Well now the budget is done and dusted, it looks again like the wealthy have got off lightly - with no new wealth tax and banks get a reduced taxation regime, while poorer older people are getting the brunt of the cuts and the tax rises.
As usual we have to ignore the ageist think tanks and columnists going on about the old are wealthy and taking off the young and focus on the real divide in the UK, between the wealthy ( largely untaxed, doubling their wealth every 10 years and creating bubbles with the money that they have sloshing around) and the ordinary working people - particularly those relying on benefits to top up meagre UK wages.
The working poor - many of whom are over 50 plus pensioners reliant on state pensions alone or needing to work to top up their paltry income- are feeling the heat now. Universal Credit cuts mean poverty and / or more forms to fill in to get back some of what they have lost, plus a top of of an extra payment into National Insurance including those currently exempt like working pensioners.
Basic state pensions to rise below the triple lock figures leaving us with the lowest Western Europe level of state pensions while minimum living wage to rise by less than a pound an hour.
Cost of living rising with energy prices going through the roof.
When are we going to wake up to the fact that the majority of senior citizens are living on or near the poverty line and that again in the 5th richest country in the world there will be people having to choose between heating and eating.
There is much made of the key role older people play in elections yet we are again taken for granted. We seniors really need to keep the pressure up to get politicians from all parties to take the needs of older poorer workers and pensioners seriously. Do join us in positive ageing in London to help fight this
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