Muriel From Aberdeenshire

[trashingdays]

The BBC's live budget coverage included this gem:

1200: Muriel, from Aberdeenshire, writes: "I'm 61, single, a professional lady (role), we've had no salary increase since 2009, fuel is now 140/litre for diesel, food prices creeping up and up, about to be made redundant (31st March), and now I'm struggling to find another job to pay my mortgage that runs until I'm 75. I have no pension and no savings now. How is this government/budget going to help people like me?"

[danlee74]

I read this too ... it wasn't the best start to my lunch break.

Why should she be helped?! She is a "professional" so to me that infers that she has worked for the majority of her life and earned well so why hasn't she made plans for her future? Why has she not thought about pension provision or savings?! Are people out there really that dimwitted that they do not see beyond the next pay check? Why has she taken on a mortgage with a term up until she is 75?!

I am really despairing the fact that people like this who have had every opportunity to provide for their future are given airtime and we are all supposed to feel sorry for them. Well, I don't. And before I am lambasted from all directions, I am not suggesting that she should be thrown out on the streets. I expect she has family for support, I assume there is at least some equity in her current home and as a last option she should be given food and basic shelter from the state.

[South Lorne]

...she must have been a heavy MEWer....

[Superted187]

She should sell her property and move into a smaller rented flat like the rest of us plebs.

[maxdiver]

I live in Aberdeen - and there is a big difference between those who live in Aberdeen and Aberdeenshire.

She probably lives in a house that costs xtimes the salary of someone half her age.

She chose to live in the countryside (think living in Hampshire vs. Southamptom)

She's probably benefited from all of the things that we're paying for.

I have no sympathy.

[Pauly_Boy]

Ha, what's she been doing all her life??

Oh, frittering away her money, better sell that house in spain eh love?

[Dave Spart]

Muriel From Aberdeenshire

As opposed to Nouriel from New York.

[200p]

The BBC's live budget coverage included this gem:

1200: Muriel, from Aberdeenshire, writes: "I'm 61, single, a professional lady (role), we've had no salary increase since 2009, fuel is now 140/litre for diesel, food prices creeping up and up, about to be made redundant (31st March), and now I'm struggling to find another job to pay my mortgage that runs until I'm 75. I have no pension and no savings now. How is this government/budget going to help people like me?"

Stick an ad in the free paper for a wealthy man.

61 and single! Professional lady with own house and car. Looking for tall dark knight in shinning armour to rescue a princess! GSOH.

Edited March 24, 2011 by Money Spinner

[Bob Loblaw]

There are plenty of reasons why Muriel could be in the situation she is in. I would suspect she was probably divorced in her late forties, and got screwed over by her husband regarding any settlement. Maybe she was looking after her kids all that time with no job and pension provision. I do feel sympathy towards her for her situation, easy to stand and gloat when you are young but life has a nasty habit of biting you when you least expect it.

[silver surfer]

There are plenty of reasons why Muriel could be in the situation she is in. I would suspect she was probably divorced in her late forties, and got screwed over by her husband regarding any settlement. Maybe she was looking after her kids all that time with no job and pension provision. I do feel sympathy towards her for her situation, easy to stand and gloat when you are young but life has a nasty habit of biting you when you least expect it.

Plus she seems to accept that she'll be working to 75, in other words she's looking for work not a handout.

I think she does have some cause for complaint, if the economy can"t provide jobs for willing workers, young or old, then there's a problem.

[PopGun]

Circumstances aside, why oh why do people take mortgages out past the age of 60?

Another question could be how she was accepted on one with repayments past 65!?

[Caveat Mortgagor]

Circumstances aside, why oh why do people take mortgages out past the age of 60?

Going to be a lot more of this. Something to do with buying a first house at 37! (Or did someone revise that age figure up recently?)

[campervanman]

I read this too ... it wasn't the best start to my lunch break.

Why should she be helped?! She is a "professional" so to me that infers that she has worked for the majority of her life and earned well so why hasn't she made plans for her future? Why has she not thought about pension provision or savings?! Are people out there really that dimwitted that they do not see beyond the next pay check? Why has she taken on a mortgage with a term up until she is 75?!

