Governments should not have to provide care or financial support for elderly people because it is the responsibility of each person to prepare for retirement and support him or herself To what extent do you agree or disagree with this opinion

People have different views about whether or not governments should help senior citizens. Although I accept that we all have a responsibility to save money for retirement, I disagree with the idea that elderly people should receive no support from the state.

There are several reasons why I believe that older people should get government support. Firstly, the job market is increasingly becoming competitive, and sometimes there are hundreds of applicants for one position in a company. This indicates that those elders who need employment to support their own living expenses will have to compete with young people. These young adults are usually well-prepared for the post with relevant academic qualifications. Thus, these older people will have less job opportunities and it will be difficult for them to be recruited among these young applicants. Secondly, the rising cost of living has put pressure on the old age group to live through. The savings may not be adequate for them to pay for housing and food. Finally, the elderly people are fragile and they lack physical capabilities to work, and hence it could be dangerous especially when they are required to do some labour work, like in restaurants.

Furthermore, some older people may need help in terms of their basic living like cooking, cleaning and shopping. Many senior citizens are left out of care from their offspring due to this modern society in which many workers are often pushed to be committed to their careers. Also, it is one of the roles of government to take care of those who are old and physically vulnerable. When they were young and healthy, they dedicated themselves to developing the societies and paid a lot of taxes. Hence, it is now time for the state to look after them. At the same time, these days, many of old people suffer from a number of diseases, like dementia, and the cost of treatment is often tremendous that they could not afford. Thus, these elderly patients need a special care from the support of nation.

For the reasons mentioned above, I believe that the governments should protect their own citizens, especially the old group of people.