As there are obviously well off and not so well off pensioners...... bus passes, tv licence, winter fuel payments etc etc, should be means tested.
Everyones happy..... well probably not the greedy rich pensioners, but who cares.
I agree they should be means tested.
Benefits for working age people are so why not bus passes, tv licence, winter fuel payments etc etc, for the elderly.
So i take it you believe the majority of Students should not get a bus pass as well, they probably use buses more than pensioners and must be costing this country a fortune,
i honestly don't know why they need one, it's more of a perk than a necessity as unlike many pensioners they should be able to walk a few miles everyday with ease. never considered this before but if any cut backs have to be made then that would be the way to go. it is not only saving the country money it would make the younger generation more healthy.
Student in my area get a discounted bus rate of 750 a year, rather than the normal 1000. Pensioners get it totally free. Public funds not being used appropriately.
Ffs stop with this walking nonsence, people can't be spending 10 hours a day waliking to work and uni. Poor people only get the bus when they have to pay if it is a reasonable length journey.
While we are talking about getting people fitter I wish the obse oaps would walk more and not just get on a bus for one or two stops as its free for them. They hold up the bus service for everyone. Maybe they would get healthier and cost the public funds less in healthcare and bus fees.
And pensioners have but alot into society, in thier working lives as well its not all about draining more public money.
Rubbish.
Basic state pension payments have spiralled out of control.
In 1948, 1.5% of UK GDP went on the basic state pension.
By 2014, 3.9% of UK GDP went on the basic state pension. http://www.ifs.org.uk/bns/bn105.pdf = page 64
Now when you consider that UK GDP has increased four fold since 1948, you can see just how much basic state pension payments have esculated.
Indeed, 10% of all government spending now currently goes on the basic state pension.
In 20 years time, it'll be my turn to be a drain on society when I'm too old to work.
Are you trying to convince me there are no pensioners living on little money and/or no rich kids ?
Mind you poverty among working age adults is bound to be increasing if they are working and only earning the minimum wage or they don't have a job and are forced to live off benefits. That's were the unfairness is, so why don't you start a thread complaining about the way this Government is exploiting working-age adults with or without dependent children, instead of picking on pensioners just because they have a bus pass and you don't.
If a pensioner is just on the state pension, with only limited savings, as many are....... I certainly wouldn't begrudge them a free bus pass.
A lot of these pensioners cannot drive due to ailing health and the state pension of just over £100 pw is hardly enough to run a car anyway. A lot of pensioners suffer from loneliness and a bus pass is sometimes their only means of some independence.
It would be a pretty heartless and cruel person that would deny them this small benefit.
It would be a pretty heartless and cruel person that would deny them this small benefit.
So we can expect a future government to do just that.
We've had VAT go up to 20%; a bedroom tax; working age benefits capped at 1% rise; tuiton fees tripled and extentions to the disqualification period for JSA.
Student in my area get a discounted bus rate of 750 a year, rather than the normal 1000. Pensioners get it totally free. Public funds not being used appropriately.
Ffs stop with this walking nonsence, people can't be spending 10 hours a day waliking to work and uni. Poor people only get the bus when they have to pay if it is a reasonable length journey.
While we are talking about getting people fitter I wish the obse oaps would walk more and not just get on a bus for one or two stops as its free for them. They hold up the bus service for everyone. Maybe they would get healthier and cost the public funds less in healthcare and bus fees.
Ohh yeah, i agree, we have to be reasonable , nobody should be expected to walk for 10hrs a day, do the majority of students live 5 hrs walk from college. no way. i would say a minimum of 5 or 6 miles should be the limit then they get a free bus pass. it dosent seem right that young children have to pay to get on a bus to school as traveling to school by bus makes their journey safer, students are old enough to take care of themselves. it really is about time the government did something about this.
You have already shown you have no idea what pensioners need to live a healthy life so arguing walking would make pensioners lives more healthy is not for you to decide,that is for their doctor. walking long distances may do more harm than good.
The reason buses are cheaper than taxis is obvious. more people use buses, am afraid that's what you have to put up with when you travel by bus, so to argue people getting on and off slows journeys down is a bit silly.
So we can expect a future government to do just that.
We've had VAT go up to 20%; a bedroom tax; working age benefits capped at 1% rise; tuiton fees tripled and extentions to the disqualification period for JSA.
Anything's possible.
What this government have done a sterling job of....... is turning parts of society against others. People are now prejudice against the unemployed, the disabled, pensioners, in fact anyone that gets benefits that they don't.
Divide and rule is a tactic that this government has got off to a fine art.
