How about thinking of the elderly for a change ?

[ivanhoe]

The middle classes have managed to put their case on the media map because of Child Benefit reductions.

Wheras the pensioners cause has never found a media voice.

So middle England are moaning about losing their Child benefit, and the media are picking up on it and discussing it as a topical issue, because the middle classes are making a fuss.

But hang on a minute ?, the poorest people in this country are not the middle classes, they are the working classes who in proportion to income are paying more taxes than the middle class, and the pensioners on a £5,000 a year State pension receiving a State pension which they have already paid for while working prior to their old age retirement are being ignored, even though the oldest pensioners fought for this country during the War years.

Our elderly people are the generation that government?s have run rough shod over for the past 30 years, this is the generation we should all be speaking up for, and this is the generation who have paid into the system all their working lives, but have to endure a basic State pension of £97 a week, and means tested handouts.

Many woman get less State pension due to lack of contributions while raising families.

Ivanhoe - Citations please.

Ivanhoe - Just to summarise the issue.

Most people here are saying that pensioners currently receive a level of support that allows them a higher standard of living than most other groups in receipt of state assistance (excluding universal benefits).

Do you agree or disagree? What authoritative source can we use to determine this?

If this is the case do you think they OUGHT to receive even more? Or do you just expect them to have an equivilant level of support?

/////Ivanhoe - Just to summarise the issue.

Most people here are saying that pensioners currently receive a level of support that allows them a higher standard of living than most other groups in receipt of state assistance (excluding universal benefits). /////

Absolute rubbish.

prove it

plenty of things cost more to administer than the financial gain. Surely that isn't the point of doing it.

Ivanhoe - So to the second of my questions - What authoritative source can we use to determine this?

And the third and fourth while you are at it.

This report actually gives some real facts and figures.

Actually no they dont.

Go here, and click on the issues if you can be bothered.

www.npcuk.org/

It appears most of you on this site have had your heads firmly in the sand for the best part of your adult lives.

Middle England worries are now the concern of political parties because they need your vote, so it's nothing to do with honest politicians, or integrity on the part of politicians, just plain old fsahioned bull shxt to get your vote.

While the people who fought for this country and younger pensioners, have to suffer the indignity of a below par state pension and means tested handouts.

Old age comes to all of us, try and remember that.

I can only say shame on the lot of you.

Lets see: -

Pensioners in poverty 1.8 million (down from 2.8 in 99/00) - 7% of all pensioners.

General population in poverty 13 million (up from 8.75 in 99) - 20 % of population.

It's not a perfect situation, but pensioners are doing better than many.

/////If this is the case do you think they OUGHT to receive even more? //////

Before I answer your question, I would like to know if you know how much pensioners receive in just the basic State pension, can you be honest enough to answer that question ?

"Old age comes to all of us, try and remember that"

However, baby boomers are lucky enough to get a retirement whilst we will all have to work until we drop.

My FIL retired when he was 57, not because of ill health but because he didn't like his boss. He now lives in a lovely farm house in France.

////Pensioners in poverty 1.8 million (down from 2.8 in 99/00) - 7% of all pensioners./////

What utter complacency.

Would you now find the figures for how many jews were murdered by the Nazis during World War 2, and then justify less than 10 million ?

ivanhoe, you sound like a bit of a loon to me!

will some one explain to the dear OP that on mn people can have different ideas to his.

Huzzah

Finally we have referenced the Nazis

We officially never have to take Ivanhoe seriously ever again

//////However, baby boomers are lucky enough to get a retirement whilst we will all have to work until we drop.////

Yes, and this is because when Thatcher destroyed Labour's 1974 Social Security act in 1980, when the iron lady broke the State pensions link with national average wages, Thatcher put the onus on the private pension which many millions of people will never be able to afford.

Now after sitting on your backsides letting the pensioners suffer the indignity of a low inflation linked State pension and means tested handouts for the best part of 30 years and not standing and being counted on their behalf, the chickens are now coming home to roost.

It is called Karma.

Manslaughter by way of untold untimely deaths among the elderly is being commited by this and successive governmenst, with the general public aiding and abbetting.

How can a successive Govt be committing manslaughter?

How can you compare pensioners not being able to go to the bingo every night with 10 million Jews being exterminated?

So the fact that pensioner poverty is reducing faster that general poverty is worse that Hitler?

It's a pity that today's pensioners didn't think of this when they voted in the successive governments that failed to save into a protected fund to pay for higher pensions now.

Ivanhoe - Is EVERY death that can be linked to poverty manslaughter or just that of pensioners in developed western countries? Because if so then I hope you are living at a subsistence level and have given the rest of your money to charities supporting the developing world, as otherwise you are basically clubbing African babies to death with your bare hands.

Well if anything then this is a kick up the bum for all of us to ensure that we have savings, pensions and paid off our mortgages before we buy any nice shiny stuff.
Since there was little shiny stuff to buy 40 years ago and the mortgages from the 70's were inflated away, you've got have cocked up somewhere along the way to not be able to live on £132 a week state pension, plus council tax and housing benefit eh ?
Single mums receive half that amount.