I am really despairing the fact that people like this who have had every opportunity to provide for their future are given airtime and we are all supposed to feel sorry for them. Well, I don't. And before I am lambasted from all directions, I am not suggesting that she should be thrown out on the streets. I expect she has family for support, I assume there is at least some equity in her current home and as a last option she should be given food and basic shelter from the state.

You have absolutely no idea as to whether this person is a product of her own financial incompetence or whether life events outside her control have led her to be in the position she is in. All you can do is spew out the predictable brainwashing that your generation seem to have fallen for that anyone classed as a boomer is directly responsible for how society is today and therefore anyone suffering hardship is not worthy of support from the rest of society. Of course I could offer the same characature of post boomers, that you are all lazy stay at home chavs sitting around in pyjamas all day using their benefits to pay for Sky sports and super strength lager, either that or spivvy financial traders/estate agents whose only ambition in life is to make money from making money at the expense of anyone who is foolish enough to still want to earn an honest livthing. But that would be falling for media/political brainwashing that stereotypes a whole generation wouldn't it?

[The Masked Tulip]

You have absolutely no idea as to whether this person is a product of her own financial incompetence or whether life events outside her control have led her to be in the position she is in.

All you can do is spew out the predictable brainwashing that your generation seem to have fallen for that anyone classed as a boomer is directly responsible for how society is today and therefore anyone suffering hardship is not worthy of support from the rest of society.

Of course I could offer the same characature of post boomers, that you are all lazy stay at home chavs sitting around in pyjamas all day using their benefits to pay for Sky sports and super strength lager, either that or spivvy financial traders/estate agents whose only ambition in life is to make money from making money at the expense of anyone who is foolish enough to still want to earn an honest livthing.

But that would be falling for media/political brainwashing that stereotypes a whole generation wouldn't it?

+1

(Try using paragraphs)

Muriel may have taken years off from working to look after a parent or a partner who was ill. She may have had a long period of illness herself. It happens to millions of people.

Who knows what life has thrown at Muriel.

[JonoP]

Muriel failed the stupidity test when she took out a mortgage that lasted until she was 75. Stupid people should not automatically be bailed out by the state.

Also,she has had 43 years in which to pay some money in to a pension. Surely she was not a single parent/carer for all of these years?

Nah, she just think that society owes her a living. And is finding out the hard way that it does not.

Typical boomer attituude.

[Democorruptcy]

Just been chatting about the budget to my neighbour. He is 67 and retired. He said that when he had a heart problem a few years ago he got into financial difficulty with his mortgage but "RBS were very good about it". He said they let him extend his mortgage until he was 74!!! Between then and now his mother died so with his inheritance he paid the mortgage off.

How rife are these old age pensions?

[refusnik]

I think she does have some cause for complaint, if the economy can"t provide jobs for willing workers, young or old, then there's a problem.

Economy is me. The Muriel won't get any job (=money) from me. She must be an idiot to go through Labour years during what should have been a peak of her sanity and come out with no savings, no life exit strategy and nothing else but a huge hysterical whinge.

[Nationalist]

Muriel need not worry. She's a 60+ female, she can get the old age pension already. Then there's SMI for the mortgage, pension credit if she needs more cash on top of that.

[Trampa501]

You have absolutely no idea as to whether this person is a product of her own financial incompetence or whether life events outside her control have led her to be in the position she is in. All you can do is spew out the predictable brainwashing that your generation seem to have fallen for that anyone classed as a boomer is directly responsible for how society is today and therefore anyone suffering hardship is not worthy of support from the rest of society. Of course I could offer the same characature of post boomers, that you are all lazy stay at home chavs sitting around in pyjamas all day using their benefits to pay for Sky sports and super strength lager, either that or spivvy financial traders/estate agents whose only ambition in life is to make money from making money at the expense of anyone who is foolish enough to still want to earn an honest livthing. But that would be falling for media/political brainwashing that stereotypes a whole generation wouldn't it?

