Curtailing Pensioner Benefits

[Rev Jules]

Originally Posted by mss

Rev Jules - does this mean you would not sign up to my proposed "graceful switch-off" programme in return for a V8 for 5 years?

Not bleddy likely I will only have three years to go for eighty, I still have fifteen years of reasonable life in me.

Rev

[Snetty]

Originally Posted by mss

I have spent a fair bit of time thinking about the issue of the ageing population and the challenges faced by the young since I took retirement last August. I have to confess that I am more sympathetic of the headline item than people younger than myself may expect.

Like others, I feel that we need to have an open and honest debate about the type of society that we want in the future. The key features of my desires would be as follow:

1. Everyone between the ages of 18 and 65 will be required to work and paid a statutory wage that provides a reasonable quality of life. Those who cannot find suitable employment will be given work that needs doing e.g. repairing roads, cleaning public places etc...... The only exceptions will be people physically unable to work.

1a. Anyone not wishing to work in accordance with #1 will be terminated.

2. All businesses will have to pay the above "reasonable living wage"

3. Reward packages (including salaries, bonuses, shares, income from property, investments etc.....) will be capped at 3 times the above wage over which tax will be charged at 100%.

4. Those over the age of 65 will be considered "retired" and paid a lower amount than the above wage that guarantees a reasonably living standard taking account of the lower outgoings of a retired person - the pension.

5. At the age of 60, everyone will be offered the option of signing up to being gracefully "switched off" at the age of 80, or 75 if suffering from incurable illness, in return for an enhanced "pension" that would include a one-off payment at 60 sufficient to purchase and run a socialist standard 4+ litre V8 for 5 years.

6. All public servants (politicians) will be paid the statutory living wage and treated with respect as well as being bestowed with honorary titles at retirement.

Any supporters, Comrades?

A username change to Kim Jong-un is all that is required for you my friend

[MSS]

Originally Posted by Snetty

A username change to Kim Jong-un is all that is required for you my friend

We work under cover until it is time to reveal ourselves!

Be honest, am I not defining a doctrine that would be fair to all, affordable and resolve the shortcomings that most believe exist with the present system?

[HarryM1BYT]

Originally Posted by mss

We work under cover until it is time to reveal ourselves!

Be honest, am I not defining a doctrine that would be fair to all, affordable and resolve the shortcomings that most believe exist with the present system?

The way I see it, is that I worked hard for many decades and paying lots into the system, as did many others like me and I took nowt much out. I have been lucky I have survived pretty well undamaged so far and have lost a few friends along that road. Having paid in, I deserve all I can get from the system, despite the UK.gov spending what I paid in, the instant I paid it. Now it is the turn of the working generations to help keep me in reasonable comfort, for the time I have left.


I agree with MSS's 1 to 3. Most definitely item 1. There should be no one fit, sat at home just taking money for no returned effort.

[topman]

The two that surprised me was £2.2 bn on unemployment benefits £46 bn on in work benefits.

[Les4048]

Originally Posted by trikey

I agree with that to a point, when I had 5 children at home, all under the age of 12 I would have been 30% a week better off by not working!

Did I stop work and claim dole? Did I hell, I was brought up to work.

And that’s the kind of people who should be helped not the ones who can afford mobile phones for all the family and use taxis rather than take the bus. It’s all so wrong and hard working genuine people should be supported if it’s required.

[MSS]

Originally Posted by topman

Yes there's some surprising numbers. The two that surprised me was £2.2 bn on unemployment benefits £46 bn on in work benefits.

One of the reasons is that the threshold in terms of hours worked per week for being considered "employed" is very low. This means that those who receive very few hours on zero-hour contracts actually survive on benefits which are then considered employment benefits.

I also agree with the general issue of people on the minimum wage having their earnings supplemented with benefits.

[baxlin]

Do outgoings really reduce that much in retirement?

Mine haven’t, not to any noticeable degree. Income tax has, of course, because so has income: but we still run the same cars, have the same holidays etc. And has anyone’s Council Tax, or heat and light bills etc gone down on retirement? (My Mortgage paid off yonks before I retired) So what have I missed?

But I do worry for my children's and grandchildren’s futures, so, tbh, I would happily give up my winter fuel payment, my £10 (!) Christmas bonus, bus pass etc, although with my various pills, prescriptions would hurt a bit.....

Malcolm

[Number 6]

Originally Posted by Stevie25

Listen to the Sky News Paper Review last night.
They briefly ‘discussed’ this topic.
Youngest Journalist made comment along the lines of ‘there is not a big enough pool of young people ‘paying taxes’ to support the needs of the older generation, who could need nursing care etc.
WHEN I FULLY RETIRE IN A FEW YEARS TIME, I WILL STILL BE PAYING INCOME TAX, FOR THE REST OF MY LIFE.
A majority of ‘older people’ will be doing the same.
This type of comment is nonsense.

The Keyword in this is "Youngest Journalist" made a comment...these are the ones who are saying The older generation "Stole " their future....complete nutters.

[topman]

Originally Posted by baxlin

Do outgoings really reduce that much in retirement?

Mine haven’t, not to any noticeable degree. Income tax has, of course, because so has income: but we still run the same cars, have the same holidays etc. And has anyone’s Council Tax, or heat and light bills etc gone down on retirement? (My Mortgage paid off yonks before I retired) So what have I missed?

But I do worry for my children's and grandchildren’s futures, so, tbh, I would happily give up my winter fuel payment, my £10 (!) Christmas bonus, bus pass etc, although with my various pills, prescriptions would hurt a bit.....

I can't say I'm retired but I know few that have and lots do say that it cost them a surprising amount to go to work.