Discuss Retired folks get too much benefit in the Electricians Chat - Off Topic Chat area at ElectriciansForums.net

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This subject has started to get to me recently so I thought I would air my views. Might be the area in which I live, it is wall to wall in very well off folks who have retired and are living the life of riley, while most young people are really struggling with one thing or another. I have first hand knowledge of some of them, all they had was run of the mill jobs, basic teachers, civil servants, power station "operatives" for example, and now have pensions that my kids will only dream of. Thing is, most of the ones I have talked to seem to think it is their god given right. Where I live you can't park on the street, it's full of them, parking their new cars so they can jump on the bus from the stop at the end of the road to go into town cos they all have free bus passes. How can that be right? They can easily afford to run a (new) car, but they get a free bus pass? One bloke in the pub the other night was bragging about how he had negotiated an 30% OAP discount at the gym, when I know for a fact he has 3 properties and is minted. Another one was telling him how he spent his winter fuel allowance on a pair of £350 wheels for his ROAD BIKE. This is all a massive joke in my opinion and should be stopped, I would be ashamed of myself if I took this money when I didn't need it, its basically taking money from other hard up people so these old farts can just enjoy themselves and they don't give a monkeys. Typical selfish old gits. And before anyone says it, no they have not "earned" the right to it, their generation is mostly the one that has got this country in the ****k mess it's in. Why are these benefits not means tested? How hard would it be to check on the DVLA database and say "Sorry matey, you own a car so you don't NEED a free bus pass"? No wonder the country is struggling, bloody old timers.......
So someone who has paid into a pension scheme all their working life don't deserve to live comfortably in their retirement, is that what you are saying? Pete999 pensioner and I can't afford a new car, and I have given up my winter fuel allowance, I have my own house which is bought and payed for, so I'm not scrounging off the social. You may not be so critical when you have reached retirement.
 
So someone who has paid into a pension scheme all their working life don't deserve to live comfortably in their retirement, is that what you are saying? Pete999 pensioner and I can't afford a new car, and I have given up my winter fuel allowance, I have my own house which is bought and payed for, so I'm not scrounging off the social. You may not be so critical when you have reached retirement.
Your missing my original point Pete, which is that a lot of pensioners that are very well off thank you very much and can afford a new car and 2 cruises a year are still taking everything they can get and then gloating about it because "it is their right". Well it ain't IMO. A lot of young people are struggling due to the mess that their generation have left behind, and to top it off they seem to think they are worthy of benefits they don't need. Of course there are some that do deserve it. Anyway well done for giving up the WFA, that's what I would do as well.
 
Well that's what everyone does, with a few exceptions (and the likes Alan Sugar aside). As Pete says, if you spent 50 years of your life paying into a system you will gladly except what you are entitled to. A few examples;
Child Benefit, NHS dental treatment, sick pay, holiday pay, and if your self employed paying as little tax as possible (via your accountant), claiming expensives for dining 'business partners' etc etc. That's before you retire. Everyone's at it not just good old Joe Public, MP's, Doctors, even the Queen tax affairs are questionable.
So when I properly retire, I will claim my state pension, along with my other pension I bought and paid for. And if I want a new car. or go on a cruise. I won't feel guilty :)
 
So the OAPs who have worked all there lives most of them very hard. Paid there taxes,paid into pensions,bought there houses(instead of ----ing it up the wall) shouldent claim what they are entitled too?
I disagree,The young of today need to work and get on the property ladder forget about fancy new phones, games machines and fancy clothes. Buy a good pension or invest savings so they too can live it up.
Theres far too many not ever had a job claiming state pension and fuel allowance.Then there free bus pass. these are the folks I dont like.
 
So the OAPs who have worked all there lives most of them very hard. Paid there taxes,paid into pensions,bought there houses(instead of ****ing it up the wall) shouldent claim what they are entitled too?
I disagree,The young of today need to work and get on the property ladder forget about fancy new phones, games machines and fancy clothes. Buy a good pension or invest savings so they too can live it up.
Theres far too many not ever had a job claiming state pension and fuel allowance.Then there free bus pass. these are the folks I dont like.

You are correct again. No one is giving them anything , they have bought and paid for what they have got .
If they are going to means test , they need to find out where the super large tellies , phones and contracts , designer gear people on free rent and council tax are getting their bit from.
Before anyone starts , this is not a dig at genuine claimants , but we all know the abuse goes on.
 
I have a reasonable car, i also have a travel pass for the area i live in. Why do i use my pass because their are so many sausages at your age that drive like they are in a race everyday they get behind the wheel.
 
