Why do those who save have to subsidise the spenders?

Did you see the recent news article about better off pensioners subsidising those with no savings by several hundred pounds a week when care home fees hit?

That has prompted me to re-visit a subject close to our hearts.

I realise that some people simply cannot save huge amounts and that the so-called middle classes with assets should pay their way but there is something intrinsically unfair about the current system.

I say this because those able to save more probably earned more during their working life and therefore paid more in income tax and National Insurance.

Of course the better off should always help those less fortunate – that’s what a decent society does – but shouldn’t there be a level playing field for our elderly?

When MIL needed specialist care in 2016 (see IDGOM 97, November 2016) our family visited 21 dementia care homes (all privately run) in Suffolk. Weekly costs ranged from £690 per week to £1,420, with the average being £969.

Among them were several owned and run by Care UK. Suffolk County Council closed its 16 care homes a few years ago and struck a deal with Care UK to build several new homes in the county – on the proviso they moved the council-funded residents into the new homes at a flat rate fee of £650 a week per resident.

We were quoted £1,050 for a residential dementia room for MIL by Care UK – which meant she would be getting the same care as council-funded residents but paying £20,000 a year more.

Is that fair? Discuss.

I love the value offered by the German discount supermarkets. Shopping in Aldi or Lidl can save you a packet compared with the Tesco, Sainsburys, ASDA and, in particular, Waitrose of the UK food chain.

But boy oh boy do you need the patience of Job when it comes to checkout in these Germanic outlets.

It’s like an Olympic sport, with both supermarkets wanting customers to handle their purchases four times –putting the shopping in the trolley, then emptying the trolley onto the conveyor belt, putting it all back at break-neck speed into the trolley before retiring to the front of store to pack purchases into your bags.

I have lost count of the number of times I have been told not to pack my bags at the checkout. And of the number of times I have ignored them and carried on.

My reader may be wondering why, if I don’t like the system, I continue to use Aldi and Lidl.

Because they are the Ryanair of food shopping – reasonable cost but no customer service.