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Discounts for OAPs

Makem57 said:
You need to look at the tax rates from the past , it was a Higher than now so we were paying more from our wages already.
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Everybody else says we're currently taxed at the highest rate ever. Are you saying you were taxed more?
 

DaveH said:
So you are saying OAPs should not get discounts, because various benefits they get, might not be available to you when you are an OAP? Is that the crux of it?
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I’m paying for those pensioners to receive those benefits (as is every other working age person), on the implicit understanding that when I’m that age, I’ll get them too.

If my generation aren’t going to get all those benefits, why should we be paying for the old people of today to get them?

As for discounts in shops, cafes it’s frankly ridiculous that a discount is given to a relatively wealthy group.

You haven’t exactly been shy about how well off you are, I’m doing okay but plenty of people my age and younger aren’t and never will because this economy is fucked beyond repair.
 
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Frijj said:
I’m paying for those pensioners to receive those benefits (as is every other working age person), on the implicit understanding that when I’m that age, I’ll get them too.

If my generation aren’t going to get all those benefits, why should we be paying for the old people of today to get them?

As for discounts in shops, cafes it’s frankly ridiculous that a discount is given to a relatively wealthy group.

You haven’t exactly been shy about how well off you are, I’m doing okay but plenty of people my age and younger aren’t and never will because this economy is fucked beyond repair.
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Folk in the twilight of their years deserve it...
 
Frijj said:
I’m paying for those pensioners to receive those benefits (as is every other working age person), on the implicit understanding that when I’m that age, I’ll get them too.

If my generation aren’t going to get all those benefits, why should we be paying for the old people of today to get them?

As for discounts in shops, cafes it’s frankly ridiculous that a discount is given to a relatively wealthy group.

You haven’t exactly been shy about how well off you are, I’m doing okay but plenty of people my age and younger aren’t and never will because this economy is fucked beyond repair.
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You will get the state pension
 
Frijj said:
Why though? Nobody seems able to articulate why they deserve it.


Current plans see me getting the state pension at 68. Do you think that will rise to 70 or higher by ~2060? I bet so. There’s a good chance it won’t exist.T
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They're older, have paid a lot, probably have fading health, bits knackered & have to endure the sorry arsed state of the next generation of "oh woe is me!!!" types. They're constantly tucking pet lips in, shaking their heads & muttering "there, there son, it'll all feel better later"
 
c032745y said:
They're older, have paid a lot, probably have fading health, bits knackered & have to endure the sorry arsed state of the next generation of "oh woe is me!!!" types. They're constantly tucking pet lips in, shaking their heads & muttering "there, there son, it'll all feel better later"
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I’m not surprised you’re knackered going by the weight of that chip on your shoulder
 
DaveH said:
Seems an odd offset though.

Take people born between say 1950 and 1975, tell private businesses they can not give them discounts. Older people who were war time fine, then people who tried to get on the housing ladder after 2000 get them when they are OAPs.

Just because of house prices at the time.
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Ah no arguments, not too bothered about discounts personally for most things just think it's more outdated for restaurants rather than outright wrong.

For attractions etc it makes sense, pensioners can't enjoy it as much and quite often don't get the full attraction because of stairs or whatever. It's fair to be honest.

I was replying to someone giving the avocado toast argument originally there.
 
Frijj said:
I’m paying for those pensioners to receive those benefits (as is every other working age person), on the implicit understanding that when I’m that age, I’ll get them too.

If my generation aren’t going to get all those benefits, why should we be paying for the old people of today to get them?

As for discounts in shops, cafes it’s frankly ridiculous that a discount is given to a relatively wealthy group.

You haven’t exactly been shy about how well off you are, I’m doing okay but plenty of people my age and younger aren’t and never will because this economy is fucked beyond repair.
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And if you are?

As discussed on here, not all pensioners are wealthy, so it is misleading to suggest they all are.