Another +1 here

[danlee74]

You have absolutely no idea as to whether this person is a product of her own financial incompetence or whether life events outside her control have led her to be in the position she is in. All you can do is spew out the predictable brainwashing that your generation seem to have fallen for that anyone classed as a boomer is directly responsible for how society is today and therefore anyone suffering hardship is not worthy of support from the rest of society. Of course I could offer the same characature of post boomers, that you are all lazy stay at home chavs sitting around in pyjamas all day using their benefits to pay for Sky sports and super strength lager, either that or spivvy financial traders/estate agents whose only ambition in life is to make money from making money at the expense of anyone who is foolish enough to still want to earn an honest livthing. But that would be falling for media/political brainwashing that stereotypes a whole generation wouldn't it?

+1

(Try using paragraphs)

Muriel may have taken years off from working to look after a parent or a partner who was ill. She may have had a long period of illness herself. It happens to millions of people.

Who knows what life has thrown at Muriel.

Admittedly there is only half the story there but I can only comment on the facts as they are put to me on the BBC article, and to me the tone of Muriel's comment (particularly the line "How is this government/budget going to help people like me?") really gets my goat. I fully accept that the circumstaces are not fully explained but the whole of Muriel's piece shouts "ME!ME!ME!" and pervades a sense of entitlement. For the record, if it was "Muriel, 41" i.e. around my age (I am 37) I would have had the same reaction.

I am certainly not a boomer basher but do think that people of all generations are too quick to fall back on state support where perhaps they should look at how they can help themselves first ... the state should be the final choice, not the first choice as seems here.

[Dorkins]

Muriel need not worry. She's a 60+ female, she can get the old age pension already. Then there's SMI for the mortgage, pension credit if she needs more cash on top of that.

Exactly, I don't see what the problem is. If she stops working now, SMI will pay her mortgage for the rest of her life. Plus she is entitled to the state pension. What more could the government possibly do, come round and make her breakfast in the morning?

Edited March 24, 2011 by Dorkins

[I want a house!]

The BBC's live budget coverage included this gem:

1200: Muriel, from Aberdeenshire, writes: "I'm 61, single, a professional lady (role), we've had no salary increase since 2009, fuel is now 140/litre for diesel, food prices creeping up and up, about to be made redundant (31st March), and now I'm struggling to find another job to pay my mortgage that runs until I'm 75. I have no pension and no savings now. How is this government/budget going to help people like me?"

By making you work in the mines. Will help pay off your mortgage and ensure you peg sooner so that we don't have to pay your pension.

Pray I never come to power.

[rw42]

Admittedly there is only half the story there but I can only comment on the facts as they are put to me on the BBC article, and to me the tone of Muriel's comment (particularly the line "How is this government/budget going to help people like me?") really gets my goat. I fully accept that the circumstaces are not fully explained but the whole of Muriel's piece shouts "ME!ME!ME!" and pervades a sense of entitlement. For the record, if it was "Muriel, 41" i.e. around my age (I am 37) I would have had the same reaction.

I am certainly not a boomer basher but do think that people of all generations are too quick to fall back on state support where perhaps they should look at how they can help themselves first ... the state should be the final choice, not the first choice as seems here.

Agree 100%.

First of all, my question would be what do you EXPECT the government to do?

Magic up a non-job? Give everyone a cheque for 100k? Make being made redundant illegal?

I'm 29, earning a fair wage in london but don't see houses as affordable. I don't expect anything from the government that i wouldn't expect to be given to everyone in the country.. and as most things i want would be unaffordable if given to everyone in the country.. i expect to work it out myself. Saw Lord Sugar's speech to the lords today - makes a lot of sense to me.

[leicestersq]

By making you work in the mines. Will help pay off your mortgage and ensure you peg sooner so that we don't have to pay your pension.

Pray I never come to power.

Firm but fair.

You have my vote.

[Riedquat]

By making you work in the mines. Will help pay off your mortgage and ensure you peg sooner so that we don't have to pay your pension.

Pray I never come to power.

What mines? I'd quite like to work down the mines (well, not coal mines, I find lead / copper / etc. much more interesting). As it is I have to resort to poking around disused ones, sometimes working unpaid to dig through falls and prop them back up. The only working mine (now closed) I've ever been in was an iron mine, and an absolutely fascininating place if you don't mind coming out orange.