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Elderly should work 'as long as able' says Blunkett

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Published Date: 05 September 2008
PENSIONERS should work as long as they are physically capable and take greater responsibility for paying for their care as they grow infirm, David Blunkett, a former Cabinet minister, suggested yesterday.
The former home secretary – who also spent a year in charge of UK pensions policy – called for an end to the assumption that the state had "prime responsibility" for supporting people through "the ever-increasing years of retirement".

Mr Blunkett, who left the Cabinet for a second time three years ago, said to the Counsel and Care charity in London that people should be prepared to use the value of their homes to pay for their care rather than leaving their properties to relatives.

About £700 billion is thought to be tied up in homes owned by pensioners in the UK.



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  • Last Updated: 04 September 2008 11:57 PM
  • Source: The Scotsman
  • Location: Edinburgh
 
1

the_figures_are _fudged,

Galashiels 05/09/2008 00:07:46

Good move Blunket, certainly not a vote winner with the elderly then.

Reminds me of Tebbits' "Get on your bike" comment really.
2

Guga II,

Rockall 05/09/2008 00:24:33
What he is saying is that if you've worked hard all your life, saved your money and bought yourself a house, the government should be allowed to steal it back from you to pay for your care in later life.

However, if you have been either work-shy or profligate, and don't own your own house, the state should pay for your care in later life.

Incidentally, just how much of a pension and other perks from the public purse does this creep get?


3

Scullion,

Canada 05/09/2008 01:41:44
And this fellow was in a Labour cabinet? What do the Tories say-people over 50 should be ground up for the calcium in their bones?
4

weeshooie1,

Wollongong 05/09/2008 04:22:08
This has been in Australia for years. It's really up to the individual.
5

Pilrig.,

Livingston 05/09/2008 05:54:45
Blunkett, the voice of Labour - the party that gave us Robert Maxwell- the message is "Workers of Britain Unite ! you've nothing to lose but your retirement"

We've to work until we drop so we can finance the likes of him. And we should remember that most of his comrades in the cabinet have never had a real job in their puff.
6

Pilrig.,

Livingston 05/09/2008 05:56:25
4 but you Aussies can do weird things, such as compulsory voting.
7

Chaplin,

05/09/2008 06:20:33
Its unfortunate and most folk would disagree with what Blunkett says, but most pensioners will more than likely have to work part time as long as they are fit enough and sell their main asset to fund old age care.
We can't afford long term free care now, when the 60s baby boomers come to retire in 20 odd years time we will have 2 retirees for every one worker.
8

Ubi,

Edinburgh 05/09/2008 06:44:21
For the first time the Labour project has been allowed to run its course. The results are all around us.

Imagine. Work until you drop. From a Labour government.
9

hertscot,

05/09/2008 08:12:38
Birth, Scholl, Work, Death (The Godfathers)
10

hertscot,

05/09/2008 08:13:30
Sorry.... SCHOOL

(I obviously didn't take any notice when I was there)
11

Nell,

Far from the Struan 05/09/2008 08:21:46
No. 2 Guga:- Said it all there. If you work you'll have to keep working cos we ain't going to give you a thing. If you're a work shy lay about we'll look after you for ever.
12

Joe Macdelta.,

05/09/2008 08:25:29
Bo*$))ks
13

iainrm,

mk 05/09/2008 08:28:04
OK
but the goverment must put in place the framework to make it practical.
14

sam the god,

05/09/2008 08:32:40
#11 Nell
just what I was thinking these dole merchants do not want to work at any point in their life’s as the state will look after them. They should be made to work on community projects (your taxes are being paid to employ people to do this anyway) so why not get or moneys worth out of the spongers you would see a lot of them then actively look for a job next time you look at your wage slip just think of how much of the taxes you pay is going to the dole merchants.
15

Marian,

05/09/2008 08:56:22
It appears that the clock is about to be turned back to the 18th century by New Labour with these right-wing proposals. Pretty soon they'll have the elderly and children working down the mines and in the cotton mills again.
16

Alan B,

05/09/2008 09:24:52
Would have helped if he had actually brought in the policy while in power. I really detest politicians that do nothing in power and then come out with stuff like this.

On the main point. Retirment age should be lifted to 70. Public sector retirement should be brought into line with private sector and also pushed up to 70.

The scheme should be flexible allowing people to work parttime after 60.

Public sector front line workers where working till 70 is not practical should have some sort of redeployment.

17

Alan B,

05/09/2008 09:28:05
#Marian

How would you cope with an aging population. Labour have pushed pensioners into poverty and ruined the whole pension system by not addressing the problem.

Part of the reason the whole final salary schemes have be abolished is they become too costly as the populations are living longer.

It is an issue we really should not sweep under the carpet.

(Immigration should not be used to address aging population issues, as labour have pushed. ie immigration should be based on its own merits.)
18

bluehead,

edinburgh 05/09/2008 09:34:40
bang goes another labour votes,blunkett is a prime example of exactly of what the british people should not have to suffer, I do not where they dug him up,every time he speaks,he sounds pathetic,just like all the rest of the labour pile,as far as I'm concerned they can all 'Gang awa' in' bile thir heids'
19

subrosa,

05/09/2008 09:43:41
It would interest me if Mr Blunkett could give a hint as to where are all these jobs for the over 60s. Nobody wants to employ anyone over 40+. Methinks he's stuck in a time warp.

Many over 60s work but in the voluntary sector which does not provide financial reward. If it wasn't for the vast numbers of retired doing this type of work the whole social structure would collapse. Many have far more sense and ability that the paid social work staff we have in this country.
20

bill-alba,

fife 05/09/2008 09:45:34
Chaplin....we can afford free personal care..its just that the westminster government has other priorities..building aircraft carriers and renewing trident spring to mind.
21

Grumpy,

05/09/2008 10:09:49
Does B&Q have enough vacancies to employ all these over 60s then? Becaus ethat's about the only place they can get employment.

