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Old 06-05-2014, 12:24
3sweet5u
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She's an elderly woman who no doubt gets her pension and help with rent if she needs it from the government. Also wouldn't she have saved money up over the years? It always confuses me when in real life, and in soaps where you see elderly people who seem to have no money at all, especially with pension and savings over the years etc;
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Old 06-05-2014, 12:25
benbenalen
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Cora most likely wasted all her savings on booze and ciggies, I bet she regrets it now! I bet she thinks, Oh f*ck!
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Old 06-05-2014, 12:34
Cuddly_Cat
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She's always in the pub and buying bottles of spirits. She might not have any savings and a pension doesn't go far. As I've said previously in another thread I'd like to see Cora come into some money on the lottery or scratch card, not necessarily millions like Janine but enough to make her more secure for some time and for a flat. She could flat share with Stan and Aunt Babe and get some rent money from them.
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Old 06-05-2014, 12:41
vaslav37
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Cora is 67- hardly old age today.
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Old 06-05-2014, 12:48
danyell
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Cora is 67- hardly old age today.
she should get a pension though.
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Old 06-05-2014, 13:09
olivej
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She's an elderly woman who no doubt gets her pension and help with rent if she needs it from the government. Also wouldn't she have saved money up over the years? It always confuses me when in real life, and in soaps where you see elderly people who seem to have no money at all, especially with pension and savings over the years etc;
because she spends most of her time boozing and smoking cigarettes and this is soapland after all - Sinead in Hollyoaks turned to prostitution instead of asking for/getting financial help or asking her family when she needed money for Katie - it makes for a more dramatic SL
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Old 06-05-2014, 13:25
kitkat1971
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She's an elderly woman who no doubt gets her pension and help with rent if she needs it from the government. Also wouldn't she have saved money up over the years? It always confuses me when in real life, and in soaps where you see elderly people who seem to have no money at all, especially with pension and savings over the years etc;
I very much doubt she is on any more than the minimum state pension - she won't have worked enough to build up NI stamps for the top one. It's only about 70 quid a week which really doesn't go very far - especially for a chain smoker who likes to drink as much as Cora does. She probably managed to cope when she was living rent free and having all her bills (electricity, food, water etc) at Max's but now she is out 'on her own' it'll be much harder. Even if she wasn't 'wasting' her money on booze and fags, it is realistic she'd be struggling.
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Old 06-05-2014, 13:46
ayrshire lass
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I very much doubt she is on any more than the minimum state pension - she won't have worked enough to build up NI stamps for the top one. It's only about 70 quid a week which really doesn't go very far - especially for a chain smoker who likes to drink as much as Cora does. She probably managed to cope when she was living rent free and having all her bills (electricity, food, water etc) at Max's but now she is out 'on her own' it'll be much harder. Even if she wasn't 'wasting' her money on booze and fags, it is realistic she'd be struggling.
I think she would have a lot more than £70 quid a week to live on! If she only qualifies for a basic pension, then her pension would be topped up with Pension Credit to £148 a week, that is the minimum amount the government says a single pensioner needs to live on. So she's not bad off! If she is still working at launderette, then it doesn't make sense, as she would lose the extra money. I always felt it unrealistic that Cora would even want a job, as she's a lazy old sod.
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Old 06-05-2014, 13:59
kitkat1971
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I think she would have a lot more than £70 quid a week to live on! If she only qualifies for a basic pension, then her pension would be topped up with Pension Credit to £148 a week, that is the minimum amount the government says a single pensioner needs to live on. So she's not bad off! If she is still working at launderette, then it doesn't make sense, as she would lose the extra money. I always felt it unrealistic that Cora would even want a job, as she's a lazy old sod.
My mother only gets 78 quid a week and she has full NI stamps due to having worked until she was 58 and retirement age was still 60 back then. Granted my father is still alive but it seems really unfair that there is such a big difference between the single and married allowance. The only other thing she gets is the winter fuel allowance.

Her earnings at the Launderette would be taken into account - except she's bound not to be declaring them.
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Old 06-05-2014, 15:09
ayrshire lass
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My mother only gets 78 quid a week and she has full NI stamps due to having worked until she was 58 and retirement age was still 60 back then. Granted my father is still alive but it seems really unfair that there is such a big difference between the single and married allowance. The only other thing she gets is the winter fuel allowance.

Her earnings at the Launderette would be taken into account - except she's bound not to be declaring them.
I would have thought her wages would have to go through the books, unless Mr Popadopolous? would be paying her cash in her hand, not many employers would do that . I agree about what you're saying about a married woman's pension, however possibly you're father get's a full pension , and both are added together. Suppose we'd better not start a debate about pensions on here!
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Old 06-05-2014, 15:24
vald
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She smokes and drinks. A pack of cigarettes is almost £7, one pack a day adds up to £49 a week. Then another £30 or so a week on booze and that's £80 down the drain.

Now there's nothing wrong with today's pensions but if you throw half of it away every week, then you're going to struggle.

