Community Service for your Pension

The Daily Express site says "published Tuesday 16 February". Bichard's comments were, according to the report, made following controversy about another issue related to elderly people:

"Frail and infirm pensioners will be advised to pay a special fee in order to allow a council's care workers to pick them up should they fall down at home.

"Conservative-run Tendring District Council announced its proposed 'lifting charge' saying it aims to "provide a prompt response from specially trained staff" as part of its Careline elderly help service.

"Those with a higher fall risk will be encouraged to opt-in to the service

"But the new proposed annual levy will be £25.92 in addition to the cost of the Careline service" [which is apparently £21 per month].

My mum has had the Careline service for a few years now and has only alerted the emergency centre once in all that time - and that was unintentional. Surely people like her who never or rarely need the emergency service cancel out those who use it more frequently.

I remember my best friend's mother who was asked if she had ever thought about Meals on Wheels, she replied that she could probably help about once a fortnight but was very busy helping the local hospital library service on most other days. No - they explained - did she WANT Meals on Wheels. Friend's mother was over 80 at the time. We often have helpers at our local Monday Club who are way older than those they are helping!

Lord Bichard's quoted wording is almost exactly the same in both the 2012 Telegraph article and the Express article dated today.

I notice the Express doesn't state exactly when he made the remarks.

Well, whether he made the comments in 2012 and they have been re-published recently, or whether he made them yesterday isn't really the point. The Daily Express chose to highlight them, and it all adds up to creating a climate which I believe is designed to lead to resentment in younger people and guilt and anxiety in older people.

They sound like a repeat of what he said in 2012, so either there is no news to report or the Express is stirring the sh*t or is very slow on the uptake

Regardless of when he said it the country would fall apart if pensioners stopped doing community service!

Suppose we turned this on its head and said OK but we want to be paid the going rate for all the work we already do caring/childminding/volunteering etc. I wonder how much more money we would all be entitled to? Maybe they should think what good value they are already getting for the amount of pension we are paid.

Silly me thought that I had already worked to earn my pension. There is no way I will be out sweeping streets or whatever.

I paid for my pension through my national insurance in the same way I paid for my occupational pension by payments into my employers pension scheme. My past employer doesn't expect me to work to justify the pension I contributed to for many years why should the noble lord expect me to work for the state pension I also contributed to for many years

The state pension ins NOT a benefit, it is a contributory pension.

It's only some pompous peer spouting rubbish. Take no notice - no one did when he said it and it's just being repeated now to get the reactions displayed on here today.

Ana

And he is a cross-bench peer anyway so is anyone taking any notice?

apart from us ...

And the Daily Express who reported it - and Saga and the National Pensioners Convention who commented on it.

"Negative burden"? Could someone tell me what constitutes a "positive burden"?

Not Mr Bichard anyway.

Walking the dog the other day I passed about a dozen young men with Community Payback emblazoned on their clothes. They were cutting back a hedge and did look a bit dodgy to say the least. Made me a tad nervous especially as they commented as I walked past.
Would we have to work with people like that

We might be a wonderful civilising influence on "people like that".

I don't think having Community Payback on their clothes is a great idea, btw. Why not just go for arrows?

Would we have to wear clothes like that too, or else forfeit our pensions whitewave

Burden on Society headbands perhaps?