Yes they are being charged, Gracesgran. There are many people who have brought up their families in council houses, or now housing association houses, who thought they would be able to carry on living in them for the rest of their lives, or until they could no longer manage and decided to downsize. If the houses have more than one bedroom they are having housing benefit taken away from them. That is a charge.
These are people who have been paying what they can and getting housing benefit for the rest because they have not been paid enough for the work they do all their working lives.
Gillybob, I have the choice of catching the bus or going by car into Durham. I catch the bus if I am not going shopping on the way back. If I am going shopping, I go to the park and ride and leave my car there.
How does anyone suggest that we roll the bus pass into the pension? It's not possible. Some people use the bus all the time; others rarely use it. I'm in the middle. If I did not have my buspass, it would be cheaper to drive the car into Durham and park there. A bus pass encourages me to not use my car and I'm a pensioner. Do I not count?