Gransnet forums

Chat

Page 3 of 3 | First | Previous | Next | Last
| Flip | Customise |

"Wealthy Pensioners"

(54 Posts)
Add comment | Report
Barrow Fri 28-Dec-12 11:08:48

I previously posted that I had contacted Nick Clegg to ask what he considers a wealthy pensioner. Having only received an automated reply I contacted my own MP, Liam Fox, a couple of days ago and have received the following reply from his office:

"Thank you for your email to Dr Fox. None of these proposals have been properly debated yet and Mr Clegg certainly would not be able to answer your question. Mr Cameron promised that these benefits would be secure for the term of this Parliament - May 2015 - and then the state of the country's finances may mean that further cuts to benefits have to be made. However, they would all have to be set out in the Manifestos of all Parliamentary parties and then you may vote for whichever Party is best for you. Without wishing to sound impolite, I cannot think that you could be considered "a wealthy pensioner". I think he is thinking of older people with very large incomes, £50,000 p.a. plus."

So at least I got a reply to my query.

Add comment | Report
Ariadne Mon 31-Dec-12 23:58:13

nanaej I agree; so many people have anecdotal evidence of "scroungers", often fed by the populist press, but the silent majority just get on with it. I do get so fed up with the "I know someone who..." ( "doesn't live the way I think they should" being the corollary)

We cannot know the background of all people on benefits, and to condemn them all out of hand is uncompassionate to say the least.

To reiterate "Nothing is black and white."

Add comment | Report
Ana Tue 01-Jan-13 00:12:00

Ariadne, I do know someone who admits to taking advantage of the system, and no, they don't live the way I think they should either! Of course not everyone on benefits is a 'scrounger', but to say none of them are is also unrealistic.

Add comment | Report
HUNTERF Tue 01-Jan-13 22:08:10

Hi Ana

It is difficult to say what '' taking advantage of the system is on times ''.
I do know of a case where a lady aged 90 had to go into a nursing home who had little money but half of a house worth about £600,000 belonged to her.
The daughter who was widowed had been left the other half of the house by her father.
On retirement the daughter joined the mother in the house which they jointly owned and sold her own house.
As the daughter was an owner occupier the council was unable to take any of the house for payment of the fees and they also could not take any of the house as the daughter was over 60.
Several people thought the house should be sold and the daughter made to find a more modest house but she just refused and the council had no legal powers to make her sell so it had to pay most of the nursing home fees.
Sadly the mother has passed away and the daughter now owns all of the house and is living in it.

Frank

Page 3 of 3 | First | Previous | Next | Last
| Flip | Customise |