B & Q to vastly reduce over 60s discount

[NeMo]

There is a growing school of thought that all such age-based discrimination should be ended...

Thank you for this.

It made sense having discounts for OAPs back when we were talking about the 'greatest generation' who had lived and fought through two world wars. They certainly deserved the recognition and thanks of a grateful nation.

But to have seen active service in 1945 someone would have to have been about 91 years of age by my reckoning, and it seems pretty unlikely such folk are doing much shopping at B&Q!

Pensioner discounts now are simply a reward for having reached a certain age, despite all the evidence indicating younger people are far more financially stretched than pensioners. So absolutely as @PLD says, it's discriminatory without any logical or moral justification that I can see. I'm much keener on those schemes that benefit particular groups within society. People who work for the NHS for example can get discounts in many places.

Cheers, NeMo

[Newportnobby]

Pensioner discounts now are simply a reward for having reached a certain age

And there was me thinking it was more a reward for the majority of us 60+ folks having worked most of our lives. Seems like there's not to be any benefit in becoming old and unwanted as it's discriminatory

[Bealman]

When I was young I was always broke. When I was separated for 14 years there were times I despaired and didn't know how I was going to survive.

My point here is that I dug a hole but climbed out of it.

I feel I've earned my senior benefits.

[NeMo]

And there was me thinking it was more a reward for the majority of us 60+ folks having worked most of our lives. Seems like there's not to be any benefit in becoming old and unwanted as it's discriminatory

The benefit of working all of your adult life is the house you own, the money you've saved, and the life experiences you were able to afford -- from kids to holidays -- thanks to your income.

A lot of young people have little to no likelihood of being able to afford a home -- at least not in the parts of England where the jobs are -- much less being able to save a reasonable amount for their pension. In many ways people in their 60s and 70s have enjoyed a much better life than someone in their teens or 20s can expect, for all sorts of reasons.

Of course everyone has an expectation to be loved and wanted, but those are earned, not handed over simply because you exist, in my opinion anyway! So don't worry, we love you, @Newportnobby, and we want you here on the NGF!

Cheers, NeMo

[javlinfaw7]

One of the reasons for this discount was to attract  people who could shop midweek to do so. It there for left the weekends free for those in work who were presumed to have a higher disposable income. May be this is no longer the case or weekend sales may have dropped

[Newportnobby]

When I said 'unwanted' I meant that, as we now have a larger percentage of aged population, then inevitably strain is going to be put on state pensions, the NHS, care/nursing homes and all the other services I think pensioners deserve and many folks don't think they deserve them. Maybe we should force folks off this mortal coil at a certain age and then much more money would be available for the younger generation? I don't want to get into politics for obvious reasons but I think all generations currently are hard done by. The difference is I worked  hard for 43 years to get what I've got and, believe me, it's not as if I'm living in luxury. Mind you, I'm not living in a rolled up newspaper in a septic tank either
Sorry, but I'm opting out now as I can feel my blood pressure tapping the safety valve

[NeMo]

When I said 'unwanted' I meant that, as we now have a larger percentage of aged population, then inevitably strain is going to be put on state pensions, the NHS, care/nursing homes and all the other services I think pensioners deserve and many folks don't think they deserve them.

Totally agree. I'm 100% behind state pensions, free at the point of access healthcare, and meaningful social care for people who, for whatever reason, can't afford it themselves.

Maybe we should force folks off this mortal coil at a certain age and then much more money would be available for the younger generation?

No need. Time and death duties take care of this, death duties being absolutely a tool for redistributing the wealth accumulated within one family back into the general population (as opposed to mere relatives who didn't actually earn that wealth themselves).

I don't want to get into politics for obvious reasons but I think all generations currently are hard done by.

Agreed, and there are various reasons for this, not just politics. Lack of cheap homes, the fact the UK economy is basically London and the Southeast, and demographics (something like 3 people in work for every 1 retiree) has caused all sorts of problems. Chuck politics into the mix and the priorities change, but none of the parties have really tackled the big issues at the centre of the storm.

The difference is I worked  hard for 43 years to get what I've got and, believe me, it's not as if I'm living in luxury. Mind you, I'm not living in a rolled up newspaper in a septic tank either

I'm sure you did work hard, but ultimately what you have is what you earned. The assumption that pensioners deserve a discount at B&Q simply by having had a job for 40 years, versus, say, single mums or disabled people, is the thing I take issue with.

By all means have a discount card for the British Legion or pensioners working in charity shops. Or pensioners recognised as primary carers for their grandchildren, say. But simply for being a certain age is, to me, less defensible than it was 40 years ago because we're not talking about the generation who lived and fought in the world wars. Make sense, @Newportnobby?

Cheers, NeMo

[Bealman]

I think that basically, get to the age I am, 66 on Tuesday gone, and you see things differently.

