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Original poster

We British have the politicians we deserve. But our elderly peop;le should be receiving the support of their country

91 replies

ivanhoe · 03/02/2011 12:16

The Pensions Credit means test for pensioners is costing £54 per person per pensioner.

The restoration of the earnings link to State pensions, would cost £5 per person per pensioner.

The Government are sitting on a National Insurance "surplus" of £40 billion.

The Government have a war chest of £50 billion.

The Government are sending £40 million a day to Europe.

There is no way on this planet any Government running this country cannot pay all our pensioners a decent State pension with increases linked directly to British prosperity via an earnings link, but Government's since the 80's have ruled it out, and why ?

Because the right wing in politics do not believe in the role of the State, they are market obsessed.

So lets make no mistake here, no Government of any political pursuation in this country is incompetent. All party's have political ideoligies.

It is the British who are largely politically uneducated, and politically docile, which is why we British have the politicians we deserve.

But the elderly dont deserve to be treated so badly. They should be receiving the support of their country.

.

..

OP posts:
chibi · 05/02/2011 14:16

i can, but will it be really comparable? the cost of living is much lower, and the buying power of the dollar vs the pound is different

also there are many benefits that the elderly are eligible for here which they do not get in canada - heating grants are one

it would be an apples and oranges thing

there don't seem to be as many media reports of pensioner poverty though, although whether this reflects reality who knows

i know i never heard of anyone freezing to death (aside from homeless people or drunken mishaps) before i came to the uk, and it is far, far colder where i am from

this is a housing rather than a heating issue though - i find most houses here really drafty/poorly insulated

Original poster
ivanhoe · 05/02/2011 14:21

Chibi, How is the cost of living much lower in Canada ?, in what respect ?

OP posts:
falsemessageoflethargy · 05/02/2011 14:24

Ivanhoe - seeing as you are here what do you feel about pensioners having all their equity tied up in their houses? Do you think they should take a bit more responsibility and move to a smalelr/cheaper house and area to free up both ther money and the house or do you think its a nonissue?

I also fail to see how pensioners are more worthy than any other group in need - everyone in poverty needs help, not just pensioners. But there needs to eb an acceptable amount - what do you think the state pension should be per week?

chibi · 05/02/2011 14:34

mostly housing (obv there are some hotspots)/rents

when i first moved here, all i could afford to live in was a bedsit - i had a graduate job

i had always had 1 bed flats to myself in my hometown, and this was while working a minimum wage job

Original poster
ivanhoe · 05/02/2011 16:21

falsemessageoflethargy, I think its sick to make elderly people sell up and move from a house they have spent their lives living in, but then this is todays British society, selfish, and hard, with no soul.

OP posts:
Original poster
ivanhoe · 05/02/2011 16:26

""I also fail to see how pensioners are more worthy than any other group in need - everyone in poverty needs help, not just pensioners. But there needs to eb an acceptable amount - what do you think the state pension should be per week?""

I do, any country that looks after its elderly with dignity, is going to look after everyone else.

I have no idea what the amount should be a week.

How ever judging by all the facts ive put up here regarding British expenditure in general, I dont think £300 a week per single pensioner is that bad, and of course with a relevant increase for couples.

What say you ?

OP posts:
falsemessageoflethargy · 05/02/2011 16:28

£300 a week? Bloody hell thats a lot of money.

Its not about making people move - its recognising that people do have choices - they just often dont like the choices we have - like us all. If my dh is made redundant then we would have top move somewhere cheaper and uproot my children from their schools etc with all of that entails - as the new housing benefit rules will do to hundreds of families - how come its alright for them but not for pensioners?

Original poster
ivanhoe · 05/02/2011 16:57

""£300 a week? Bloody hell thats a lot of money""

Do you think it's much compared to an MP's pay and perks ?

OP posts:
Original poster
ivanhoe · 05/02/2011 17:26

""its recognising that people do have choices""

Yes and the elderly have had their fair share of choices all their lives, they are now settled in their homes, and should be allowed to remain in them.

"Choice" has been made into some sort of fashion word today, people use the word as though it was something really wonderfull that they had all just learned.

