Have baby boomers stolen the family silver

It is much harder for young people today to get on the property ladder, of that there can be no doubt, but this isnt caused by baby boomers 'stealing all the pies' but by a population explosion and house building not keeping abreast of it.

The population explosion is in part due to people living longer but in the main due to mass immigration. However most of those young people moaning now will be sorted when they are in their forties and fifties and their parents pass on leaving them an inheritance. Some are lucky sooner if left a legacy by grandparents.

Agree with your last paragraph Eloethan although I have not been able to help either of my children financially , I do a lot of childcare for my DS and DDiL which i suppose has enabled them to work.

Some of the posts on this thread are a bit silly.

What is the point in saying "I only earned £2 a week in 1955 or £44 a week in 1985 " or whatever.

We live in 2017 ! guess what automatic washing machines have been invented. I even have one. In fact you would probably be hard pushed to even buy a "twin tub" these days and as for black and white TV's well......

Times have changed and everything is relative. The only fair way to compare is wages minus rent or mortgage.

I don't think it serves any useful purpose entering into this "blame game" because it invariably omits the very people who are probably the most responsible for the massive injustices that exist and which are increasing.

It also means that sweeping generalisations are made: all old people are living in the lap of luxury at the expense of the young; all young people are irresponsible and spend their money on clubbing, drink and foreign holidays. It's ridiculous, but such blaming is encouraged so that while people take up a position which advocates that some other group - the old, the young, the immigrant, the houseowner, the unemployed, etc. etc., is responsible for any particular social or economic deficit no-one is considering whether there is something structurally lacking in the way things are organised.

We too have given significant financial assistance to our children re housing, etc., even though we never had an ounce of help from our own parents. If you resent helping your children, then don't do it but my feeling is that times are tough for young people these days and, whatever anyone says, it is now much harder to find reasonably affordable and decent housing, whether it be to purchase or to rent.

We pulled the ladder up politically/economically/culturally.

Its not about GIVING them everything, making them dependent, but rather we should have fought to maintain the opportunities we had for them to go get for themselves. And we didnt.

Instead housing is non affordable. Higher education is a financial milestone round their necks we didn't have and before they've even started.

We've allowed the skewing and dilution of job openings, being flooded with candidates from different cultures where getting a job at all is related to social non-aptitude related factors our 'kids' haven't grown up with.

And if we had remained in the EU we'd have even taken their full democracy/sovereignty away.

So...leaving them with what? Facebook society? Selfies...as in how to be selfish and egotistic.

My parents taught me and my siblings to budget and to scrimp and save for things we wanted but could not afford. They would never take out things on HP and we were taught not to do that either. We saved for years to get deposit for our first house and then it was not in a good area. But work was always plentiful and parents helped with childcare so both DH and I could both work. I know we have helped out our children financially and my niece as well far more than we were ever helped. I also know we never had to think can we afford to have a child and I know my daughter would love another child but can't as she could not afford nursery fees for two children at once so is waiting until first child gets some free hours before having another.

Jayanna9040 I bought my house in London for roughly the same price at yours in 1976 (ie £14,200 against your £14,000. That same house is now worth £800,000, far from the £325,00 you have quoted. I know that for sure because I've just sold it. These houses that used to be bought by people in very ordinary jobs (we were both Clerical Officers in the Civil Service) are now bought by lawyers and doctors and other very well paid professionals, and even they would need a hefty deposit from somewhere, in the region of several hundred thousand pounds.

In addition I was able to give up work after a couple of years when we started a family. House purchase these days depends on 2 partners working full time for ever.

Yes young people do spend money on different things now, but what is the use of saving £1,500 a year when you need £200,000 for a deposit (which you probably do in London). You might as well go on holiday.

Oh I think we are responsible, responsible for buying the rubbish which has been fed to us by politicians and which has resulted in the benefits we grew up with being denied to our children and grandchildren. Such as free further education, not just universities but FE colleges and other institutions which offered a leg up in society for anyone. We have shouldered some of the cost of this but handed a massive debt to the next generation, and indications are that this will cost more than student loans ever did. We let them sell off the railways and the utilities because we bought the idea that market forces would make things cheaper. Tell that to the young people using the railways. We have overseen the decimation and privatisation of the NHS and done nothing.
Our parents believed that the state should provide opportunities and care for everyone- From the cradle to the grave. We have stood by and watched this destroyed, in doing so we have not only stolen the family silver and let down the next generation, we have torn up the legacy we were left, and OUR parents must be turning in their graves.

