Pensioners only have it good now if you compare it to Victorian times - Yorkshire Post Letters

Jayne Dowle (The YP, March 11) asked “Have UK pensioners ever had it so good?”

It depends on what you are comparing it with. Compared to Victorian times. Yes. Compared to other of today’s developed countries. No.

Survival in today’s world becomes more and more dependent on technology. Something that pensioners don’t have access to either financially or educationally.

Jayne then continues using her recent experience of an unpleasant encounter with two irritable pensioners to build a case to support this statement. Not only does this show a lack of empathy but also a journalistic ploy to discredit pensioners in general. Pique perhaps?

However she acknowledges that 2.1 million pensioners are living in poverty and rightly says pensioners have long memories. Something she herself seems to lack. She praises the budget triple lock increases whilst forgetting that this was suspended for a year not so long ago.

And percentage increases mean nothing. It’s increases in real terms that counts.

According to the Organisation of Economic Co-operation and Development the UK pension is the worst in the developed world. And as for health care and food banks. I won’t go there.

There are of course some pensioners who do live a privileged life but these are a minority used as an excuse to punish all. And accumulated property wealth is now being mopped up in health and care costs.

UK pensioners are not well treated and in the latest budget moved to the bottom of the income scale. It isn’t only the workers who have been hit by freezing the tax threshold. It also punishes pensioners who have saved and contributed to occupational pensions who now have disproportionate tax increases due to fiscal drag.

Jayne does show some sympathy albeit against an underlying resentment.

So the answer to Jayne’s question “Have UKs pensioners ever had it so good?” If you are a pensioner you know.