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.

Not everyone has though. My mother is in her 70s, she's never worked a day in her life, nor volunteered or done anything for others. She's also drained the nhs with her repeated fake illnesses. National Service would teach her more than it would teach my 18yo who has slogged her guts out to get to uni, for which she will have the privilege of years of debt.

Along with bash a benefits recipient, bash an immigrant, bash a disabled person week! All fair game in MN land.

This site is going to explode with hatred when Labour get in. I think it will be time to leave then.

My parents have done their time. For their family, their community and their employers. They deserve to use the rest of their retirement for enjoyment now.

Horrible thread OP, you should ask to get it deleted.

Absolutely. Ageism is ageism wherever it's directed.

Respect should be earned. Rude old people shouldn't just expect younger people to respect them. There are rude and lazy people in every generation. Also, most people in their 70s don't work.

Yep. 17% of over 65s polled said they're voting Reform UK. I don't know how this policy as a tactic could be any more obvious.

https://yougov.co.uk/politics/articles/48476-how-is-britain-voting-as-we-enter-the-2024-election-year

Yeah your mother is an anomaly, most people in their 70s haven't lived their life like this.

I agree with other posters that a lot of pensioners already volunteer anyway. My MIL is run ragged looking after her mother. Not an ‘official’ volunteer role but might as well be. There will be plenty more like her.

That's nothing to do with her age, though. You say she has always been like that. Unlikely to change now.

Maybe in this rare case, National Service would have sorted her out at 18, saving us all money.

The joys of being gen X. Young at a time when the older generation were deemed worthy of our respect and deference and the young were seen as a nuisance who should work hard, put up with inconvenience because the privileges of age were all ahead of us. Now that's within sight, it's all change. The young must be treated with deference and respect, and we must work hard and inconvenience ourselves for them. And we're still a nuisance.

Exactly this. Let the proletariat turn on each other, and miss all the other crap the people in charge are doing.

Almost everyone I know that's retired does something voluntary. It's only the 90 year olds that don't.

But I do agree a retired task force of the right people could bring the NHS spending under control.

Do you want to extend that to all people receiving payments from the state? Make them dress in orange overalls while they do high profile jobs outside so they can look grateful for the benefits paid for by their own taxes.

I retired at 49. I don’t do any volunteering. After 30 years as a cop dealing with people, I’ve done my bit. I do t want to have to rapport build with strangers any more thanks. Kudos to those that do though.

I’m Generation X , happy to be so and don’t feel a nuisance. I don’t like the way society is going one bit and feel sorry for the younger generation and think we had it pretty good overall.

I do wonder that myself.

Maybe Im not in the spaces where men volunteer but the pensioner age volunteers I see are predominantly women, easily 90%.

How?

Did your mother bring up any children, @daffodilandtulip? If so she has worked. It might not be paid work but that doesn't make it any less essential.

All of the pensioners I know are childminders for their grandchildren. Would you prefer them to work in a charity shop?

I'm in my 60s and help with the local Cubs; does that count?

Not sure why this suggestion has been made. Ok the Conservative Party have made national service part of their manifesto- the op suggestion is almost just an odd retort. Not sure of the logic or why they suggest making 65 years olds take compulsory voluntary work and incidentally those who are retiring will not receive a pension I think until 66,67 or 68 but not more on that.

Great idea.

For what it's worth, I'm not that far off retirement, work full time (and more) and volunteer probably more than a weekend a month.

I don't think OP is turning on anyone, I think she's trying to make the point that if you think it sounds ridiculous to make 65 yr olds volunteer, why make 18 yr olds do it. Along with if it has such great benefits, why only have it for those turning 18.

I didn’t realise it was that high. That’s actually quite frightening!

I can imagine most over 65s will be as horrified at rishis latest suggestion as the rest if us.