Codger or Baby Boomer?
Rachel Reeves has been criticised for appointing an adviser who suggested “codger” pensioners should face higher taxes and be stripped of free TV licences.
Last week, the shadow chancellor unveiled Sir Edward Troup, a former head of HMRC, as part of a panel of experts advising her on tackling tax avoidance.
Speaking at a round table hosted by the Resolution Foundation he described pensioners as an “under-taxed generation” who “have had it ridiculously good”.
He suggested that perks for the over-75s, such as free TV licences, should instead be handed to younger working families who needed financial help more.
‘We should be looking at the codgers’
“I’m a baby boomer, I was born in 1955, and we have had it ridiculously good. We’ve benefited from low interest rates, high inflation when we bought our houses, we’ve enjoyed good returns on whatever we’ve managed to put into our pension funds.
“We’re not paying national insurance if we’re still working after the age of 60, and it’s a complete disgrace. I am part of an under-taxed generation, so I’m afraid we are going to have to look at the more senior members of society.”
Sir Edward then cited “great analysis” by the Financial Times which he said highlighted “the ridiculous nature of giving free television licences to the over-75s who are much better off than young families with children”.
He added: “They’re the ones who deserve the free television licences anyway, so we should be looking at the codgers.”
Are you a codger?
"an old man, especially one who is strange or humorous in some way"
Or a Baby Boomer?
Last week, the shadow chancellor unveiled Sir Edward Troup, a former head of HMRC, as part of a panel of experts advising her on tackling tax avoidance.
Speaking at a round table hosted by the Resolution Foundation he described pensioners as an “under-taxed generation” who “have had it ridiculously good”.
He suggested that perks for the over-75s, such as free TV licences, should instead be handed to younger working families who needed financial help more.
‘We should be looking at the codgers’
“I’m a baby boomer, I was born in 1955, and we have had it ridiculously good. We’ve benefited from low interest rates, high inflation when we bought our houses, we’ve enjoyed good returns on whatever we’ve managed to put into our pension funds.
“We’re not paying national insurance if we’re still working after the age of 60, and it’s a complete disgrace. I am part of an under-taxed generation, so I’m afraid we are going to have to look at the more senior members of society.”
Sir Edward then cited “great analysis” by the Financial Times which he said highlighted “the ridiculous nature of giving free television licences to the over-75s who are much better off than young families with children”.
He added: “They’re the ones who deserve the free television licences anyway, so we should be looking at the codgers.”
Are you a codger?
"an old man, especially one who is strange or humorous in some way"
Or a Baby Boomer?
