he didn't really wind me up, I have quite a thick skin, but I do get a bit fed up that I've always paid my way, never been a burden on the state (my parents are a different matter - I've been a massive burden on them!) and yet the government and my employers seem to be able to constantly squeeze more and more out of me. Over the last five years every bill I pay has gone up, including my pension (another 3% rise early next year) but my wages have gone down in real terms year on year and look like they will continue to. Having said that I still consider myself fortunate
Alison
Exactly. And when younger people are banging on about us silver foxes living on our ill-gotten gains, do they spare a thought for who actually paid for their health care and preventative medicine (eg vaccinations, dentistry, orthodontics, safe childbirth, etc.,), their "free" education, their child allowance, their parents' reduced tax responsibilities - shall I go on?
As a healthy spinster I have never:- taken paid maternity leave, spent more than three days in hospital in my entire life, had any chldren for the state to educate or claimed free childcare or taken free maternity bnefit,, I am not visiting my Doctor every 6 minutes, in fact the last time I went he commented that it was nearly ten years since he last saw me!
So how, exactly, am I sponging off the state when I draw my hard-earned and paid for pension? Do tell.
Oops, I forgot. I had an expensive state education. But then, I did spend that getting qualifications to enable me to educate your children so they could get into university and qualify for the sort of job gets you onto the "Toady" programme where they can whinge about me "stealing" their money.