Pensioners have paid more than their fair share of taxes

ONCE again the elderly community of Guernsey is targeted for additional income after many years of hard work, endeavour and striving for self-sufficiency, family support and pride throughout their lives. It is criminal to suggest that one’s home assets are to be subjected to higher TRP payments or have debt accumulating against these assets as a result of our appointed or employed States representatives, allowing the island to become a debt burden to the locals. Hard-working individuals who own their own home and have now become pensioners have paid more than their fair share of taxes, insurance contributions and TRP charges throughout their working lives and remain penalised for the cost of living beyond 65 and simply owning their own property and not having to rely on subsidised homes or benefits that are afforded to others who have not achieved the same status, for many reasons. The suggestion that inflation-busting increases in property taxes of between 10% to 44% is to be considered as acceptable is quite honestly a criminal act of robbing those who have strived to provide for their families. I know I represent a great number of pensioners who are mortified at the thought of increases against their property size which is in no way correlated to their income stream now that retirement has reduced their income to a barely-liveable amount. Is there no respect given to the cost of owning your own home and the huge expenses that homeowners already incur annually? There are so many alternatives that should be considered in raising income to correct the mistakes that have been made over the years by focusing more on the wealth generated by the financial centre that promised locals a standard of living through increased ‘taxable income’ that would benefit all who lived in Guernsey. While finance has generated employment and opportunity, the ‘tax-capping benefits’ enjoyed by the highest earning wealth profit generators has left the island in a dire situation. To now suggest that the older generation of pension-aged homeowners may have to ‘put off’ payments in return for running up a ‘debt’ against their hard-earned asset is immoral by human standards and a shameful disgrace to P&R’s ability to look after a community who have contributed so much to Guernsey throughout their working lives.