campervanfan

ha we really must stop watching the news & reading the papers- we're all so gullible...you'll be telling me not to have that extra drink next in case I trip up the stairs

ozzieeagle

That Granny tax really upset my mother... She never talks about politics or any contentious issues. It's all she would talk about on my last phone call. Takes a lot to upset her.

I was very surprised at her manner... so WTF is going on over there ?

commonwealth

pasties now subject to 20% VAT. it's a weight loss initiative.

campervanfan

well my official retirement age has risen to 66.... there is talk of a further rise to 68 or even 70... those of us who have been responsible & hard working all our lives feel that we have become an easy target to recoup revenue from- existing pensioners are having their tax allowance rates frozen- & of course if you emigrate your pension is frozen- interest on savings is almost nil..

trouble is although some people are ok with extending their working lives, not everyone is in the greatest of health - or even has the energy level left after raising families & working at the same time.. it's really come as a hammer blow to a lot of people that that end date is getting further & further away..nobody knows any more in fact what that retirement date will be for sure..its a very disconcerting feeling.

there are still many good things about the UK but we're definitely feeling the rug pulled from u nder our feet.. no wonder we panic if there's the slightest hint of a fuel shortage- the thought of being housebound as well might just be the last straw!!!

Butterfly Bokeh

Government creating nationwide panic to line their pockets further from I can fathom or from what I want to fathom from it all.

Odd that people read the papers and heard the news a couple of days ago and today there is the calming news of talks to get past the threats of strikes yet people are still rushing to the pumps trying to cause an accident in the process.
I do find people odd to work out sometimes - lets say take for example the woman de-cantering one petrol can to fill another in her kitchen with the cooker on - she wasn't young or particularly old - in her 40's where I would say should technically have common sense enough to know how stupid what she was doing was!
40% burns

There won't be a strike before Easter so I don't know people are still panicking. It's like the crazies without anyone toting a gun :$

ozzieeagle

You must be the same age as me... Same thing has happened here. I've just been caught by the retirement age change, although I dont cop it as badly as my wife who is two years younger than me but now retires 3 years later. I now reach the government pension age at 66 and she at 67. No talk of change beyond the government pension benefits. So it may come down to accessing more of your super before the government pension becomes available.

Got to admit, I dont know whether I have to work for another 7 or 10 years yet.

I may just retire at the same age as the Wife..... Bloody hell thats 12 years from her government pension away ! Hmmm not a good idea.

Luckily in Aus you can access your Super tax free once you hit 60... So we are both in that age group within 6 years.

So a similar experience to your UK one.

chris955

The retirement age is rising in many countries including Australia because Governments realise it will be impossible to pay the necessary pensions. h

ozzieeagle

I know that and it's obvious. What isn't quite so obvious is once governments upset the un-upsettable like my Mother they are going to cop a massive backlash. I would say there are literally millions sething over this Tax.... I've got visions of oldies on their zimmers now taking to the streets.

chris955

It is probably the last group that any Government wants to upset but i get the feeling we will be seeing pensioners being hit more and more in years to come.

Dreamy

They are a bit thick in Acomb

commonwealth

life expectancies are increasing so I suppose they need to adjust the retirement age.

roaringmouse

Basing it on that, women have a longer life expectancy than men, therefore the retirement age for women should be greater than that for men.

commonwealth

That's mainly because many more males die at a younger age doing riskier things than young females do. If you get past that stage and survive towards retirement, the life expectancy between the sexes are not too wide a gap from each other.

Vash the Stampede

Butterfly Bokeh

Now that I like!

We're off on holiday with my dad next week and poor dad is really stressing about petrol. So if everyone could Engage their brain cells and stop being stupid I won't have him texting me every 5 minutes asking if it'll all be ok