I don't think pensioners get a raw deal if I'm honest, however there is definitely a lack of 'humanity' shown towards them from time to time from non-pensioners.
The reason I say they don't get a raw deal is because by the time we are pensioners (those of us in under 40 or so), things are going to be a lot worse.
I think pensioners get a raw deal because the state pension link to average earnings should never of been removed. They have not been given the pension they have paid for.
Also care provision if they need someone to check they are ok, or to live in sheltered or residential care. The level of free state provision is not what they were promised.
The age of retirement is being increased which I think is grossly unfair as life expectance of some sections of society, including the low paid is a lot less than others. The government is also introducing compulsory employee contributions to private pensions run by your employer. That is basically a pay cut, but the contributions rate so low that for the low paid the pension will be worthless. I would not be surprised if these private pensions will be deducted £ for £ from government means tested benefits.
On a brighter note the triple guarantee and the government plans to increase the state pension to the equivalent of £140 per person in todays money. Means I disagree that you will necessarily be worse off once you get to retire.
To be honest it's the upcoming generations that are/will get the raw deal. Last year the average age for a single person getting on the property ladder without parental help or otherwise was 37. This is only going to rise over time.
The housing market will collapse in my opinion or simply fail to continue to rise so falling in real terms over time. The price of housing can not simply rise and rise to ever greater multiples of average salary. The problem is the buy to let market with it's low regulation and various tax breaks and ability to borrow money on expected future revenue. The other problem is the government schemes shoring up the housing market, mainly through new build projects and first time buyers. Underwriting the mortgage, giving interest free loan of a deposit, doing part buy part rent, etc...
Students who are currently graduating under the 3 grand per annum tuition fee scheme, will be paying 9% of all there earning after 15K - the majority (60%) will do this there entire working life as they won't come close to paying it off once interest is added.
I think the new system is any outstanding government student loans are written off after 30 years. The earnings threshold is not fixed and the interest rate is not fixed. To me the level of repayments per month do not seem particularly bad due to the earnings threshold. I do not care if someone on £50k has to pay a couple of hundred pounds a month in debt repayment, most people will not have as high a income as them even after they have deducted the loan repayment. But it is a burden on University students not faced by previous students. I think the justification is partly the increased numbers going to University so paying for it out of general taxation is not fair as most tax payers did not have the opportunities of this new generation.
I'm 27 and since graduating I've noticed that for my generation our twenties have consisted pretty much of work, work and more work.
Unless you discount all those years in education not so long ago most people started full time employment at 16, before that it was 14.
You are also I assume not on minimum wage. I expect as a graduate you are on at least the UK average salary or better. Income disparity has increased in the UK and as a graduate you are likely to be at the top end not the bottom end. So I do not feel much sympathy or pity for you.
Certainly amongst my friend circle, we seem to work stupid hours (over 12 hours a day if I include traveling to work) and have no time to do much else.
No one I know includes time getting to and from work as time working.
It is within living memory that the working week was was 72hr weeks, that then got dropped to 60hrs, and eventually to 40hrs. Although many people have to work more than 40hrs a week to make ends meet.
Your work I assume is also not hard physical labour.
Whereas previous generations have had it pretty good in comparison to what the future holds for many of us. Gone are the day of early retirement too, my grandfather retired at 52, there is no hope of that for us. Mind you he deserved it for all he'd done throughout his life.
You mean your life will not be as comfortable as your grand parents, ability to buy a home of your own, early retirement, etc... Not everyone in previous generations had it as comfortable as your grand parents. My parents generation lived through, leave school at 14 to a life of hard work followed by getting to go and get shot at in a world war, followed by home to more hard work 60hr a week as the normal working week. Eventually ending up with the comfort of better housing, more consumer goods, higher standard of living and a working week of 40hrs. My generation has had a better life than my parents generation, the next generation might not have it quite so good, but you are hardly being very hard done by.
The way I currently see it is the generations that have been the cause of our fiscal troubles are still benefiting from it with low mortgages, etc. While the upcoming generation will be left to pick up the pieces.
The government and banking system caused the fiscal trouble. Not everyone was a member of government or a investment banker. The demographic blip of an increasing elderly population was also not their fault they did not choose to be born.
<Damn that's a pessimistic post from me, typically I'm fairly optimistic>
It does come across as self pitying when you appear to not actually be suffering or to have ever suffered. You life just does not look as good as you hoped for or as good as your grand parents had it. So what, you still have it good in comparison to most people on the planet, and probably most people in the UK. Be grateful for what you do have not resentful for what you do not have, and if you feel the need to be resentful, target that at the government and investment bankers not an entire generation.