I have a reasonable car, i also have a travel pass for the area i live in. Why do i use my pass because their are so many sausages at your age that drive like they are in a race everyday they get behind the wheel.
Not sure what age you think I am! (58) but I don't drive like like a sausage. But I do go back to my point, why do you think you should get free bus travel when you can afford to run a reasonable car? It doesn't make sense to me. At the end of the day, it is not "free", it is being paid for by everyone else isn't it? If a pensioner is unable to run a car due to financial constraints then fine, but an awful lot are just being plain greedy, and what wound me up in particular was the way they were gloating about it.
 
Seriously? There's plenty worse in the world to be worrying about than this. Why waste your time with this sad little rant when it's going to acheive nothing? There's a few billion people in the world now and I think it's generally accepted that you aren't going to agree with how everyone runs there lives. So just ignore the assholes and get on with your own life.

PS. I am a struggling 24 year old with a wife and 2 toddlers, a 10 year old car and live in a rented house. I claim no benefits. Do I agree with the people in your OP? No. But I'm not going to waste another minute of my life moaning about them.
 
I do think sparksburntout raises a valid point. Benefits are for people on low incomes, sick, disabled or otherwise unable to support themselves. If the system functioned correctly and fairly, there would sufficient government funding to increase or improve the range of benefits.

Unfortunately, benefit fraud stands at £1.3 billion (Benefit fraud and error at record low - Press releases - GOV.UK - https://www.gov.uk/government/news/benefit-fraud-and-error-at-record-low), and whilst at its lowest level in recent years, is still a massive amount of money.

It would appear that 'means testing' might be counter productive (#14). So we need to rely on peoples honesty & benefit fraud investigation. As I mention early, some people have a different 'threshold' on what is dishonest & what is just getting back what their paid in to the system. When I am collecting my state pension, I wouldn't apply for a bus pass if I had a car, but I would consider help with my heating bills for example.

Perhaps if we perceive people are abusing the system and especially if they appear to be bragging about doing so, we should consider reporting them. My favourite pet hate, is the abuse of the 'blue badge' parking permit. I seen vehicles parking using the badge, where clearly the badge holder is not utilising the vehicle or the badge holder is parking a vehicle in a dangerous position, albeit one allowed under the scheme.

If anything has come of your thread sparksburntout, you're perceived as a twenty something tearaway
:mkungfu:
 
I do think sparksburntout raises a valid point. Benefits are for people on low incomes, sick, disabled or otherwise unable to support themselves. If the system functioned correctly and fairly, there would sufficient government funding to increase or improve the range of benefits.

Unfortunately, benefit fraud stands at £1.3 billion (Benefit fraud and error at record low - Press releases - GOV.UK - https://www.gov.uk/government/news/benefit-fraud-and-error-at-record-low), and whilst at its lowest level in recent years, is still a massive amount of money.

It would appear that 'means testing' might be counter productive (#14). So we need to rely on peoples honesty & benefit fraud investigation. As I mention early, some people have a different 'threshold' on what is dishonest & what is just getting back what their paid in to the system. When I am collecting my state pension, I wouldn't apply for a bus pass if I had a car, but I would consider help with my heating bills for example.

Perhaps if we perceive people are abusing the system and especially if they appear to be bragging about doing so, we should consider reporting them. My favourite pet hate, is the abuse of the 'blue badge' parking permit. I seen vehicles parking using the badge, where clearly the badge holder is not utilising the vehicle or the badge holder is parking a vehicle in a dangerous position, albeit one allowed under the scheme.

If anything has come of your thread sparksburntout, you're perceived as a twenty something tearaway
:mkungfu:
 
