Let’s have compulsory national service for 65 year olds

[Barleypilaf]

So, if it’s a good idea to press-gang 18 year olds into national service, why don’t we do the same for those getting their pension? Everyone in the first year of pension should spend at least one weekend per month doing volunteering in their community. It would help to build community spirit, help the NHS and improve people’s fitness.

There are probably a number of people doing just that. Volunteering in charity shops, libraries, CAB, hospital drivers, National Trust, reading in schools, governors, local councillors. Just the ones I can think of immediately, that I know people do. There’s probably quite a lot more.

What’s more, this is probably one of those “mad” ideas that would probably actually be of benefit - tackle social isolation, create community, bring people together, etc etc.

itll never happen.

Look I get why you are pissed off with the National Service proposals but why are you turning on another generation? They aren’t one collective group and a fair chunk of them will not be in favour of the idea.

We need to stop turning on one another. There has been a deliberate attempt by politicians to make us do this and it needs to stop as we are playing directly into their hands with their blatant manipulation and it doesn’t benefit us as a society.

Loads of retired people volunteer already - it's one of the great draws of retirement!

Exactly, We should get the rest to do the same. Everyone would benefit and there would be no need to pay a wage, as they already get the pension.

This would actually be a really beneficial idea so it will never happen. There used to be loads of day centres were over 60’s could pay a couple pound get a meal, socialise and do bit of bingo/ watch entertainment but they’ve all been closed down due to cuts in funding.

Don’t you think that many pensioners already give their time freely to help others.

Given that the alternative to the Military style service (which would never happen in the UK again, my doctorate thesis explains why if you'd like a copy, but TL:DR it's for the same reasons that the US was one of the first big powers to abolish it) is 25 days National voluntary service in places where volunteers keep the place going, I'd agree with @Bluevelvetsofa that an awful lot of pensioners are already doing it.

Shame your ageist dog whistle won't work. Try harder. (you could also have a read of the 10 but going up every minute threads about this in Active.

I agree most of the volunteers I know are elderly. National Trust, charity shops, hospital guides etc.

I suppose it makes sense because they’re retired, I imagine when they were working they didn’t do these things as they wanted to keep their slither of free time.

It's a common or garden Ageism thread. Nothing to do with politics.

You’re right, it’s a horrible policy and yet another targetted at the young. But aiming it at their only voters isn’t going to go down well and won’t attract the Reform voters that it’s designed for.

I’d have all Tory & reform voters first in the queue for armed services….its what they support so let them be the first to show willing!
Id also include lib dem voters…. Their glorious leader Clegg supported keeping Cameron in power-leading to the brexit vote & look what a mess that got us into!

I’m in my 70s and have spent the last 30 years as a carer for elderly parents, grandchildren and husband. It goes on and on. I’ve saved the government a fortune in medical and caring fees. I also volunteered as a school governor for over 20 years. How much more can I give?

No one gets the state pension at 65 now. I'm older than that and still working. National service would interfere with that.

Not that I want to see this implemented for young people either.

This is just another tiresome pensioner bashing thread.

Exactly

Maybe get all mums with under 5’s to join the army for a year. This would encourage the 18 yr olds to work in 24 hour nurseries? Win win!

Pension age is 66 now and rising, so your 65 year olds will be too busy working to do national service.

A sizable number of retired people already volunteer and without their contribution many services from hospitals to food banks to advice agencies would be even more stretched or would cease to exist. Anyone with any knowledge of the sector also knows that forced 'volunteers' are a far greater liability than asset.

Erm... I can think of more retirees that volunteer (and often much more than one weekend a month) than don't.

The ones that don't are either undertaking some Grandparent childcare (allowing their adult offspring to work more and therefore contribute more taxes) or are not really retired as such and still have a hand in a business, often their own.

I don't think I actually know any retirees still in good health who do none of the above.

I completely agree.

It's purely a vote winning policy, designed to attract votes from older people who perceive the youngsters to be lazy.

Why not force everyone to do something? Oh - not such a vote winner now is it!

OP isn't getting the reaction they hoped for. Oh dear.

Oh look another ageist thread bashing pensioners on MN.

Colour me shocked.

@Barleypilaf you need to consider too, that volunteering has a cost . Travel to the charity shop, CAB, NT, school, whatever. People are prepared to take some financial hit for doing something they enjoy and feel is worthwhile, but it’s very dismissive to say that they don’t need a wage because they’ve got a pension.

Who retires at 65 any more?

In my local area the most prominent group of people volunteering are precisely those who are over retirement age, usually 70 years plus, who are manning the mobile library, Friends of the local hospital and hospice and their adjacent charity shops.

I know an 82 year old who is driving elderly people to hospital appointments and back and someone who is 85 who helps serves meals for help the aged.