How to lose the grey vote

There may be a case for taxing better off pensioners at the same rate as younger people, and universal benefits such as free bus passes certainly should not start until state pension age, however the idea that pensioners should pay more council tax on their homes is just not on. Yes, it would be sensible for people to downsize as they age, thus freeing family-sized homes for families, however it just isn't that simple. People get very attached to their homes, especially when they've worked hard all their lives to pay for them and have invested a lot of time and effort into them. Finding a suitable smaller home is not always easy, nor is selling a larger home in this era of stalled and stagnant housing markets. Also, pensioners with larger houses do not always have the income to go with them. The real solution to the housing problem is to build more houses and lend more money to those who want to buy them. Many older people are already helping their children and grandchildren to buy homes by providing deposit money. The better off pensioners are also providing employment for an army of carers, cleaners, gardeners etc and a lot of the money tied up in houses eventually finds its way back to the state via care home fees when elderly people are no longer able to stay at home. Think tanks like the Fabian Society obviously have to justify their existence by coming up with wacky left-of-field policies every now and then. Politicians with any sense ignore them.