Age discrimination in wacky govt. schemes?

Mr Badger

Mr Badger

Mr Badger

Soldato
Joined
27 Dec 2009
Posts
11,661
So the government brings out Pensioner Bonds offering vastly higher rates of interest than normal savings accounts, but only for people age 65 and over.

Now they announce a 20% discount on new homes for first-time buyers in England, but only for people aged under 40.

Isn't age discrimination supposed to be illegal? Is this anything other than the cynical targeting of specific groups to buy votes?
 
Clearly to buy votes, but the under40 thing is easy, it stops someone getting a mortgage under their wife's name and using it towards a first time buyer type bonus.
 
Hikari Kisugi said:
Clearly to buy votes, but the under40 thing is easy, it stops someone getting a mortgage under their wife's name and using it towards a first time buyer type bonus.
Click to expand...

Surely that would be easy enough to police though with some sensible rules for the scheme? Unless people are going to be prepared to get divorced and take on the risk of knowingly commit fraud in their application...
 
Lol if anyone thinks the availability of this discount won't affect the prices that housebuilders ask for properties.
 
A friend of mine is currently unemployed and he's forever saying that nearly all the decent schemes to get people into work are aimed at the 18-24 age group. He gets no help whatsoever, well except five minutes with an 'advisor' once every two weeks.
 
Malevolence said:
A friend of mine is currently unemployed and he's forever saying that nearly all the decent schemes to get people into work are aimed at the 18-24 age group. He gets no help whatsoever, well except five minutes with an 'advisor' once every two weeks.
Click to expand...

Maybe because for 18-24 there is the feeling ah they're young they might just need a bit more help/ guidance but at 25+ the feelings is wtf you're an adult how can you not look for a job yourself
 
Jono8 said:
The pensioner thing I can understand....the house one is a bit odd though I agree.
Click to expand...
Other way round for me! Why should rich pensioners (that can afford to buy these sorts of bonds in the first place) have these made available to them and everyone else can't?
 
Mr Badger said:
Isn't age discrimination supposed to be illegal?
Click to expand...
The legal system is a government created system, it doesn't matter if they rule some thing illegal, they can and will ignore their own rules because they know the public (most of it anyway) will continue to obey them.
 
I suppose the home buying scheme will be great discount for any older "wealthy" folk who want to buy a place for one of kids or as an investment in their kid's name.

Thinking about it both this and the pensioner bonds seem to be about preserving the status quo/bubble rather than addressing the underlying problems (low investment return and unaffordable housing for those not already on the ladder). Because it would be too terrible to return interest rates to a sensible level and maybe do something to control buy-to-let which appears to have Hoovered up a lot of cheaper housing. If house prices do fall that would presumably (shock horror) be bad for the balance sheets of the mortgage selling banks and cause moral outrage for existing homeowners in the Mail and the Express...
 
Mr Badger said:
Surely that would be easy enough to police though with some sensible rules for the scheme? Unless people are going to be prepared to get divorced and take on the risk of knowingly commit fraud in their application...
Click to expand...

The current tax system doesnt allow them to police anything as they do not know how to link people.
It is why child support has a single person cutoff, rather than a more sensible family level.
If one partner, husband or wife, earns above the level they must tell the revenue they are no longer entitled to child benefit, as the revenue has albsolutely no idea.
It is utter madness, no wonder they cant track tax schemes and claimants etc.
 
Tefal said:
Maybe because for 18-24 there is the feeling ah they're young they might just need a bit more help/ guidance but at 25+ the feelings is wtf you're an adult how can you not look for a job yourself
Click to expand...

Certainly an adult over 25 is perfectly capable of searching for a job by themselves, but at the same time, with all the schemes in place that are focused upon the 18-24 bracket, sometimes being over 25 does put you out of the market.

A year ago, the place that I work, took on half a dozen apprentices, they get the same training as our full-time staff, do the same job, but get paid only a third of what an employee over-25 would get. Simple economics, young folk on government schemes are cheaper..
 
I think the idea behind the limit of 40 is that most people over 40 will have bought if they are going to, though I know its not always the case. Mainly though yes its a populist attempt at winning votes.

Jokester said:
Other way round for me! Why should rich pensioners (that can afford to buy these sorts of bonds in the first place) have these made available to them and everyone else can't?
Click to expand...

I agree entirely. Another policy entirely dreamed up to win the vote of the biggest voting block.
 
The pensioner thing I cannot understand. Especially with swathes of them sitting in a quarter occupied 4 bed homes which have risen phenomenally in value while they have owned them. Then they moan when the state wont pick up residential home care, even though their free at point of service health care costs are through the roof for the taxpayer.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top Bottom