UK-specific. A toot by someone (I can't find it now) said that although they aren't on #welfare #benefits they are nonetheless poor as their only income is the state #pension.
Apparently a little-known fact: the #UK state pension *is* a welfare benefit.
The stats for total number of people on welfare benefits includes pensioners*. They are actually, by a long way, the largest group on benefits.
*The recent stats haven't had pensioner numbers added (yet), dunno why.
I suspect some people might feel insulted by this.
Would it be good for society to adjust our perceptions?
@sunflowerinrain is a state pension, in this context, a retirement benefit paid to former employees of the state? Certainly it's unintuitive that it should be counted as welfare if so; private sector retirement benefits are not generally thought of in that way.
@khird The state pension is paid to everyone over retirement age (provided they claim it).