Do you know, gransnettersI am totally sick of being blamed for what the younger generation want but "can't " afford or have.
I am not a baby boomer, I am pre-war. I was brought up in what is the equivalent of a council house, being housing provided for the coastguard service, and literally we lived hand to mouth. Got married in 1960, cost of first house £3000. Husband then earned £44 a MONTH. Due to rapid arrival of twins, unexpected as no scans then, I never worked until my youngest daughter born 7 years after twins was 8. I had a single tub washing machine......bear in mind no disposable nappies then.....no fridge, freezer, TV, and we furnished two rooms from the auction rooms and family cast offs. The phone and car were provided by the company my husband worked for as he was a company rep. And went out the door on a Monday and came back in on a Friday.
When youngest was 8 we had more month than money, and bought on a hefty mortgage a sub-post office so that I could work and still be at home for the kids. Hubby continued with his job.
Fast forward until now when I am 80, I have outlived two husbands, and have four children and nine grandchildren. i live in a very comfortable bungalow, run no car, rely on buses. The latter, they and their parents say, can't afford to get married, buy a house and a host of other things most of which I never had and wouldn't know what to do with if I had them. But.....they all have the latest iPhone, iPad, laptop, cars on HP, holidays abroad etc. Getting married costs as little or as much as you want to spend......there is no requirement for a lavish dress and reception.....a clergyman or registrar is all that's needed. The number of takeaway meals they eat beggars belief. Designer trainers at...HOW MUCH???
They need to learn that you can't have your cake and eat it, not spend every penny as if there was no tomorrow. There was a thread on Gransnet recently about the childhood upbringing some of us had. I sent the thread to a couple of my grandsons. So I listen to them moan then I ask a few pertinent questions.....how much have you spent this month, how much of what you bought did you need (not want), and how much have you saved for the future?
I don't get very satisfactory answers. But I am darned if I can see how I am to blame for their so called impoverishment.

Although I agree it may be harder for young people today to get onto the property ladder many will also inherit more money when their parents die. Also many grand parents help their children with deposits for first property as well as cost of grandchildrens childcare, school trips, treat days out etc. My parents could not afford to help me or my siblings out much financially but did help with childcare so we could work. Personally I think each generation does what it can to help their children get on in life in whichever way they can.

Sorry for all the typos!

Its hard to make a comparison - i know houses are horrendously difficult to buy in the SE and all my children do work very hard and had to pay back student loan debts before they could save for a house. They will also hve to kep working longer than us and have smaller pensions .
On the other hand , as others have said, we had owhere near the standard of living they have- we started with hand me down furniture ancould not afford holidays (except stayingwith my parents) never went out for meals etc etc. Also had no money from our parents - they didnt have any to spare - and we have given lots of financial help to our children. Weddings were much more midest affairs too in those days. So i can see oth sides of te argument. But i do object to being blamed for everything by the next generation (not my own family!) - edp Brexit asi voted Remain. Our sons now have higher salaries than we had even at the end of our careers and we couldnt afford theit houses. They have expensive holidays abroad and meals out. So do we now, but not at their age! Thats because we have paid off tge mortgage and we are lucky that DH has a decent pension - which of course he paid into all his life , and we have always been careful with money.

Swings and roundabouts. Some things better:some worse.

My husband and I had to move from expensive Sussex to cheap as the chips Cambridgeshire Fens to buy a house together. We worked hard and moved up the ladder paying a 15% mortgage and buying do-er upper wrecks on which we spent time, labour and oodles of money.

I never had an inheritance and I have paid PAYE tax and NI throughout my 34 year full time teaching career. I paid all the taxes due on m house and, now that one child has moved out, it is technically 'too big' for me.

Says who? The resentment factory which is, as usual, trying to gain power and influence by setting one part of the voting public against another.

My children started on this 'intergenerational envy' nonsense after reading the post-Willets whining. I told them as follows:-

'My money and assets were legally earned with all the tax due paid. I earned it all to pass on as untouched as possible to you as your father and I have brought you up to be responsible and prudent. If the government gets hold of it they will waste it on others who are not responsible and prudent and you two will go without.'

That made them think.

Until the law of legal possession is changed fundamentally so that the country moves to a communist style status, cries of 'It's not fair' will be no more than words.

If there were any danger of this happening there would be counter revolution. Look at the response to Corbyn's declaration that he would limit earnings! It is difficult to think how the man could make himself less popular and electable and yet that is just what he did yesterday by announcing financially authoritarian measures.

For those of you quoting 3x salary for how much someone can get on a mortgage those days are long gone,if we still had them our houses would be worth a lot less. I live in a 4 bed house when in theory a one bed house would be big enough

I could only afford to buy my (tiny!) bungalow some years ago because both my parents obligingly dropped dead within weeks of each other!

Otherwise God knows where I'd be now......

I don't feel guilty because we have both worked since we were 15yrs I couldn't stay on at school as parents needed some income from me . Parents didn't help us like we help children . When we married we paid for everything ourselves and most of our furniture was second hand . We didn't holiday abroad until kids were teenagers .we didn't have meals out or coffees .

One should not forget those of us who increased the housing stock by taking on disused barns, churches, warehouses etc and turned them into housing for the first time.

Our barn and garden is still my husbands life times work. When we go there will be housing that did not exist before us. We were able to buy it because a builder said he could not make a sufficient profit if he converted it.