As for savings, some silly people don't bother, and that doesn't just apply to the elderly.
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Old 06-05-2014, 15:30
little-monster
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Because she drinks like a fish and smokes like a chimney. It all adds up on a daily basis.
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Old 06-05-2014, 16:13
kitkat1971
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I would have thought her wages would have to go through the books, unless Mr Popadopolous? would be paying her cash in her hand, not many employers would do that . I agree about what you're saying about a married woman's pension, however possibly you're father get's a full pension , and both are added together. Suppose we'd better not start a debate about pensions on here!
Yes, my father has a full private pension and shilst I know the assumption is that spouses share money so it's added together, ut's something that actually annoys me. You can work all you life paying into the system (my mother was a secondary school teacher for over 40 years so a difficult, badly paid job which benefitted society - at least back then - 50s-90s) but come retirement you get the bare minimum solely because you are married and it actual fact a spouse will often see precious little of that money - I mean there is no guarantee it is going into a joint account. Seems to be back to the days of women being goods and chattle, dependent on their man for everything. I realise that they could have got a private pension themselves and these days I think most women do but it was very different when my mother was working and the understanding was that if you paid into the system they woulld look after you when the time came. Not saying that is the case with my parents (Mum being kept on a leash having to beg for every penny) and I realise it can be the other way round (woman having the money and being expected to subsidies the man) but it is usually that way. I also realise it applies to lots of things other than pensions as well, unemployment, jobseekers even some sickess benefits. And yes, you're right - probably not the best place for a debate on the subject.

Yes, her wages should go through the books and I agree most employers won't do otherwise but I wouldn't put it past Cora to have persuaded him to go cash in hand or even using false documents for either benefits or her payroll. It depends how big Mr opydopylous's bisness is whether he'd spot a false, NI number (she could easily know Rainie's for example) orhas to inspect close Inland Revenue inspections after quarterly submissions. He could have her down as a sub contractor assuming she does her own tax - there are quite a few loopholes that can be 'illegally' exploited. I've done Payroll including schedule DS for freelancers in my varied working life.
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Old 06-05-2014, 16:19
kitkat1971
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She smokes and drinks. A pack of cigarettes is almost £7, one pack a day adds up to £49 a week. Then another £30 or so a week on booze and that's £80 down the drain.

Now there's nothing wrong with today's pensions but if you throw half of it away every week, then you're going to struggle.

As for savings, some silly people don't bother, and that doesn't just apply to the elderly.
I'm not sure i'd say there is nothing wrong with the amount of the state pension but it certainly isn'y enough to be squandering half (of not more) on booze and fags. Hard to give up when you are addicted to them as Cora def is to fags and possibly to alcohol as well (in a rather different way to Phil) but they are considered luxury items and thus not included in the calculations for what is a reasonable amount for a person to live on eaxh week.
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Old 06-05-2014, 16:34
vald
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I'm not sure i'd say there is nothing wrong with the amount of the state pension but it certainly isn'y enough to be squandering half (of not more) on booze and fags. Hard to give up when you are addicted to them as Cora def is to fags and possibly to alcohol as well (in a rather different way to Phil) but they are considered luxury items and thus not included in the calculations for what is a reasonable amount for a person to live on eaxh week.
I get a state pension and I certainly don't think it's bad compared to the benefits that younger people have to live on. I have a private pension as well and made the effort to save throughout my life, so I don't rely on it completely, but plenty of my friends do, and if I had to as well I certainly wouldn't struggle.
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Old 06-05-2014, 16:40
kitkat1971
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I get a state pension and I certainly don't think it's bad compared to the benefits that younger people have to live on. I have a private pension as well and made the effort to save throughout my life, so I don't rely on it completely, but plenty of my friends do, and if I had to as well I certainly wouldn't struggle.
That's good to hear. I do agree with you about it compared to some of the other benefits for younger people. It probably depends on a lot of factors - whether you do have any other income, what bills you're still having to pay out for (not everyone has finished their mortgage at that age) or still have children or grandchildren relying on them for help (increasingly the case). If solely for food, heating etc it probably is enough to survive but i'd hardly call it generous.
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Old 06-05-2014, 16:47
vald
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That's good to hear. I do agree with you about it compared to some of the other benefits for younger people. It probably depends on a lot of factors - whether you do have any other income, what bills you're still having to pay out for (not everyone has finished their mortgage at that age) or still have children or grandchildren relying on them for help (increasingly the case). If solely for food, heating etc it probably is enough to survive but i'd hardly call it generous.
No, not generous, but certainly enough. And as it's coming out of younger people's contributions I think we should be grateful.
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Old 06-05-2014, 18:01
klendathu
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She's skint because she's a thoughtless, wasteful , foolish old witch .

Simple
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Old 06-05-2014, 18:19
Hound of Love
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She's skint because she's a thoughtless, wasteful , foolish old witch .

Simple
This!

In a nutshell.
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Old 06-05-2014, 18:20
Wee Tinkers
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She spent it all on Silvikrin and Bacardi. Of course a fe¢kless old soak like her won't have saved anything, but why now, why now is she all of a sudden so poor she needs to steal? Have I missed a change of circumstance?
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Old 06-05-2014, 18:20
J-B
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She's skint because she's a thoughtless, wasteful , foolish old witch .

Simple
Bang on point mate.
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Old 06-05-2014, 18:39
Harlowe
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Fags, booze, hair spray and her primarni valour tracksuit ain't cheap ya know!
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Old 06-05-2014, 21:07
Absolute Rotter
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She's skint because she's a thoughtless, wasteful , foolish old witch .

Simple
I could not agree more. Stan needs to watch his step.
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Old 06-05-2014, 21:10
benbenalen
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Cora's so poor she uses her cigarette lighter as a heater!
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