Another "hint" from Pensions Minister that State Pension Age eligibility will change

p00hsticks

SouthCoastBoy said:

Imo quality of life has decreased considerably, we too often compare standard of living with material values which to me is only one element.

There's a strong correlation between increasing longevity and an improving quality of life though - not necessarily relating to an increase in material values and possessions per se, but rather better living conditions, better health care, better nutrition, increased leisure time etc etc....

woolly_wombat

thriftytracey said:

 Apparently excess mortality in October was 900 deaths due to ambulance wait times.

There are currently around 700 non-Covid excess deaths per week, ie 100 per day, according  to Prof David Spiegelhalter, interviewed on R4 within the past couple of days.

Universidad

p00hsticks said:

There are a number of statistics on various living standards in Britiain here

Perhaps you would be prepared to indicate exactly which ones you beleive support your assertion, or alternative suggest another authoratitive source ? 

"Living Standards in Britain, 1870-2010"

You know I could be 45 years old, and been in higher education until I was 28, and been in the workforce for 17 years, and still only 3 to 4 years of my career would show on that data, any variance in which would look like a statistical blip, which we'd probably attribute to the financial crisis in 2007/8.

Don't you worry, ten years from now the data will show the experience I've been living. Your charts start right at the top of the rollercoaster.

I wouldn't consider 17 years to be a short period when compared to a life, but let me tell you, since the run on Northern Rock every part of my working life has been getting worse not just in the present but foreseeably for the future. It's not just that it's bad right now, it's that the things I have to look forward to are diminishing. And every major step forward I take is annhilated by circumstance. I got a huge promotion in 2016, but salaries fell behind inflation so my spending power went down, even though I was stressed as !!!!!! and working longer. 

There's no light at the end of this tunnel for my generation expect a retirement that's continually being diminishes and having the goalposts moved.

There were a wave of pension changes in 2011 that killed the final salary scheme I expected to get. Another  wave in 2016 that gutted the scheme that had replaced it. And in my case another wave in since that which have rendered it unaffordable to retire on. So I've moved somewhere else, and all I hear is how unaffordable the pension I'm now on will be in the future, and what will have to be done to gut it.

And then the retirement age keeps going up. And salaries don't match inflation. I got a taste, just a taste, of what it felt like to be middle class in a first world country, and ever since then we've been sliding backwards.

And I supposed to what, be happy about smartphones or something?

molerat

Universidad said:

Mr Glasshalfempty

marlot

Universidad said:

molerat said:

Mr Glasshalfempty

Sorry if I get irritated when the people who drank my beer give me crap for complaining the glass isn't full any more.

This is worth a watch: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uhAtI9f-fm4

prowla

It's starting to feel like the pot of gold at the end of the rainbow.

zagfles

Universidad said:

p00hsticks said:

There are a number of statistics on various living standards in Britiain here

Perhaps you would be prepared to indicate exactly which ones you beleive support your assertion, or alternative suggest another authoratitive source ? 

"Living Standards in Britain, 1870-2010"

You know I could be 45 years old, and been in higher education until I was 28, and been in the workforce for 17 years, and still only 3 to 4 years of my career would show on that data, any variance in which would look like a statistical blip, which we'd probably attribute to the financial crisis in 2007/8.

Don't you worry, ten years from now the data will show the experience I've been living. Your charts start right at the top of the rollercoaster.

I wouldn't consider 17 years to be a short period when compared to a life, but let me tell you, since the run on Northern Rock every part of my working life has been getting worse not just in the present but foreseeably for the future. It's not just that it's bad right now, it's that the things I have to look forward to are diminishing. And every major step forward I take is annhilated by circumstance. I got a huge promotion in 2016, but salaries fell behind inflation so my spending power went down, even though I was stressed as !!!!!! and working longer. 

There's no light at the end of this tunnel for my generation expect a retirement that's continually being diminishes and having the goalposts moved.

There were a wave of pension changes in 2011 that killed the final salary scheme I expected to get. Another  wave in 2016 that gutted the scheme that had replaced it. And in my case another wave in since that which have rendered it unaffordable to retire on. So I've moved somewhere else, and all I hear is how unaffordable the pension I'm now on will be in the future, and what will have to be done to gut it.

And then the retirement age keeps going up. And salaries don't match inflation. I got a taste, just a taste, of what it felt like to be middle class in a first world country, and ever since then we've been sliding backwards.

And I supposed to what, be happy about smartphones or something?

Here's some stats to fill most of that 12 year gap:

https://www.ons.gov.uk/employmentandlabourmarket/peopleinwork/earningsandworkinghours/bulletins/annualsurveyofhoursandearnings/2021

Fig 1 is interesting, shows about a 20% real terms increase in wages between 2011 and 2021.

What pension scheme are you in? By 2011 most DB schemes had closed, except for public sector ones. The current public sector CARE ones are still excellent (far better than the FS ones of the 80's and 90's for most people).

zagfles

marlot said:

Universidad said:

molerat said:

Mr Glasshalfempty

Sorry if I get irritated when the people who drank my beer give me crap for complaining the glass isn't full any more.

This is worth a watch: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uhAtI9f-fm4

We had an interesting discussion about the Willetts lectures and intergeneration fairness etc a couple of years ago:

https://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/discussion/6219830/deflation-inflation-hyper-inflation-interest-rates-questions/p3

zagfles

SouthCoastBoy said:

When gauging standard of living I don't think it is as easy as comparing numbers. Mental health, proximity to family, support networks should all be considered. My parents definitely had a better quality of life to me, including job security, lower house prices, availability of good quality social housing, close support network, final salary pensions etc. Imo quality of life has decreased considerably, we too often compare standard of living with material values which to me is only one element.

On stuff like mental health etc I doubt there's been much of a change in sufferers just recognition and support, plus stuff like tolerance, discrimination, bigotry etc. I had a friend at school who, looking back, was undoubtedly autistic, but they didn't recognise it or make any adjustments or give him any support. Another friend who was slightly effeminate, he wasn't gay but everyone assumed he was, he got loads of homophobic abuse and was bullied relentlessly, including physical and sexual violence, something which wouldn't be tolerated today.

Universidad

zagfles said:

On stuff like mental health etc I doubt there's been much of a change in sufferers just recognition and support, plus stuff like tolerance, discrimination, bigotry etc. I had a friend at school who, looking back, was undoubtedly autistic, but they didn't recognise it or make any adjustments or give him any support. Another friend who was slightly effeminate, he wasn't gay but everyone assumed he was, he got loads of homophobic abuse and was bullied relentlessly, including physical and sexual violence, something which wouldn't be tolerated today.

It's a strong flex to use improvements in social justice as an example of how life is better for millennials, as if this was something received rather than something given.

I don't know what the argument about mental health is - is it that life has always been miserable, for most people, but that we're the first generation to try to find a way to address that?Or do you think mental health issues are comparatively low, but more visible?