Ageism

[Workingman]

Some of us oldies might be costing the NHS something, but what about the multitude
of young people who need the sevices of the NHS after their nights of drinking and drugs ?

Quite true Aggers, but most of us have paid in for 30, 40, 50 years, or more - as we were forced to. It is not our fault that consecutive governments frittered away our contributions on other things rather than putting them in a savings account with interest. Every single one of them "hoped" that the growth of the economy would cover things.

[Suff]

It is a simple fact that the population of the UK has been fairly stable for 40 years now. Up until the uncontrolled immigration and the influx of EU citizens.

From 1601 to 1701 the population of England grew by less than 1m
From 1701 to 1801 the population of England grew by 3m In reality 2.6m from 1751.
From 1821 to 1911, the population of England tripled to 33m. The impact of the industrial revolution.
From 1971 to 2001 the population of England grew by only 3.5 million people.

The changes of the Industrial revolution created a massive bubble in the population which has taken a long time to work out. Modern medicine has created a society of ageing people, fully paid up for the services they receive, but supported by a reducing younger population (until the influx of the EU workers).

So, the UK was set for a long hard term of reducing pensioners services and benefits whilst increasing the taxes on the reducing workforce. This gap has been filled by the incoming workers. However, they also bring their families and they also consume services.

To be honest the only way for this to sort itself out is for people, today, to pay significantly more for the SAME services that retiree's receive today. That will have to continue until the cycle is closed and the deficit is sorted out.

Of course, in the middle of this, are a bunch of irresponsible governments who will throw away any gains to buy votes. Perpetuating the mess. The Pension and benefits scheme is a PONZI scheme. So long as increasing numbers pay into it, then the original recipients will continue to receive the benefits they were promised. The moment that the number of new entrants falls, the scheme falls apart. It's not difficult to see.

The only possible lifesaver for the system is to encourage foreign workers to come to the UK, make their pile, pay their taxes and NI, then leave to go home and not take pensions and health services in their old age.

Demonising the OLD is not fair given that the system was faulty from the very beginning.......

But it was created by Politicians. Who really expected it to work????