone who is Gen X) so much fucking shit to deal with financially over the years, and been shit on from a great height by various governments, and had insanely high house prices, and job losses, and pensions that have tanked, and been on the bones of my arse.

And I am now seeing my DCs generation (millennials) struggling with very high house prices, the high cost of living, (and high energy bills too!) several job losses, and also being almost £60,000 in debt from uni. So forgive me if I don't cry the pensioners/baby boomers a river, or get my violin out for them for losing the £300 a year - that most of them don't even fucking need!!!!!!!!!!

Quite.

Are you unable to read? I have posted on this multiple times over the last few days.

I get the paying a large chunk into society via tax argument but I think we can do better than making an elderly alone pensioner have to move in the last years and suffer due to that

I'm happy to look at other options but that one really gets to me

It gets to me as well. However with an ageing population this isn’t going away and will get worse unless we have more people contributing.

Your 2nd sentence reinforced my point about being a martyr.
I also pay a large amount of tax, hey ho that's the price of earning a large salary........

It really didn’t…

@HeySummerWhereAreYou I agree with you.

I will never forget my mum lamenting the fact that she "only" had three bedrooms in each of her two homes and she'd always wanted to own bigger homes. My mum worked for 25 years and retired at 60. I have already worked for nearly that long and I don't have the one home yet never mind the beachside apartment.

My mum did not finish secondary school. I have a doctorate that I earned while also working full time. But yeah, I need to pull my socks up.

That’s pretty much what you’re saying about pensioners. We’re either millionaires with mortgage free mansions, gold plated pensions and champagne lifestyles or benefit dependent failures who refused to make provision for their old age.

Do you think older people live in complete isolation from the rest of society? They are parents and grandparents who care about their families and are well aware of the various struggles of different generations - a lot help out their children/grandchildren where they can. You are making a lot of sweeping generalisations about baby boomers (not to mention sounding incredibly bitter)

If I could like this a 100x I would. We earn really well and have a nice house. Many of my school friends who didn’t go into finance or tech rent. They have had to move away from their home town. Some didn’t have children full stop. Coming home to roost now as we have a disenfranchised youth and workforce. A tax system which penalises work and no-one to pay for the ageing and sickening population. Own goal.

Why do you not agree that that it is worrying that "some" pensioners will be severely impacted by the loss of £300 purely because they may be a few pounds over the threshold?
For the record, I'm not a pensioner but I have a heart and hate to think that an old person would be sat in the cold because they can't afford heating.
PS I'm not talking about the wealthy pensioners!

But some of them are frail and would suffer, there are a few on my road

They are the ones I don't want you to cause disruption to because of the rest of your post.

They are elderly, not just retired. They will probably not be here in a few years. People can wait.

@Scenicgirl you answer my question first and then I'll answer yours.

My thoughts exactly!

You actually asked 3.

"You actually asked 3."

@Scenicgirl I was under the impression we were having a mature debate - how disappointing.