You guys will nevah evah stop working!

[Jason]

I'm not sure I would want old 'dementia' aunt Betty baking sugar cookies with rat poison instead of baking soda..

.. or was it Rita who has dementia?

..

..

..

Who has my sugar cookies damnit?!

[Tyrannical]

My rule of thumb: save for retirement as if Social Security is not going to exist by the time I'm old enough to collect it. Because with demographics going the way they are that's a distinct possibility, and especially so if we keep electing small-government ideologues into office.

So, basically you want a larger SS deduction from your paycheck every week Your big fear is "small-government ideologues" taking less from you each week for something you don't think you'll ever get. Time to change parties?

I think my point went clear over your head.

No shit batman. Everything goes over that guys head exept the KKK hand book.

The only thing that goes over my head is my white hood

[JimC]

Our superannuation system has compulsory employer contributions, plus employee contributions...

Will have to work a bit longer after the GFC to ensure a retirement with gin...

[Rum]

We've drifted a bit from the OP, which was about the State Pension here in the UK. I'm not sure which countries actually have it - America I assume not?

Here everyone gets it at 65 for now, though though it goes up to 67 in a few years time. Some, though not all, people will have paid into the state fund (national insurance) but even if you have been unemployed for years you get the basic pension. In my case I will get in in three years time in addition to my occupational pension.

But the twat referred to in the OP was suggesting that people should be forced in effect to work for their pension. He does not appear to acknowledge here that many people of my generation and a bit older provide free child care for their grand kids and look after their parents (as I do) already! Personally I don't begrudge it, but to be forced to do that sort of thing rankles.

The press response has been universally negative here incidentally, so it doesn't look for now as if it is a runner anyway.

[redunderthebed]

Ahhh another chapter in the long history of rich tory (Although singling out them is a little unfair liberals/republicans/national party and most western world conservatives parties do so too) parasites wanting to stick the boot into those who cant defend themselves.

[Rum]

Except of course, more older people vote in elections than any other group and all the parties know this so they will tread very carefully.

[MrJonno]

Fuck sake Jonno, change the record. The problem is not housing and has never been housing. The problem is that from the lowest to the highest the cunts in this country ask only what the country can give them. Most old folk who bought their homes worked every day of their lives to pay for those houses, for the schooling and health and railways and telephones and buses and councils and police. They've paid all their lives, not just for themselves, but so their children and their grandchildren could benefit from those things and you want to penalise them because of inflation?

Err no someone a 65 year who lives in a 300 000 grand house has basically had a free education, not had to take out a £200 000 mortage on a job that they risk losing ever 12 months, absolutely have not paid their way (their taxes/NI are not enough by a long way to have paid for their pensions, younger people are paying for that) and of course apart from a very small minority have not served their country in war (would need to be male and 83 to have done that).

Old people have had it so easy its hard to put into words.

Time to start putting serious captial limits on who gets a pension, any pensioner who has assets above £200 000 (reasonably flexible on the amount) should get absolutely nothing of the state, it should be the norm to downsize and move to somewhere smaller when you retire not to expect to leech of the state so you can leave a large inheritance to your children.

Combine this with serious relaxing green belt conditions and we could absolutely murder the housing market which needs to be put down so no one ever sees a home as an investment

[Tyrannical]

Immigration is a major force in driving down wages. It's simple supply and demand, as supply increases wages fall. Corporations love that
Globalization, where companies can move production to cheap labor areas has a similar effect.