Quote Originally Posted by jon1959 View Post
Agreed. As a boomer I am very aware that a lot of doors started slaming behind me after I had walked through (like the opening sequence of the original Get Smart!). I had dole in the summer when I wasn’t working, full student grant and fees covered apart from a small parental contribution one year (they wrre always means tested), public services ( remember them?), a cheap and integrated bus service, affordable housing (did private and Council renting before buying a mid terrace in 1986 for £15,600 when we were both on about £7,000 salary) and despite the cold wind of Thatcherism I was only out of work for 5 months.

I ended up in a good job with a proper occupational (final salary) pension scheme and was able to retire early at 55 with no debts. True, looking back, some of it was like an extract from the Four Yorkshiremen sketch, but we also had strong and effective trade unions (I was a steward for years) and a culture of not putting up with shit. So lucky for sure - but we also made our own luck.

In less than a week I will be 66 and officially a pensioner. I sympathise with the generations behind me that will have it harder and with much less security.
When you started work you were to be a pensioner at 65 as I was, I've had two periods out both times for 3 months, one occasion it was by choice, i walked out of a job and went on a what i thought was a deserved break for 3 months 2nd time was not by choice!! took advantage of some grants and did some courses which in hindsight were wrong choices, Engineering seems quite strong at the moment with some decent salaries to be had, of course I'm not looking but was approached a few weeks ago about a role and after some talks was offered it at a salary which should have made me take it, I never and will just see this out until i get the FO tablet, I had all the benefits you mention, my son is saddled with a 40 year mortgage, the point was some of the younger ones on here seemingly happy that Starmer targeted the pensioners and as you and i know, being a pensioner comes about in a flash and we are left wondering where did the years go. The younger ones, glad that pensioners took a shooing will be hoping that those who follow them don't feel the same as them and possibly feel that those who went before them shouldn't freeze or starve to death.