Vince Cable Pensioners should go back to work

^The monetary value of the direct economic contribution of employment, informal caring, including childcare, and volunteering by people aged 50 or over in the United
Kingdom in 2016/17 amounted to £796 bn (approx. 45 per cent of Gross Value Added), of which people aged 65 or over contributed with £160 bn. Employment contribution amounted to £570 bn (£ 54 bn from 65+); informal caring
activities added another £175 bn (£ 95 bn), informal childcare was worth £7.7 bn (only estimated for those aged 65 or over) and volunteering represented another £43.4 bn (£ 2.7 bn).^
www.ageuk.org.uk/globalassets/age-uk/documents/reports-and-publications/reports-and-briefings/active-communities/the_economic_contribution_of_older_-people_-update_-to_-2017.pdf

That was the situation in 2017 when this report was published. Quite frankly Vince Cable is an ignorant old fool. Him an economist and not taking into account all the informal unpaid work we do with childcare and voluntary work, not to mention how much of the economy depends on our montary expenditure!

Maybe I’m lazy? I’m 67y, retired and (fortunately) in good health so yes, I could work. But do I want to? Nope.

None of us knows how many (or few) years are left to us. Woyld I want to spend mine working? Definitely not. Yes, I’d have more disposable income (we live solely on our pensions now with no savings) but to be honest I’d rather have ‘time off’ and cut my cloth accordingly.

Good points & an interesting post MOnica.

M0nica, you are so right. This is part of the argument Nina put to him but he is blinkered to this fact. All the elderly unpaid child carers who love having their grandchildren are saving the economy thousands of pounds not to mention those people who are also caring for their ill or disabled partners at home. This young man has no idea what he is talking about, he said he plans to 'work until he drops'...well, good for him...

Go back to work? How dare he? He has to be joking, surely? I haven't got time to work, and wonder how I ever managed it. Yes, I'm fit, but don't pick on me for it!

I'm not surprised you took a dislike to him Mumofthree. He was pretty objectionable on The Apprentice, unpopular with the other contestants, and I'm sure Alan Sugar only kept him in as he makes for fiery TV.

mumofthree and all the younger people who are working and paying tax because their retired parents provide child care.

Then there is the tax that older people pay from their income, not just income tax, but VAT, excise duty, stamp duty, car licences etc etc

I am a member of the LibDems and a fellow economist and used to be a great supporter of Vince Cable but ever since his time as leader I have become more and more disillusioned with him. If retired people keep working they need to be fit in mind as well as body, and perhaps Vince Cable's intellectual fitness is fading, no matter how physically fit he remains.

It’s not 1st April is it? I worked from the age of 17 to 60, with 9 years off to raise three children. During those nine years I also did Child Minding for a pittance and helped run Toddler Groups and Playgroups, for free. During my working years I paid enough through taxes etc., to fund my retirement. Who are these ridiculous people who just say ridiculous stuff to get a reaction?

Nobody ever lies on their deathbed and wishes they had worked more, as far as I know. I can't get worked up about a callow youth wagging a finger at people who have worked hard or Vince Cable neither. They mean nothing to me. Monica has the statistics at her fingertips. I retired at 60 from teaching. I was exhausted, physically and mentally and could not have continued. I make no apologies ever for going. I have a number of ailments which will probably carry me off sooner rather than later so in enjoying life now.

Whoever this young man would like me (maybe). I intend to carry on doing paid work until I'm no longer capable, as does my partner.

Vince Cable really ought to know better and the young man needs a lesson in economics.

Not worth getting upset about.

Really, I suppose it depends on the job. I retired then went back to work as a RGN. Years of lifting and handling, before aids became the norm, didn’t do much for my back, being put on mainly night shifts finally finished me, as found being on my feet for hours nearly killed me. So unless I could find a job, which involved more sitting than standing,a definite NO from me.

