Pensioner’s – you’ve never had it so good..

There has been a lot of talk recently about whether or not old age pensioners should be exempt from the cuts. Labour has said that if they win the next election, they will have to look at benefits paid to pensioners such as heating allowance.

For years political parties have been afraid to touch benefits given to the elderly as they are the bulk of the electorate. More pensioners vote in elections than any other age group.

It is right that in these times of austerity, when benefits are been slashed for the unemployed and even tax credits to the poorly paid are under threat, that wealthy rich people should not be exempt.

Obviously no one wants to see elderly people alone and already living in poverty squeezed further but many people entitle to old age pension now are the most comfortable generation ever. Many benefitted from good private and employer pensions, earning more in retirement than thousands do in work today. Many will have been lucky enough to purchase their homes at prices so low the values will have increased tenfold in many cases. I know of people who bought council homes in Sheffield for as little as £6000 which are now worth over £100,000

Taking all these things into account it is evident that there will be elderly couples who are mortgage free, taking home £350 plus per week in pensions and in many cases, still holding a part time job. Why should they also be given free bus passes, heating allowances and free TV licence?  Once upon a time the argument was that these people had fought wars and earned the right to a little privilege in their old age. Not so many these days.

On the other side of the coin there will be people “retiring” who have not worked for twenty years. Is it then fair to punish the people who worked to buy their homes and pay into private pensions so that we can afford to pay people who have squandered their wages or contributed little in the first place? The incentive to save in private pensions would be damaged and people may think they are better off having no provisions to look after themselves in old age,

Of course this is wrong. That is why the only fare way to decide who gets help is means testing.

I don’t want to see vulnerable little old ladies with no money forced to into further poverty. For many a free bus pass is the only way to get out of the house, the other passengers and people in town will sadly for many old people be the only other people they see. For those people that bus pass is absolutely vital.

However, there will be people of the same age receiving a free bus pass, who have a Mercedes Benz parked in the double garage. The same people may have a holiday home in the south of France and live there 6 months a year while claiming heating allowance. The problem is the obvious lack of consistency, both in lifestyles and incomes. There are such wildly differing circumstances that a universal –everyone gets benefit is ludicrous.

There are millions of people of working age that already claiming tax credits or unemployment benefits. There are many old people claiming pension credits meaning that HMRC already holds information about the vast majority of people in this country. I don’t understand why means testing would be so expensive if HMRC already has the data.

There is also an argument I have heard that some elderly people are too pride to claim if they had to apply for it. TOUGH! They obviously don’t need it that badly then.  

We simply cannot afford not to means test pensioners along with everyone. There will be readers who will say undoubtedly that it is more complicated than I have implied and that pensioners have earned the right to luxuries but in a country that is supposed to be financial leader, it incomprehensible that millionaires living abroad are given the same benefits as vulnerable, penniless old people struggling alone in poverty. It’s simply not fair.

multi-millionaire O A P Paul McCartney