Stop Telling Pensioners they are a Burden on Society

Image Copyright Janet Cameron

There is a growing tendency in Britain for younger people, both in the media and out, to criticise pensioners for being a drain on the state. What they don't acknowledge is that most of us have, all our lives, paid our national insurance contributions, to support the older generation at that time, while preparing to receive the same privileges ourselves on retirement. 

That was how it worked - then. 

This is a point quickly taken up by the General Secretary of the Pensioners' Convention, Dot Gibson, who says: “Those who have paid their national insurance contributions for 30 or more years are entitled to receive their state pension and there should be no attempt to put further barriers in their way. We already have one of the lowest state pensions in Europe and one in five older people in Britain live below the poverty line." 

Ms. Gibson also makes the point that the division between younger and older people is false, because the real problem lies in the division between rich and poor.

This is true, with many older people living in fuel poverty - a term that means their heating to keep warm costs them more than 10% of their pensions. 

Time Invested by Retired People Helps the Country

Spokesperson for the charity, Age UK, Michelle Mitchell added that many retired people played a positive part in society as many of them, probably around one-third, were actively involved in volunteering, while others were devoting their lives to the care and needs of elderly relatives. Their work is unpaid, thereby saving the country millions of pounds. 

To bear this out, Jo Watkins comments on the Mirror Online article: "Does this idiot not realise how many grandparents care for their grandchildren because of the cost of childcare? Pensioners paid in all their working life for this pension, it is not a benefit, it was state insurance. This government is beginning to remind me of the NAZI poster which claimed that the disabled were a drain on the state. I am tired of being insulted by the fat cats in this government."

It's no wonder that retired people are angry by the way the parameters change and what little they receive is treated as though it is a "handout" from the state. An anonymous comment on social media yesterday made the following but valid point: 

"During good times, the Government should have built up a pension reserve rather than use our pension funds for vanity projects like the millennium dome." 

Anon is right! Pensioners are getting heartily sick of this one-sided argument. And many of the better-off pay hefty tax contributions.

Recently, I heard on the radio, a young woman proclaiming that she didn't see why she should have to work so hard just to support old people who hadn't bothered to put away something for their old age.

But we did, foolish girl, we did!