Good Neighbours

As a 'state pensioner' myself why would I be 'getting at' older people MOnica ?
and pensionpat has answered your question Anya
J52 seemed to be implying that the State Pensio was the only 'pay back' that people contributed to through National Insurance

M0nica I agree good neighbours are a blessing. I am also fortunate to have good neighbours and, although I don't bother them too much, I know they are just a phone call away if I need help. We have keys to each others homes so we can keep on eye on things when anyone is away and, as I am the one not working, I tend to take in packages. I do have one neighbour who is a bit "off" but the rest are great.

sunseeker It started with a message from Magsymoo Wed 17-Aug-16 20:33:46
I think most people on Gransnet are on benefits aka a state pension...

On the original message I am really lucky, we have really lovely neighbours. Three houses share an access road that goes over a little stream to reach the road. We are the ones at the cul de sac of the access road so neighbours who were inconsiderate about car parking could cause us a lot of problems.

We have few problems, although a previous next door neighbour used to run flower arranging courses in her house and the attenders always blocked our access, despite being told to park in the public road and not on the access road. In the end we bought some traffic cones from Screwfix, she told us when the courses were being held and we put out the cones so that our access was not blocked.

How has a thread concerning good neighbours become a thread about pensions being "benefits", something which has been discussed several times. Methinks someone is trying to stir up the grannies!

Maggieanne no argument with that, a relation was a victim of Robert Maxwell's playing fast and loose with the pension scheme assets, so I really understand the problems people in such pension schemes face, but at least we now have the state run rescue organisation that means such schemes are rescued, even though the pensioners do not get quite as much as expected. Maxwell pensioners lost their complete pensions whether they were receiving a pension or were deferred pensioners. My relation went from a comfortable retirement to claiming the then equivalent of Pension Credit overnight when he was nearly 80

But all that is irrelevant to the point I was making - which was that the state pension is not a benefit it is a contributory pension, which the government does not fund the way other funds are forced to do.

The benefits that depend on people paying NI contributions for are Jobseekers Allowance, Employment Support Allowance(Contributory ) Bereavement Benefit(I think) Constant Care Allowance(possibly) and Retirement Pension. The contributions are allegedly in a "pot" and those benefits are paid out of the pot. The other benefits are paid out of Income tax.

It's all an accounting exercise.

Monica, people pay into works pensions but there are some that won't see their money. BHS anyone. Luckily Sir Philip is ok with his lovely yacht complete with a staff of forty,including dog-walkers apparently

It is not 'getting at older people' simply stating the facts. State pensions are paid out of the welfare coffer as are other benefits. We do rather well out of benefits with our heating allowances and free travel so let's not get so sniffy about other people less fortunate than ourselves.

You are so right M0nica!

Throughout our working lives we specifically pay National Insurance payments to fund our pension. The fact that the government does not specifically use that money to invest into a pension fund but adds it to general taxation and pays pensions from income is their decision not ours.

It is strange that if a company took pension contributions from its employees and instead of investing them in a protected fund added them to turnover and just paid pensions from its annual sales there would be outrage. MPs would ask questions, employees would strike and Acts of Parliament would be passed.

Yet the government does this and this enables posters like magsiemoo and neversaydie* and the many others that use that fact to get at older people to describe the state pension as a 'benefit'

Such as Neversaydie?

As have other benefits surely J5

The state pension is not a benefit. It has been paid for through National Insurance contributions.

Yea, yea, yea....

I think most people on Gransnet are on benefits aka a state pension.....

Some people also watch too much Channel 5!

Some people do make that kind of assumption - one of my neighbours blamed another neighbour's habit of parking inconsiderately (ie, too near her front gate) on the fact that he had been "brought up in a housing scheme" so didn't know how to be considerate like civilised people.

Of course no one 'assumes that all people on benefits' are troublemakers or bad tenants, just some of them.

It is a kind of reverse logic - many troublemakers don't work, so it is assumed that all those who don't work are troublemakers

I lived 'on benefits' (income support & housing benefit) for a number of years while I was bringing my daughter up on my own.
I had to rent privately (no chance of social housing) and it was a struggle to find a landlord who would accept someone 'on benefits'.
I hope that I was a considerate and thoughtful neighbour. Eventually I was able to start working and am happy to pay back in to the system so that others who need it can benefit (excuse the pun).

It makes me sad to see assumptions that people who don't work are automatically lazy / troublemakers / criminals etc.

Are we to assume that all people on benefits (I assume that's what DSS means) bad tenants and troublemakers? I think that's a very sweeping assumption. Everyone has to live somewhere and I am sure there are many people, in receipt of benefits, who do not cause trouble.

Glad to hear they are moving, it's such a shame when that happens someone I know always vets his tenants. He won't have anybody coming in from the DSS. Only people who work. We live in a block of flats we downsized and bought a flat. We have 4 in our block who rent but all work and pay their rent. So we are quite lucky, we are not supposed to have DSS in the flats it in the lease but some landlords get round it. I know in one of the other blocks there are quite a few and it's a big problem trying to get them out.

Best news possible that they are moving.

I hope everything simmers down when the neighbours-from-hell move out and have every sympathy for your plight. I also think your immediate neighbours have chosen the wrong path in informing on you as 'complainers' after you had supported them. However, if they are not moving out likewise you might need to grit your teeth and remain on pleasant terms with them regardless of what they have done as the alternative would be far worse. Warring neighbours create misery and have to be flagged up if you come to sell your house. They are on the 'seven things which will devalue your property' list, alas.

The whole situation exemplifies why a detatched house unoverlooked by neighbours is always top of the wish list for those who can afford such a luxury. Hell is, indeed, other people.

Try not to let it make you too cynical about others, though, as that will poison your lives and many others are good, kind people. Your direct neighbours were probably terrified of the newcomers and acted out of fear. They'll probably calm down when the family disappears.

Thanks to everyone for your help and advice. The property that caused all the trouble is the only rented one in the lane. I guess in the 47 years I have lived here we have never had things stolen or feel the vulnerability of someone creeping around your house when you are asleep. Perhaps I should just thank my lucky stars. I do like to always get on with neighbours I am not not talking to next door. I know she was feeling threatened by them and understand that but I would NEVER put the blame on someone else for something I have done. The Police were made aware of the dealing situation when they called at mine over one of the disturbances there. The family are moving out at the end of this month so hopefully we can all get back to normal. Thanks again for your input.