Grandmabatty

Nobody ever lies on their deathbed and wishes they had worked more, as far as I know. I can't get worked up about a callow youth wagging a finger at people who have worked hard or Vince Cable neither. They mean nothing to me. Monica has the statistics at her fingertips. I retired at 60 from teaching. I was exhausted, physically and mentally and could not have continued. I make no apologies ever for going. I have a number of ailments which will probably carry me off sooner rather than later so in enjoying life now.

Exactly.

Doesn't seem so long ago that older employees were seen as taking up jobs that could be done by younger people. Since retiring I have provided childcare for GC and now I am a carer. I'm pretty much exhausted.

I am retired and I do unpaid work - I am a carer for my DH and for my very elderly mother. In addition I provide childcare for my GC. I contribute to the economy in an unrecognised way as I suspect lots of other people do.

I gather this attitude is prevalent among certain sections of the entitled young, particularly those with good qualifications and jobs. They are resentful because their parents' generation had cheap mortgages and free university education and training, and forget that many of them were helped with fees and generous deposits towards first homes.

They are also resentful of older people occupying positions at work they feel they should be theirs, ignoring knowledge and experience in favour of new ideas that they think they have just invented.
They also very much resent the idea that they should start contributing to health care for their old age.

Humbertbear

I am retired and I do unpaid work - I am a carer for my DH and for my very elderly mother. In addition I provide childcare for my GC. I contribute to the economy in an unrecognised way as I suspect lots of other people do.

Snap Humbertbear!

Some of us do work unpaid for family and friends - is only paid work to be valued?

eazybee

I gather this attitude is prevalent among certain sections of the entitled young, particularly those with good qualifications and jobs. They are resentful because their parents' generation had cheap mortgages and free university education and training, and forget that many of them were helped with fees and generous deposits towards first homes.

They are also resentful of older people occupying positions at work they feel they should be theirs, ignoring knowledge and experience in favour of new ideas that they think they have just invented.
They also very much resent the idea that they should start contributing to health care for their old age.

Good grief! Are you actually trying to cause an inter-generational war?

One of the reasons I like the work I do is that it keeps me in touch with younger people and ideas. Thankfully, they're not all consumed by resentment.

None of my child DCs or DGCs think like this. They do occasionally have a little moan and say "We'll be working till we drop because you lot spent all the money." But it's said purely in a spirit of fun because they know that is what some sections of government want them to think. But they know that since I retired I've raised money for charities, done loads of voluntary stuff and provided free childcare. Just because you aren't getting paid to work it doesn't mean you aren't working.

Doesn't seem so long ago that older employees were seen as taking up jobs that could be done by younger people. exactly Daisymae but then the older generation are an easy target.

I haven't ever seen this man, but from what I've just read about him I have no wish to correct that. He's had an easy privileged start to life and needs to realise that many, many jobs are physically unsuitable for older people to continue with. They are not lazy and contribute greatly without being in paid positions.

Good grief! Are you actually trying to cause an inter-generational war? well it would appear Mr Parsons has made the first move. Describing older people as lazy isn't coming from a conciliatory place.

I do agree with you all, honestly, but just to play devils advocate...
when we supply free elderly care to our parents and free child care for our adult children are we depriving another person of a paid job?

Yes, but older people are supposed to be wiser and one would hope less likely to engage in tit-for-tat squabbles.

I am 69 in February and still work part time in a care home because I enjoy the work and the extra money obviously comes in handy because my pension is a pittance of £652 a month even though I had over 40 years contributions

LauraNorderr

I do agree with you all, honestly, but just to play devils advocate...
when we supply free elderly care to our parents and free child care for our adult children are we depriving another person of a paid job?

I see your point and yes, in theory we are depriving another person of a paid job.......except many parents couldn't afford to pay the going rate for childcare on the minimum wage they earn, so wouldn't have need of another person's paid employment. As for elderly care, if that would be provided by the state it would be absolutely the minimum required for survival, not the loving care provided by those emotionally vested. It's a complicated issue