“Define ' really well off' because everyone thinks that the 'really well off' is someone else, not them. Just like motorists believe that there are too many cars on the road and everyone - apart from them - should catch the bus.”

“Totally agree Mutton8. It`s a ridiculous idea thought up by someone who has never had to try to live on £150 pw. Hopefully Cameron will stick to his promise not to mess with universal benefits for pensioners.”

“If you've got £150pw clear to live on, that is, no living costs apart from energy and food I think that some would deem you to be very well off. It's always going to be a grey area because some pensioners might live a heck of a lot more frugally than someone else so it is always going to be one of those 'how long is the piece of string' debates. I'm scratching my chin on this one. Can't you set me something easier?”

“Sensational,

How many people do you know that have nothing but food and energy to pay for? The pensionable age begins at 65/66 now, still young enough to want a life. Many pensioners run cars, use computers including internet access and enjoy socialising.
Bearing in mind that the pensioners of today are the generation that have paid more into the system than younger generations I think the idea of cutting back on their benefits is appalling.”

“Flossy;
I actually meant that some pensioners have no mortgage and if they've been pensioners for many years they might not have cars or internet etc. I agree that they should be happy and have as many benefits as possible, paying into the system for all of their lives. But a valid point raised by yourself and acknowledged.”

“My friend has 2 retired aunts. One worked all her life as did her husband and gets a small company pension so no benefits.

The other was married to a wastrel and is far better off on her benefits. She gets £250 a week and has her rent paid for her. She even gets an allowance for a cleaner.

She has at least 2 foreign holidays a year.”

“Who said "Buy everything, pay nowt, go to court"? I'll Google it....”

“newlad

Yes you are right.

My father did everything right (he died ages 62 so never got a pension) and encouraged his sister to take out a private pension after she got divorced and started working.

When she retired her tiny private pension just pushed her over the threshold for getting benefits.”

“newlad

The problem is, none of us have magic balls and so can't see into the future and things change.

Once women were thrown out into the snow and later put into a home if they got pregnant with no partner. Now it's a lifestlye choice for many young girls because they get more in benefits than on the minimum wage.

Look at those mortgages where you only paid the interest and invested money into shares to pay off the total. They were supposed to leave a massive surplus when they were first sold and the stock market was buoyant but now they are maturing some people are being left with massive shortfalls. A friend has to find more than my mortgage cost and we moved into our houses at the same time. Though, she lives in Derby - not Hull.”

“"My aunt worked all her life, 5am till 6pm (had a newsagaents) and when she retired rented a flat in the town centre.

Because she had a few quid in the bank she paid the full rent for her little place. An alcoholic/drug addict that lived close by paid a nominal amount from his benefit money towards an identical (in size) flat and had probably never worked a day in his life.

Most of his bills were paid for and he was in his thirties. Somehow this just didn't seem fair to me. He was also a problem tenant, always being noisy, urinating in bottles and dropping them out of his window and the like. Never seemed to get prosecuted for his actions 'because he had problems'

Consequently when my aunt died some years later she'd spent nearly all of her life savings on her general living expenses. It would have been probably more feasible for her to buy a little flat so that she at least had something to leave to her daughter, but of course, hindsight is a great thing."”

“As newlad says, the erosion of pensions seems to be the aim of all the parties - with Labour as well. They are suggesting that age income tax allowances are done away with to pay for employment subsidies, which are a crazy idea. Paying employers a subsidy to 'create' jobs has been suggested before and I thought had been dropped. The only good point about the suggestion is that it would only apply to those earning £150k p.a. which is more like it, not £150 a week.”

“A TV Dispatches last week about 'rich and on benefits' claimed that the state pension was a benefit. Funny that when - currently - your pension is based on what you pay in NI contributions while real benefits go up in reverse order to how much you have paid into the system.”

“Mutton8, Have you contacted Denis Healy about this? Your frustration may be better vented through the Liberal Democrats than via these pages. denis@denishealy.org.uk.”

“Denis Healey? Is he still around?”

“he has eyebows like two king prawn at a cocktail party”

“Thought he was Labour too. Not Lib Dem.”

“gw69 - I missed the TV thing but did they include pensions as benefits or did they mean such as bus passes, TV licences etc. which they would love to cancel, but at the moment they dare'nt!”

“gw69 - I missed the TV thing but did they include pensions as benefits or did they mean such as bus passes, TV licences etc. which they would love to cancel, but at the moment they dare'nt!”

“ghostwriter69 - I missed the TV thing but did they include pensions as benefits or did they mean such as bus passes, TV licences etc. which they would love to cancel, but at the moment they dare'nt!”

“Yes mutton they included pensions as benefits. That's why I posted it on here.

They listed everything pensioners get and showed it to pensioners in a golf club and asked if they knew they were getting them.”

“Sorry I have missed most of this debate, and have to admit I have not read each post in detail so further apologies if I am picking up on something which has already been discussed...

ReallyYoungG, on 4th January you said "none of us have magic balls"

Now, I'm going to have to take issue with on that point. You've not seen Geoff's Anonymous balls and, frankly, you having the audacity to comment on their mystical properties is at best arrogant and at worst... I dunno... racist. Probably.”

“gw69 - Sorry about the triple post, HMD kept saying the comment was not appropriate. Well yes, I wouldn't be surprised really, but they have no right to regard state pensions as benefits. They are contributary and legislated for. I can imagine the reaction of the golf club members whose fees are probably at least a month's pension,”

“A_G

Probably speciest”

“mutton8 and flossyflathat

I agree with everything you have said above in relation to pensioners let the politicians try to get by on £150 per week its typical of this coalition government and its lack of being in touch with the people.I feel that while the politicians have everyone's thoughts concentrating on these austerity issues then that will take the voters minds of the real issues that are affecting our country which they the government only pay lip service to because they are to frightened to challenge Europe on such issues as border controls immigration etc.”

“Denis Healy not Denis Healey! Denis Healy is the local Lib Dem candidate for Hull, he is very approachable and gives a good account of himself. I feel that Mutton has a lot to get off his chest and should perhaps be more pro active and attend some MP's surgeries etc.”

“Well if he is a Lib Dem candidate with a name almost the same as a well know, Labour politician, how on earth is anyone supposed to know who he is?

He is hardly going to get elected is he?

But yes, mutton8 has a lot to get off his chest and nothing is going to be achieved by him posting on here. Let the MPs - or hopeful MPs - suffer for a change. After all, it's more their fault than ours.”