Peers wanting to remove pensioners' benefits

Walking through M & S this morning read a headline in, I think, the Express. It read something like "Pensioners make enormous contribution to society TIME TO KEEP THEIR 'PERKS'. Sure that is not exact but something like that.

Why should a benefits system have "perks". Surely the money should be part of the pension. I do understand that is was done in the way it was because it could come from a different column on the spreadsheet but really, aren't we passed the days of the guy (or women) at the big house giving us a pat on the head

all designed to keep us in our placeGGMK3 I dont remember people saying Benefits when I was young ..it was social security.not welfare as they call it in the US.Its all a part of the divide and conquer tactics of the right .

Express claims Pensioners add £160 billion annually to the economy.

I think that is probably correct.There are 12 million people over 60. Not only do we, in aggregate, spend a lot of money, we generate so many jobs, not just the obvious ones in the care and medical sector but in every sector in the economy from food and clothing, to cars, the car parts needed to build and maintain them, the lorry drivers driving all these good around, warehouses and the staff, houses, electronic equipment, toys, children's clothes, holidays. You name it we consume it.

Then there is our contribution to the tax base. Average pensioner income is now £29,952 a year, while one-fifth have a higher than average weekly income of £936 or £48,672 a year, obviously this is an average and many people are on Pension Credit but it means many pensioners are still paying substantial amounts in tax each year. Then there is all the VAT, excise tax, council tax. Yes, we make a major contribution to the economy, probably as much as we cost.

Here is a link to a really interesting (yes, really) government statistical service paper on pensioner income assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/790535/pensioners-incomes-series-2017-18-report.pdf

Over £100 billion of the £160 billion is apparently accounted for by savings made to the NHS and social care system by people of pensioner age, whatever their income, caring for the sick and elderly, and taking on childcare.

Maggiemaybe, that as well.

We are constantly presented in the media as drones, a drag on the economy, a leech on the body economic. I think it is time much more was made of our contribution to the economy on every front, as tax payers, consumers and voluntary workers.

Now the real leeches on the economy are children, They rarely have an income or pay any tax yet they cost the country billions. Education alone costs this country £90 billion a year, then there is the cost to Local Councils with providing support services, protection services, medical care. There is the effect they have on their parents work efficiency. Parents of young children are almost always dead tired, They cannot work at their best when tired, not to mention time off dealing with sick children, school events etc etc. Children really are a drag on the economy