Robbing pensioners to pay millennials

Should we get rid of generous perks for pensioners to fund more support for cash-strapped young people?

Should we get rid of generous perks for pensioners to fund more support for cash-strapped young people? The House of Lords' committee on inter-generational fairness says policies like the triple-lock guarantee on state pensions, free TV licences and bus passes for pensioners, and even the winter fuel allowance may have had their day.

The argument is that as pensioners have seen their incomes rise more quickly than other groups over the past ten years, it now makes sense to prioritise younger generations. Savings could, for example, be ploughed into affordable housing.

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David Prosser
Business Columnist

David Prosser is a regular MoneyWeek columnist, writing on small business and entrepreneurship, as well as pensions and other forms of tax-efficient savings and investments. David has been a financial journalist for almost 30 years, specialising initially in personal finance, and then in broader business coverage. He has worked for national newspaper groups including The Financial Times, The Guardian and Observer, Express Newspapers and, most recently, The Independent, where he served for more than three years as business editor.