Lets say your generation gets a tax reduction, pensioners stop getting benefits, how does that play out? Well first of all they feel cheated that they paid their taxes at the time on the understanding and someone pulls the financial rug out from them. Many sell their homes etc, just to make ends meet.

Then in 30 years time you find you do have the benefits and nobody has taken them away. Will your generation be quite happy to pay back those 30 years of reductions? Of course not.

This country decided to give a basic living income to every pensioner. Some working people decided to top that up during their working life with their own cash. They are receiving the reward for paying in, and there is equal chance you will get them too.

Your argument just sounds selfish to me. I MIGHT not get, so I don’t want them to have, or I want my present now.

And ultimately, as I have said a few times, it is very unlikely to change any time soon. No party is planning to remove or means test the state pension. The one most likely to do something regressive to people who are not super rich, are the party most dependent on the OAP vote.

Equally there is no benefit to any party in introducing a method or a law to dictate how a private business can or can not give discounts.
 
DaveH said:
And if you are?

As discussed on here, not all pensioners are wealthy, so it is misleading to suggest they all are.

Lets say your generation gets a tax reduction, pensioners stop getting benefits, how does that play out? Well first of all they feel cheated that they paid their taxes at the time on the understanding and someone pulls the financial rug out from them. Many sell their homes etc, just to make ends meet.

Then in 30 years time you find you do have the benefits and nobody has taken them away. Will your generation be quite happy to pay back those 30 years of reductions? Of course not.

This country decided to give a basic living income to every pensioner. Some working people decided to top that up during their working life with their own cash. They are receiving the reward for paying in, and there is equal chance you will get them too.

Your argument just sounds selfish to me. I MIGHT not get, so I don’t want them to have, or I want my present now.

And ultimately, as I have said a few times, it is very unlikely to change any time soon. No party is planning to remove or means test the state pension. The one most likely to do something regressive to people who are not super rich, are the party most dependent on the OAP vote.

Equally there is no benefit to any party in introducing a method or a law to dictate how a private business can or can not give discounts.
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Means testing would be pointless and discourage people from paying into private pensions.
 
42 said:
Depends on their respective circumstances. At the extreme end,
A senior nurse in their 50s will have paid a hell of a lot more tax & NI than say my inlaws.
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Is that not public money anyway so in reality they've added nothing to the national money pot, only taken from it.
 
Tuono said:
Is that not public money anyway so in reality they've added nothing to the national money pot, only taken from it.
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All money is created by the government anyway, so you could argue that regardless. However the value of their work thats been recovered is greater.
 
Qwerty said:
Means testing would be pointless and discourage people from paying into private pensions.
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It depends on how it is done.

If you had a £12k private pension and they took away the whole state pension, it would be pointless as you say. But if they said a £12k private pension removes £1-2k, then you retire on £22k rather than £12k. That is a lot more comfortable and worth the investment.

But there lies the problem. All private pensions are designed to take an affordable amount out of wages to deliver a healthy supplement to the state pension.

If they made a drastic change now, it would leave millions of people short and angry. Take away the main workforce and their families out of your voters and you are finished. It becomes political suicide.

But if you phase something in, it takes decades to see the benefits. That severely limits the motivation for any government to make changes. There is zero gain for any sitting government.
 
DaveH said:
It depends on how it is done.

If you had a £12k private pension and they took away the whole state pension, it would be pointless as you say. But if they said a £12k private pension removes £1-2k, then you retire on £22k rather than £12k. That is a lot more comfortable and worth the investment.

But there lies the problem. All private pensions are designed to take an affordable amount out of wages to deliver a healthy supplement to the state pension.

If they made a drastic change now, it would leave millions of people short and angry. Take away the main workforce and their families out of your voters and you are finished. It becomes political suicide.

But if you phase something in, it takes decades to see the benefits. That severely limits the motivation for any government to make changes. There is zero gain for any sitting government.
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They take 20% of any private pension over the reduced tax allowance .
 
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