I have educated kids here in NSW since 1974 and turned out engineers, doctors, lawyers and bus drivers.

I feel that I've earned anything the Australian government is prepared to give me.

[themadhippy]

People who work for the NHS for example can get discounts in many places.

best discount is to have a quiet word with the works department storeman

[Newportnobby]

Make sense?

Not that I'm dismissing your well put points by quoting 2 words but "Sorry, no it doesn't make sense".
However you look at it everything is age related and the B & Q discount card is just a very tiny example.
State Pension - age related
Winter fuel allowance - age related
Bus pass - age related
Free TV licence - age related
Free prescriptions - age related (England)

Now we'll be here until Doomsday discussing whether old sods likes me should get any rather than a single mum/disabled person but basically the 'benefits' I've listed above are in place IMHO to help those who had no or little private pension (much of the time due to being ripped off by greedy companies). Equally the thought of Mick Jagger (just taking an example) getting any of the above is pretty laughable but the system causes it. Try and change the system to avoid paying them to folks in general over 60-65 and that's when you'll see us on the barricades. You have been warned!

[PaulCheffus]

Free prescriptions - age related (England)

Hi

Not necessarily it can also be for medical reasons.

Cheers

Paul

[NeMo]

I feel that I've earned anything the Australian government is prepared to give me.

Don't disagree with state pensions or any of that. Absolutely fine, and yes, if we have a welfare state, it has to be cradle-to-grave if it's going to be fair.

Try and change the system to avoid paying them to folks in general over 60-65 and that's when you'll see us on the barricades. You have been warned!

Given the size (and enthusiasm) of the 'grey vote' I don't see any government making substantial changes. But as a teacher, someone who works with teenagers, I'm acutely aware of the fact their adult life is going to be very much harder than those of retirees in many key respects, not least of all, the ability to own their own home and save enough for a meaningful private pension. Of course there are exceptions, and many pensioners do struggle. Believe me, I'm a card-carrying member of the bleeding heart liberal brigade!

But my point is that young adults don't have much of a voice in society or politics -- and consequently they're having a very tough working life passed onto them. I'm not saying that the baby boomer generation is actively malicious -- many of them are grandparents after all! -- but a lot of retirees assume young adults will have a life just as good as theirs if they work hard and keep their nose clean. It simply isn't as easy as that for all sorts of reasons, from automation to demographic shifts.

To me, the B&Q discount is just one of the little ways society assumes pensioners need a bit of extra help -- and maybe they do -- but often forgets that people in their 20s and 30s need help too, perhaps even more urgently.

Cheers, NeMo

[Bealman]

My daughters have worked hard and kept their nose clean.

Oldest is a lawyer in Sydney, next the director of radiation physics in Darwin hospital, youngest teaching English in Japan.

I can't really see your point.

[dannyboy]

but the system causes it.

One of my workmates, who is in his 30's, was bemoaning the fact that I am retiring in a few weeks and the fact that I could afford to because I am in receipt of three pensions. As I pointed out, apart from a period of about three months, I have been employed for all of my 50+ working years. I paid enough into 'the system' in the UK to qualify for a retirement pension a couple of years ago and, although I did not know how 'the system' worked when I moved to Ireland, I paid enough into 'the system' here to qualify for a retirement pension last year. I also have my private pension which I paid into for a lot of years. So, if 'the system' allows me to have these benefits, I am having them! And if anyone is prepared to give me discounts because I am a pensioner, I will make use of those as well! I appreciate it can be hard for younger people these days to afford things in life, but I was younger once and struggled. 

[Nick]

To me, the B&Q discount is just one of the little ways society assumes pensioners need a bit of extra help -- and maybe they do -- but often forgets that people in their 20s and 30s need help too, perhaps even more urgently.

Sadly, I seriously doubt that that had anything to do with why B&Q offered the discount in the first place, but it was undoubtedly a good marketing hook.

I suspect they have dropped it for a number of reasons:

• In most towns, they were competing with Homebase. But since Bunnings wrecked Homebase, they are currently competing with themselves (Screwfix)
• Seniors are probably a larger part of their demographic now, as youngsters are less willing to do DIY than our generation was - lack of time, being freaked by the 'elf & safety implications, etc. You don't want to give a special discount to a large part of your target demographic - model rail shows very rarely discount senior admission, for example.
• It was an exceedingly leaky system. Someone posted earlier that his wife bought a lot of tools under the scheme, implying she was eligible when he wasn't. As times get harder and harder for youngsters, I'm sure a lot of grandparents were somehow buying goods that were remarkably well suited to a struggling millennial couple establishing themselves in a starter home, not the odd bit of top-up/maintenance DIY that you might expect settled OAPs to be doing.

Shame though!