Student in my area get a discounted bus rate of 750 a year, rather than the normal 1000. Pensioners get it totally free. Public funds not being used appropriately.
Ffs stop with this walking nonsence, people can't be spending 10 hours a day waliking to work and uni. Poor people only get the bus when they have to pay if it is a reasonable length journey.
While we are talking about getting people fitter I wish the obse oaps would walk more and not just get on a bus for one or two stops as its free for them. They hold up the bus service for everyone. Maybe they would get healthier and cost the public funds less in healthcare and bus fees.
If you really want to make the buses quicker the last thing you want is more people paying by cash besides the increased security risk
Secondly obesity is more a problem with younger car users than older people who are more likely. Older people have often got into good habits and do not necessarily get on a bus for two or three stops unless they need to for health reasons or to avoid difficult road crossings
I know from personal experience that my bus using habits did not change when I got my bus pass (due to visual impairment). I still rarely use a bus for less than a mile
What this government have done a sterling job of....... is turning parts of society against others. People are now prejudice against the unemployed, the disabled, pensioners, in fact anyone that gets benefits that they don't.
Divide and rule is a tactic that this government has got off to a fine art.
Absolutely, and the OP has fallen, hook, line and sinker for it
If you really want to make the buses quicker the last thing you want is more people paying by cash besides the increased security risk
Secondly obesity is more a problem with younger car users than older people who are more likely. Older people have often got into good habits and do not necessarily get on a bus for two or three stops unless they need to for health reasons or to avoid difficult road crossings
I know from personal experience that my bus using habits did not change when I got my bus pass (due to visual impairment). I still rarely use a bus for less than a mile
Buses should be cashless, london has had oyster for over a decade and most people have a contactless card.
What this government have done a sterling job of....... is turning parts of society against others. People are now prejudice against the unemployed, the disabled, pensioners, in fact anyone that gets benefits that they don't.
Divide and rule is a tactic that this government has got off to a fine art.
Reform has been long overdue.
This thread is about distributing public funds based on need.
I've always respected younger people who work hard and get on with life. Not always grumbling and jealous of others. I'm truly shocked by the attitude by some of the younger generation posting in this thread.
Ian.
You only respect young people that just work hard to pay into an unfair system. That give benefits to a generation that is milking the system dry and that the young people will never receive the same benefits. Without questioning the system or trying to make it more equal?
This thread is about distributing public funds based on need.
Based on need is something you seem to have ignored in this thread. As far as I've seen you want bus passes taken away from pensioners, irrespective of their financial situation.
If you started this thread asking for bus passes to be means tested, then I would have agreed with you.
Based on need is something you seem to have ignored in this thread. As far as I've seen you want bus passes taken away from pensioners, irrespective of their financial situation.
If you started this thread asking for bus passes to be means tested, then I would have agreed with you.
Then you haven't read what I said, all I've been banging on about is need.
We didn't change the retirement age, we didn't introduce university fees, we didn't make housing prices rise, we didn't change the law on job protection. It was Governments, both Labour and Tory who did all that, so why should us pensioners be blamed, we don't run the Country .
As far as I'm aware you had a democracy. Therefore you can't wash your hands of everything and blame the government.
The national debt of over £1.5 trillion that resulted from people voting to spend more than the country raised in taxes on services for them. Let's aline high house prices which are crucifying the young and from which pensioners benefit when they sell their homes at many times what they paid for them.
I agree that house prices today are crucifying the young, but I can't see how pensioners benefit when selling theirs unless they downsize to somewhere very small and use the money for spending. Personally I don't know any pensioners that have done that.
My parents' house was sold 14 years ago for about 80 times more than when they bought it in the 50s, but it was still a relative pittance compared with today's house prices and it virtually all went on care home fees.
I agree that house prices today are crucifying the young, but I can't see how pensioners benefit when selling theirs unless they downsize to somewhere very small and use the money for spending. Personally I don't know any pensioners that have done that.
My parents' house was sold 14 years ago for about 80 times more than when they bought it in the 50s, but it was still a relative pittance compared with today's house prices and it virtually all went on care home fees.
BTW I support pensioners and the young alike.
Your right very few have downsized.
However millions have re mortgaged to get cash out and are now reaching pensionable age with debt greater than what they bought the house for.
Secondly obesity is more a problem with younger car users than older people who are more likely. Older people have often got into good habits and do not necessarily get on a bus for two or three stops unless they need to for health reasons or to avoid difficult road crossings
Maybe not.