I read a lot about down sizing as did my parents. They did not down size because all their friends were in their village and we were a large family and returned frequently with our children to stay with them. My mother left shortly after my father's death when she realized that her pension would not cover the roof repairs etc required to modernize it. The house is now being done up by the next family who have two incomes.

In my old age apart from helping out with family matters, a bit of volunteering etc. I need room for my art, writing, family history files etc. and space for family visitors so we will not be down sizing until one of us dies.

I'm sure that's a normal cycle, and this intergenerational foundation is very biased. What is missing is a good supply of council housing which successive governments have prevented and sold off.

I say stop blaming us. The governments over the years have planned and spent badly, the young dont't just want get married but most of them want big expensive weddings, hen parties abroad etc. When they get a house they want everything straight away and sky tv is the norm. Well you have to learn that you can't have it all and learn to save and buget, even students with loans seem to have year long gap years. I don't and won't feel guilty for my life style.

I have just written everything below, after reading it I have come to the conclusion it is no point arguing about who worked hardest, who had it best etc. We have to face the situation how it is now, the next generation are resentful, we are blamed for Brexit, we are blamed for controlling the government, we are blamed for being too rich and doing nothing. We are not stupid, we are not finished, we must use our skills and power to help the next generation.

My first comments.
Come on everyone lets get fair about this. When I left school in 1963 with 5 O levels considers a good level of education then, today it is the basic required. i was offered jobs, in the civil service, post office and local government, I eventually trained to be a nurse at no cost. This year is the last one for bursaries for student nurses. We are asking so much more of young people today.

We did get free education, free university not that many of us went. Free apprentiships which were plentiful.

We did save hard for a mortgage but with both my husband and I working and renting an apartment it wasn't that difficult. The banks only lent us two and a half times my husband's salary so house prices were limited by the money available. Yes I agree Banks are big culprits in all this.

I don't think it fair that our children should depend on handouts from us to buy a house, that prejudices children who don't have parents able to do this. The fairness of our lives was that we were given the opportunity of education and work so we weren't dependent on inheritance. ( I benifitted from passing the 11 plus but failing handicapped some people)

People are living much longer than expected and some receiving very large pensions although these are taxed.

I never worried about getting a job but my daughter at 11 years old was worried.

Modern technology, phones etc. Are needed to keep up with today's technology, I am writing this on my iPad. When I was staying somewhere with poor internet connection my life was very difficult as I could not make essential connections.

Now let's get out act together and help in what could be difficult times.

Well said FarNorth it seems to me that any respect for the older generation has gone out the window When I was a youngster I was expected to give up my seat on the bus for the elderly or mothers with babies etc Now I am elderly (67) no one gives up their seat for me In Britain we have become a nation of moaners. We should remember the power of the vote and not be afraid to use it moan at the right people Nobody should be expected to give up what they have worked dammed hard to obtain

Well, poor old Angus isn't in the first flush of youth! I wonder how much space he shares with others in his house, which I suspect is quite a nice one. I only have the state pension so therefore still work at age 69 - nothing golden about that. He isn't alone though, I was in a 'chat round the table' group the other day, ages ranging from 80 to 40 years. Imagine the horror when the 40 year old said that there should be an age limit on life especially as the 80 year old had just celebrated his birthday and she was a guest!

I was born in 1955, my Parents managed to buy their rented cottage a few years later, no electricity until I was 5 years old. no Bathroom until I was 11 when my parents managed to buy barn & outbuildings attached to our cottage, only then did we have central heating, Mum did get a twin tub, fridge & 2nd hand freezer (mainly for Dad's fishing catch). B & W TV, no Colour set until after I left home at 17 to work. No luxuries, holidays were camping. No handouts for them from their Parents.

I only have my own home because my DH was able to buy his house with his 1st wife & then an inheritance enabled them to buy a larger house. We downsized (ex-wife still owned half of family home) when it became too much for us & I have downsized again after DH's death. I have had little new furniture or other household goods although DH & I both worked full-time & in 23 years only 1 foreign holiday. New car bought after retirement thanks to a loan & Government £2000 Scrappage Scheme.

I will inherit very little from DM as she along with my Step-Father took out Equity Release at least 15 years ago. I too am fed up with being blamed - we didn't have all the gadgets etc & lived within our means

An aspect of this endless media debate which is never mentioned when we are being accused of greediness is how much taxation both direct AND indirect have our demographic contributed to the economy from the sixties onwards. It's our esteemed rulers - lol! - and many many bonkers squandering policies who have really sold the family silver but of course they're all made of teflon and will never be held accountable

I didn't vote to leave, and I am not gaining by the increase in house prices - my kids will as they will inherit. Why should older people be poor?

I don't give a twopenny damn what this man thinks. When asked whether his own parents should downsize he replied that they use their five-bedroomed home actively and entertain guests. Well, we move around a lot in our three bedroomed terrace, so I think we'll stay put, thank you.