And of cousre Mt Blunket says this in the full knowledge that he has amassed considerable funds though his position so that at least HE won't be affected.
22

danbob,

05/09/2008 11:09:12
All this from a former, Oh so left wing leader of Sheffield city council. I wonder if he makes his guide dog work beyond retirement? or are people less of a value to him than dogs?
23

Me, myself and I,

Livingston 05/09/2008 11:15:54
Labour ...

the new nasty party.
24

Griffe,

05/09/2008 11:38:30
Wouldn't it be more convenient for Blunkett if people continued working until they dropped down dead? Then no pensions to pay! He doesn't seem to know this country is in recesssion with less and less jobs each day.
25

Pilrig.,

Livingston 05/09/2008 15:45:14
7 it's amazing what the state can afford eg foreign wars, propping up failed building societies etc.
26

,

05/09/2008 15:55:14
Comment Removed By Administrator
Reason:
27

Pilrig.,

Livingston 05/09/2008 15:56:27
16 "retirement age should be lifted to 70". maybe if you've been sitting behind a desk all your career. But what if you have worked, as I have since 1970, in a physically demanding job ? Work till we drop indeed.
28

Pilrig.,

Livingston 05/09/2008 16:02:13
Blunkett, another working class hero ( to Filipino nannies).
Remember the Glesca east by-election ? Some of the locals stated that if they didnae vote Labour "ma da' would birl in his grave" etc. I wonder if their das are lying content in their coffins with the suggestions of Blunkett, and NU Lab's overseas wars ?
29

The Former Mr. Angry,

Perth 05/09/2008 16:22:54
Nice comment coming from the overprivileged Blunkett.

Like the rest in Westminster he's probably never done a hand's turn and can look forward to an inflation-proof and generous pension long before he's 70. I don't wholly disagree with working as long as you can I just object to being lectured to by numpty like him.
30

Allan(handofgod137),

05/09/2008 16:25:17
Let's give Blunkett the chance to put his money where his mouth is by kicking him out of his cushy MP's job, diverting his pesion to those who've actually worked for a living, and forcing him to work or starve.
31

Winters,

Glasgow 05/09/2008 17:38:09
David Blunkett is actually right in saying that people should work longer. I was made redundant in my late 50s.
Then, it wasn't fashionable to take employees of that age on and I never had a full-time job after that. I think it's good for the morale if you can do work. It gets you out of the house and gives you an interest with more money. I am long past retiral age but I want to live as long as I can.
Those who sneer at David Blunkett personally should ask how they would be able to do any responsible work with the disability that he has.
32

subrosa,

05/09/2008 18:22:36
# 33
I'm not knocking working as long as you are able or wish to do so. It's being 'told' we should work. I have worked for 45 years and am tired after also bringing up a family etc. As I missed the work ethic (and the morale boost etc) I now undertake unpaid voluntary work 4 days a week.

This work should be done by paid professionals but they appear to have little interest and it's hived off onto the voluntary sector. Mind you, hopefully I contribute as much, if not more than any paid professional, as so many over 60s do.
33

Mcsnagpile,

05/09/2008 19:06:08
Them wot sits and mucks about,
stays to see their eighties out.

Them wot works hard, and do their best,
ends in the knackers yard before the rest.
34

Pilrig.,

Livingston 05/09/2008 19:53:47
33 - that's why it's called the Labour Party - perpetual labour by us mugs so the likes of Blunkett and his comrades can retire early.
Gets you out of the hoose ? If I could retire early I wouldn't be in the bl**dy hoose, I'd be going tound museums, galleries, hill-walking, golfing , you name it. Except that Blunkett, pension raider Broon and the comrades expect us to work till we drop.
There are thousands of blind people who live useful creative lives cintributing to the community, only a small few are well-heeled prats like Blunkett.
35

Pilrig.,

Livingston 05/09/2008 19:55:16
35 - couldn't be more true.
36

dido-bendigo,

Scotland 05/09/2008 21:44:40
Will that morally disgraced failed politician never give up his place on the stage! Surely three bites of the cherry (and a bit on the side) would be enough for any reasonable person! I suppose that 'as long as he can talk' he looks on as being physically capable of 'work'? He should be so lucky! He has pension rights that most of us can only dream of, courtesy of the tax payer. What next, bring back the work-house and the tread-mill? To think that I paid contributions and voted to get him and his ilk into power! Never again!!!
37

Fanling,

Hong Kong 05/09/2008 23:42:26
The Labour Party (so-called) of Blair, Brown and Blunkett is in its terminal death throes. It became Tory-Party-Lite under Blair and has continued down that slippery slope. Hopefully to imminent extinction.

A political party with no identity, no fundamental philosophy, is no political party. When you see how the likes of Prescott, and now Blunkett, have handsomely feathered their nests, courtesy of the taxpaying you and me, it makes you want to spit.

How dare failed politicians patronise their hard-working electorate? Today's politicians, alas, have quickly acclimatised to the get-rich-very-quick philosophy, and stuff the people who put them on their pedestals.

Bstards all, with very few exceptions. I hate them with a passion. Democracy as we have come to know it is a big bad joke.

38

Brodric,

05/09/2008 23:45:42
Meanwhile an information day on how to obtain employment, housing and benefits is being hosted in edinburgh for migrants.

Yes, let them all come in here and get benefits - whilst our elderly, who have paid taxes to this country all their lives, have to work even longer to pay for them.

I am sickened.

 

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