This is the other TV licence petition

signed

Signed. Thank you Mick.

Signed

signed!

NOT signed. Free tv licences were brought in by Gordon Brown to avoid giving pensioners a proper rise in their pension.

I would like to see all these bells and whistles; Christmas bonus, winter fuel allowance, tv licence, even free prescriptions abolished and replaced with a large rise, £10 - £15, ideally in the state pension, certainly in the Pension Credit level so that we can all make our own spending decsions, instead of all these handouts given out in little bits as if we were too old and stupid to properly plan our budgets.

Signed. Increase in pension too

Signed

I am in two minds over this and can't decide which way to go. I realise DH and I are in the fortunate position of being able to afford the licence fee and, although we don't watch a lot, I am addicted to R4! Also things like the BBC wildlife documentaries etc and the Queens birthday parade are unmissable . We haven't quite reached the 75 milestone yet either so I suppose what you never have etc.
If I were in a young family at the top of a tower block the TV could be my saviour but I'd have to pay the licence fee.
I wish 'they' could find a way of allowing those who wish , to send back the fee and it be given to more deserving people - of any age. Likewise winter fuel etc as Sir Alan Sugar suggested. He tried to send his back and was told there was no way! Presumably even the Queen gets it!

How much do older people watch television?

I ask because from about 1976 to 2014, I was regularly visitng friends and family in care homes, and at home. At the start of this period the switched on tv was ubiquitous in home and care home, blaring from rooms and day rooms, but as time progressed I found the tv seemed to be turned on less and less and by the time my last relative died I could walk to her room through the day room and past individual room without hearing, or seeing a switched-on tv.

I obviously realise that there are people who are dependant on their tv, but I suspect far fewer than in the past.

I am over 75, I haven't applied for a free tv licence and I still pay as before. I watch very little tv but I listen to the radio, esp R3 and R4, most of the day, and I am very happy to pay for my tv licence as a contribution to the cost of my radio listening.

Signed

I’ve signed although DH and I are not 75 yet. MOnica mentions stopping the winter fuel payment, Christmas Bonus and free prescriptions. I think stopping free prescriptions for patients of pension age will cause more hardship because the majority of elderly people regularly get several items on prescription every month. I know they could buy the annual pass but that’s over £100. I’m a Nurse Presciber so I’m aware just how much free prescriptions benefit this age group and I know if they had to pay they would try and do without.

Signed

This petition is flying!

Already got over 100,000 signatures which qualify for a parliamentary debate.

Thanks Mick for bringing it to our attention.

Sorry, not signed.

Those in receipt of pension credits will still not have to pay, therefore it is sort of means tested, and those who meet the criteria (i.e. on low/restricted income) will still get a free licence.

Same with the Winter Fuel Allowance. It is given automatically to those over a certain age. My mother gave hers to Dogs Trust, someone else I know puts it towards their annual trip to Australia

A few years ago I was in the unfortunate situation of having to claim JSA. How I was supposed to live on about £114 a fortnight, with a mortgage, bills etc was beyond belief.

As someone who will also have to wait until I'm 66 to get my pension (something that I have paid into for all my working life, and still pay into) sorry, age no longer should be an entitlement to various freebies.

Signed

I've signed. I also believe that state pensions should be increased dramatically so that pensioners can decide for themselves what they would like to have but until that day I will also argue that tv licences , bus passes act should continue to be free .

Signed.

Signed.

I have signed with my lovely 88 year old MIL in mind, her main pleasures in life are her family, feeding the birds and watching TV

A bus pass would be great, if we had any damn buses!

Will not sign, I feel very strongly that we have left an abysmal legacy for our childr3n and grandchildren and nobody owes us a free TV licence being the generation who denied future generations a free university education. For the record neither of our daughters have a student loan and we are investing to ensure neither of our grandchildren do either

Signed. If the Beeb needs to save money they can cut the obscene amounts of money some of their presenters are paid.

Dh and I have a few years before we'd be entitled to it. TBH we could afford to pay, and there are plenty more like us so I don't see why we should get it for free. Ditto the winter fuel allowance, though I have to say we do love our Freedom Passes, and use cars a lot less since we've had them, so that's an environmental advantage, too.

Personally I think there are too many freebies for people who could well afford to pay. I know someone who left well over £1m cash and two houses paid for when he died, but for years before that he'd seriously abused free prescriptions, stockpiling masses of items which now and then were just thrown away.
And I don't suppose he's the only one - far from it.

I signed - although I did feel a bit guilty, as we could afford to pay for a TV Licence.

I don't like the idea of having to pay prescription charges, though. Many elderly folk must be on repeat prescriptions (luckily not I!) and what are the charges now ...? Is it £9 for every item? That could amount to quite a lot out of their pensions, and make the difference between managing and floundering! And ditching bus passes could mean that a lot of older people would have to choose between getting out and about and other essentials.

I think there's a lot of jealousy nowadays for the 'baby-boomers'. Work was plentiful, house ownership was achievable, etc. What a lot of younger people don't recognise is that we were brought up in a time of frugality. If you couldn't afford something, you went without - or saved to buy it.

Nowadays, they buy it on their Credit Card, or get a loan and pay interest. Can't be without the latest mobile phone, TV, - wotever! They aren't prepared to wait and 'make-do'.

I went without lots of things when I was first married ('fridge, freezer, washing machine, TV, etc. and most of our furniture was second-hand) in order to be able to afford a mortgage.

No, we weren't just 'lucky' - we were sensible and self-denying! Things we were brought up to be. Time has moved on, but the younger generation could learn a lot from us 'baby-boomers'!

(Sorry, gone a bit 'off-post'.)