AIBU to wonder why a pensioner struggling financially would not use housing equity?

[Powerbungalow]

I'm not being unsympathetic

Theres a lady on the news at the moment, saying how times are tough and shes only cooking one meal a week - imagine she's eating cold food.

One thing that stood out though "I own my own house and it costs in maintenance" Depending on where she is, would you not get a life time mortgage or sell and rent? She has a big asset, why not use it to have a better life? I know I would.

She may be holding on to it for inheritance, but she didn't say - if so, then can her family help. It just seems totally crazy

@StealMySunshining the IHT levy on pensions is going to affect us dramatically. We are going to spend it - and that's the purpose of it.

I mean... you should be spending your pension pot, that is literally what it is for, not hoarding money for your children.

Care to tell us what you think the solution is?

Good. That’s the whole point of it.

Exactly. I would love to not spend my money on my living expenses but them’s the breaks.

No. Because you don’t want a solution. Why change a system that vastly benefits you, eh?

But I bet if you were our child, you'd be pissed off. Mum and dad, bloody boomers, having loads more luxury and comfort.

The ones claiming that they're victims on here aren't the pensioners. The perpetual moaning isn't coming from them. It's coming from others endlessly griping about them but with no answers and not likely to be any seeing as none of you who're unhappy with the older generation have any suggestions. Is it means testing as soon as retirement hits that you want to see who gets SP? Is it selling up or equity release you want to force as soon as retirement hits? Give us a clue

And that’s where you fall down: the assumption that I’m that selfish.

You want the taxpayer to prop you up so that you can hoard as much wealth as possible so that your children benefit? That says it all, and I think the previous generations would be ashamed of that viewpoint, just as the generations that come after you are. I’m certainly ashamed.

Respectfully, our tax bill last year exceedes £100k, from about 2009 to 2016 it exceeded £250k. I think we have more than paid our way. We certainly have nothing to be ashamed of.

Just pull up the ladder behind you and be done with it.

Is that an inference that we have never supported society.

Come on why don't you tell us how old you are, what you earn, how much tax you pay and how much you have had in UC/free childcare/tax credits, etc. How much you are paying into your pension and how old you were when you started.

only 36% of the cohort born between 1937-1946 were in FT work for more than 75% of their adult lives.

That will be because a lot of them are dead, particularly those who were miners (remember them?) and other manual workers and women live longer than men so are over represented in that cohort. Women frequently worked part time

Current pensioners were predominantly born between 1945 and 1960, do you have corresponding figures covering that age group?

I am paying the appropriate, proportional rate of tax for my income. Just like you should be. Except I don’t moan about paying it.

Tell me you don’t understand how statistics work without telling me you don’t understand.

Oh, the irony.

Oh and I don’t have children and have never claimed UC or tax credits. But guess what? I don’t begrudge my taxes going to support children, schools, working parents and maternity units. In actual fact, I wish more of my taxes went towards those things.

My husband worked in the chemical industry from age 15 to 65 and died from pancreatic cancer at 67. He didn't take much from the system so that should please some of the know it alls on here.

Income tax is one thing. Other taxes arising from earnings that have already been taxed is another. Pensions are the exception to that because of the tax breaks involved and I've no beef about the IHT on personal pensions.

We pay all taxes that we are legally required to pay and have never endeavoured not to do so.

My dad worked from the age of 14 when his own father died. He worked until the age of 66 and died of a heart attack at the age of 68. That still doesn’t change my viewpoint. Because the UK government cannot base policy decisions on my father’s or my circumstances.

I know how taxes work-why are you assuming I don’t? I still don’t agree with you. I am a homeowner, have a DB and a private pension, have investments and savings, and I still don’t agree with you.

But I love that you assume I must be poor because I want equality.

So your solution is ......

It would be lost on you.

Try me. Don't be rude and don't be shy. I'm beginning to think you don't have one.

Equality or socialism/communism? I'd like you to have as much as the very wealthy. Nothing stops that except yourself.