But sadly the only people who can make real "choices" are those who can afford to.

It is my "choice" to say that "lol".

OP posts:
magicbutterfly · 05/02/2011 18:14

Ivanhoe had a number of petitions on the Downing Street website a couple of years ago. One was calling for a £250 per week state pension. Then there was some phoney organization invented by him called Linkage countrywide. A google search will reveal all.

magicbutterfly · 05/02/2011 18:19

"whatever does 'per person per pensioner' mean?"

Ivanhoe has been posting that garbage for at leat five years to my knowledge. Ask him to substantiate his figures and he resorts to insults.

Original poster
ivanhoe · 05/02/2011 21:45

I dont have to substantiate anything to anybody.

We simply dont look after our pensioners in this country.

And it aint garbage matey.

OP posts:
huddspur · 05/02/2011 21:51

£300 a week Shock. How would we pay for it?

newwave · 05/02/2011 21:52

Hudd, tax Bob Diamond and the rich to the hilt :o :o

huddspur · 05/02/2011 21:56

newwave- Even if taxes on the wealthiest were increased they wouldn't raise anywhere near enough revenue to fund a £300 a week state pension for all pensioners

newwave · 05/02/2011 22:22

Hudd, I was being facetious hence the smilies, I can understand basic economics.

Original poster
ivanhoe · 05/02/2011 23:06

What we need is a fair spread of wealth in this country, and the restoration of the earnings link restored so the elderly can once againh enjoy higher state pensions linked directly with British prosperity.

OP posts:
Original poster
ivanhoe · 05/02/2011 23:28

""huddspur Sat 05-Feb-11 21:51:10
£300 a week . How would we pay for it?""

How do we fund foreign wars ????????

OP posts:
AimingForSerenity · 05/02/2011 23:29

My mother has a state pension and a small private pension my dad struggled to pay for. She says she is now better off than she has ever been in her life.

Nevertheless she is still has less disposable money than her sister who has no private pension as she gets her council tax paid, rent paid and God knows what else.

My uncle and aunt have a very healthy bank balance and yet still get everything my mum gets which they spend on their numerous foreign holidays each year.

It is surely not right to just give large amounts of many to all pensioners as some of them are better off than many others in society. No-one group should profit t the expense of others.

(BTW, I too am getting rather bored of the strident, repetitive posts on this)

claig · 05/02/2011 23:37

'(BTW, I too am getting rather bored of the strident, repetitive posts on this)'

I agree. Are you referring to newwave's posts on Tory bastards?

Original poster
ivanhoe · 05/02/2011 23:38

""(BTW, I too am getting rather bored of the strident, repetitive posts on this)""

Yes, that's the general self centred apathetic attitude on here.

God, no wonder this country is fxcked.

OP posts:
huddspur · 05/02/2011 23:42

"How do we fund foreign wars ????????"

The amount of money we'd need to pay for the state pension that you are proposing makes the cost of the Afghan war look like a drop in the ocean.

Original poster
ivanhoe · 06/02/2011 11:42

It never fails to amaze me how the wonderful British can turn against the old in this country.

""The amount of money we'd need to pay for the state pension that you are proposing makes the cost of the Afghan war look like a drop in the ocean""

Prove it ?

OP posts:
dreamingofsun · 06/02/2011 11:48

ivanhoe - 300 per week equates to 20k a year, if you take tax into account. thats more than many of the pensioners would earn when they are working. think you are being a bit unrealistic as per usual.

there's no way they would have paid enough tax or NI into the system whilst they were working to cover this, and why should you ask young people struggling to pay off student debt and large mortgages to pay extra to cover this? Especially since both people in a household are now working or trying to get jobs - many pensioners had the luxury of only 1 working and are sitting on bags of money in terms of housing (have you not heard of equity release?)

huddspur · 06/02/2011 12:12

""The amount of money we'd need to pay for the state pension that you are proposing makes the cost of the Afghan war look like a drop in the ocean""

Prove it ?

To do what you are proposing would cost approximately an extra £100 billion a year, the Afghan war costs around £3 billion, so you've got a lot of money to find to fund it.