Sparksburnout and the other people that are agreeing with him are living in a dream world where they think they are hard done by and are the only ones that work in the world.
So do you have the latest phone? A nice Tele? A car? A Games Computer or even a Computer come to that? And I could go on......
Now I am not trying to say I was hard done by but most working class people have to start from the bottom and work hard to get anywhere, and it is normally the ones that work the hardest and go without when they are starting off that reap the benefits when they get older. It is hard, very hard to get on the housing ladder, but property only ever does one thing....it goes up in value. So unless one is stupid, go without for a few years (yes the latest mobile, computer etc., etc)., and get on the housing ladder. Yes it will be hard for many years, but you will never look back. But then of course when you get to retirement and are well off, be prepared for the young jealous kids who want it all straight away and are berateing YOU for having it cushy????
When I started off, I couldn't get enough money together until I was 30 to purchase a property. I did 3 jobs and worked all hours for years and years. The treat of the week was a packet of chocolate biscuits. I commuted on a push bike, lived in digs, did not smoke or drink and never went out or even had a take away. In the beginning of the 80's I was made redundant with a £1000 a month mortgage and nearly lost the lot because their were no jobs to be had, but I managed to get a job on the Taxi's and worked back up to where I am now.
I now have a rental that I renovated and extended and let out at a reasonable rent to help youngsters out, I am developing two properties one of which I built and the other I extended with no mortgage . I am 64 and have done all the trades including electrics myself with no help at all. Yes I still work my butt off and still hardly ever go out and live fairly frugally. When I hit the 65 retirement age, I will carry on with the projects I have but will definitely claim my pension as I have paid into it all my working life, and yes the winter fuel allowance will also be pocketed. As for a bus pass, I have a car and a bike so have no need for a bus until I can't drive any more.
The "System" is out there to be worked, so get off your butt, go without for a few years and work the system to your favour.
I can tell you it is far easier now to get on in life than it was 50 years ago. We have internet which opens up so many chances and information these days.....you don't know your born..........some call what you are doing "A Poor Me".........I wouldn't have believed it until I read your rant last night.
 
I do feel sorry for the younger generation.My kids are all in their mid 20's, two of them have kids. I like most have just missed out on the retirement age of 65 got to go a few more years.Buying my first house was a struggle back in the 80's, having said that you done without.On experience with my own children one is trying to get on the property ladder, but still wants holidays etc my point is in general the younger folk want it all.!
 
Bus Passes, WFA, Tv Licences etc are nothing.
Sparksburnout may be horrified to find there is another "Benefit" of being over 65.

If you are still in employment you don't pay National Insurance Contributions.
That's a far more valuable than any of the O.P benefits.

How do I know this, I'm over 65 and still in employment.

And just to have a Gloat, I earn enough including a pension from my original employment, which I couldn't defer, to have to pay higher rate tax.
Yes, I pay higher rate tax on a Pension.

However on the Plus, I'm eligible for a Bus Pass but don't have one because I don't use buses or Trams. If I did use them then I'd have one.

So I suspect in Sparksburnout's point of view I should be sending what I would have paid in N.I contributions to the Dept for Work and Pensions.?

In fact worse than that I should give up work because I'm denying a younger person a job.

And by the way it was the 30 something year old Bankers that put the World into the state it's in now, NOT the Pensioners.
 
The biggest drain on this country's is collectively, single mothers, drug addicts, alcoholics, NHS tourists, and the lazy, parasitic Can't work,Don't work,Won't work brigade. Plus the rising criminality as the direct consequence of the former.

All of the above is the culture developed by modern generations, not the older generation.

The better of pensioners would have paid into a pension fund, perhaps fuel allowance should be means tested, but so should family allowance, but neither would be cost effective.
 
i'm 69 and still working as and when i get work. can't afford to stop when state pension of £90/week goes nowhere. tell you summat, any benefits i can grab, i'll take. 'er indoors paid into a private pension for years. pot worth £9500. 2 years ago, she was entitled to cash it in, but thanks to tony b.liar and the fat controller, she could only draw £2200 ( taxed ) so just under £2000. the rest forced into an annuity. she'll need to live to the age of 105 just to get back the £7500.
 
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I think there's too much 'looking back with rose tinted specs' or I should say the opposite of that. Had the same for myself in the early 80's with 15% interest rates and having a house with a mortgage I couldn't afford. If it wasn't for my parents securing a bank loan to supplement my very first mortgage, I wouldn't never been able to get my £15000 end of terrace!

They didn't have a flat screen tv or mobile phones, but did have a colour tv, a phone in the house, new car, Granny living in the spare room, freezer to put all my Dads home grown veg in, home made wine, side by side washing machine, food mixer & holidays abroad once a year (Costa something), oooh and Dads beers up the working mans club on a Sunday, with Mum cooking the Sunday lunch, where I joined him at 18. Happy Days.

We all have lived in a Country in which each generation does better than the previous.
 
The biggest drain on this country's is collectively, single mothers, drug addicts, alcoholics, NHS tourists, and the lazy, parasitic Can't work,Don't work,Won't work brigade. Plus the rising criminality as the direct consequence of the former.

All of the above is the culture developed by modern generations, not the older generation.

The better of pensioners would have paid into a pension fund, perhaps fuel allowance should be means tested, but so should family allowance, but neither would be cost effective.
Tell me about it, I see it every day on my rounds.!
 

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