Obesity crisis: more than one third of 60-70 year olds now dangerously overweight
People are growing fatter in old age with waist sizes rising faster than body mass index
"The proportion of people with a 'normal' BMI has dropped to only about 15 per cent of UK adults by the age of 65. This rather small proportion now includes unhealthy people who have illnesses that have caused weight loss or prevent weight gain, as well as those who are genuinely healthy and active. So older people with an apparently 'healthy' BMI are not all healthy."
Comments
I agree they should be means tested.
Benefits for working age people are so why not bus passes, tv licence, winter fuel payments etc etc, for the elderly.
Student in my area get a discounted bus rate of 750 a year, rather than the normal 1000. Pensioners get it totally free. Public funds not being used appropriately.
Ffs stop with this walking nonsence, people can't be spending 10 hours a day waliking to work and uni. Poor people only get the bus when they have to pay if it is a reasonable length journey.
While we are talking about getting people fitter I wish the obse oaps would walk more and not just get on a bus for one or two stops as its free for them. They hold up the bus service for everyone. Maybe they would get healthier and cost the public funds less in healthcare and bus fees.
Rubbish.
Basic state pension payments have spiralled out of control.
In 1948, 1.5% of UK GDP went on the basic state pension.
By 2014, 3.9% of UK GDP went on the basic state pension.
http://www.ifs.org.uk/bns/bn105.pdf = page 64
Now when you consider that UK GDP has increased four fold since 1948, you can see just how much basic state pension payments have esculated.
Indeed, 10% of all government spending now currently goes on the basic state pension.
In 20 years time, it'll be my turn to be a drain on society when I'm too old to work.
Are you trying to convince me there are no pensioners living on little money and/or no rich kids ?
Mind you poverty among working age adults is bound to be increasing if they are working and only earning the minimum wage or they don't have a job and are forced to live off benefits. That's were the unfairness is, so why don't you start a thread complaining about the way this Government is exploiting working-age adults with or without dependent children, instead of picking on pensioners just because they have a bus pass and you don't.
A lot of these pensioners cannot drive due to ailing health and the state pension of just over £100 pw is hardly enough to run a car anyway. A lot of pensioners suffer from loneliness and a bus pass is sometimes their only means of some independence.
It would be a pretty heartless and cruel person that would deny them this small benefit.
So we can expect a future government to do just that.
We've had VAT go up to 20%; a bedroom tax; working age benefits capped at 1% rise; tuiton fees tripled and extentions to the disqualification period for JSA.
Anything's possible.
You have already shown you have no idea what pensioners need to live a healthy life so arguing walking would make pensioners lives more healthy is not for you to decide,that is for their doctor. walking long distances may do more harm than good.
The reason buses are cheaper than taxis is obvious. more people use buses, am afraid that's what you have to put up with when you travel by bus, so to argue people getting on and off slows journeys down is a bit silly.
What this government have done a sterling job of....... is turning parts of society against others. People are now prejudice against the unemployed, the disabled, pensioners, in fact anyone that gets benefits that they don't.
Divide and rule is a tactic that this government has got off to a fine art.
If you really want to make the buses quicker the last thing you want is more people paying by cash besides the increased security risk
Secondly obesity is more a problem with younger car users than older people who are more likely. Older people have often got into good habits and do not necessarily get on a bus for two or three stops unless they need to for health reasons or to avoid difficult road crossings
I know from personal experience that my bus using habits did not change when I got my bus pass (due to visual impairment). I still rarely use a bus for less than a mile
Absolutely, and the OP has fallen, hook, line and sinker for it
Obesity is a problem for all generations.
This thread is about distributing public funds based on need.
Based on need is something you seem to have ignored in this thread. As far as I've seen you want bus passes taken away from pensioners, irrespective of their financial situation.
If you started this thread asking for bus passes to be means tested, then I would have agreed with you.
Then you haven't read what I said, all I've been banging on about is need.
When have you mentioned means testing ?
I agree that house prices today are crucifying the young, but I can't see how pensioners benefit when selling theirs unless they downsize to somewhere very small and use the money for spending. Personally I don't know any pensioners that have done that.
My parents' house was sold 14 years ago for about 80 times more than when they bought it in the 50s, but it was still a relative pittance compared with today's house prices and it virtually all went on care home fees.
BTW I support pensioners and the young alike.
I mention need almost every other post.
Where have I mentioned taking away all passes regardless of wealth?
However millions have re mortgaged to get cash out and are now reaching pensionable age with debt greater than what they bought the house for.
So you do accept not all pensioners are wealthy then ?
Your welcome to join this thread, but read from the start so you stop making false accusations and asking questions covered countless times.