Bus pass and prescriptions?

M0nica

rafichagran

Monica, you are advocating helping people on UC, what about the people who do not qualify for it? People who only get the state pension, the wfa, bus pass, and free prescriptions are very much needed, not a luxury. Losing the wfa, will affect a big swathe of pensioners.

Also if you put UC up by £15 a week, only some people will qualify, some pensioners have a small occ pen and pay tax. If they need alot of medication it will be a big chunk out of the money they get.
I honestly think wealthy pensioners should think about people who don't qualify for UC but are only a few pounds over. All they need to do is not tick the box on prescriptions and pay their bus fares, if they feel they do not need it.
I used the wfa for what it is for, it helped me.

I am confused. Pensioners do not get UC , they get Pesnion Credit.

Once again you completely misunderstand what I have said. All pensioners on the old variable pension are entitled to PC. How the rules affect those on the new enhanced standard pensions. I do not know, but they are already getting more than most pensioners, who are on the old scheme.

There is a prescription season ticket available for £114.50 a year, which means no one needs to pay more than that no matter how much medication they are on.

If we take everything it amounts to an increase on PC level of £23.58 [£2 (prescriptions) + £15(free bus passes) + £6 (WFA) + 20p (Christnas bonus)]. Most bus companies will then almosy definitely offer their own senior travel cards for reduced prices off peak, just as the railways do.

PC level, this year would go up tfrom £218 to, roughly £242, which would mean that large rise in those claiming it and getting all its contingent benefits as well.

No scheme is ever perfect. Pehaps people could try thinking constructively about other ways of achieving the objective of phasing out WFA for better off pensioners and turning all the bells and whistles into cash in the pocket. In stead of lazily just tipping water over anyone who tries to suggest alternatives.

Suggesting pensioners should get a prescription season ticket is something I feel strongly about. I have had monthly repeat prescriptions my entire adult life - asthma is not considered an exemption - which to me has been a tax my entire life. I started getting pre-payment certificates when I was in my 20s. I rememeber when the cost went up from £8 a year to £20 a year (which was a lot for a young single earner in the early 80s). I have always looked forward to the day when I no longer needed to get an annual prescription certificate when I turned 60. It was about the only benefit to turning 60.

I would riot if my free prescriptions were taken away now and I don't see why any pensioner should have to buy an annual prescription certificate - there are enough bills as it is.

Doodledog

Chocolatenoodle8

Am still aghast at the government’s attacks on pensioners. I love my bus pass. If the government take it away, i will be soending a lot more time at home.
If the free prescriptions are also removed, that will cost me a lot. Shall have to go back to buying an annual prepayment certificate.
Government are also going to tax pensioner savings above £16,000 AND there will he a lifetime ISA limit of £100,000.
They are going to charge CGT on main residence (a completely new thing) and retirement lump sums will no longer attract 25% tax free. So they don’t want us to save; buy a home; have a bus pass; have free prescriptions.
None of these measures will affect the 40% tax payers. If they charged 42% instead of 40% income tax they’d have their £20bn quickly
Starmer will receive a tax free pension. Why? Good question!

Really? Where did you see all of this? Can you do a link please, or if not, just let us all know where you saw it so we can see for ourselves? I didn't realise that the budget had happened - I was told it would be October.

Just spotted this bit re "taxing pensioners savings over £16,000".....

a. We need a link on that - to prove it - if they're planning on that one.
b. We also need to see what their intentions are for savings over that level for people other than pensioners - or would it just be a "bash the pensioners" thing?

I can't find the "edit" button anywhere to edit my post above - so I'll just add = I thought the £16,000 limit to savings is what applies now to anyone wanting to get pension credit type stuff (ie under £16k they can ---over it they can't)?

There is no edit button.

Anywhere around here, the bus pass certainly keeps a lot of cars off the roads. I use my car a lot less since I’ve had it, and I know of others similar.

Cariad On the last page where I went through the falsehoods on the claims by Chocolatenoodle8 one by one,

I covered the £16.000 figure.

*It has nothing to do with taxing savings, it is to do with levels of being able to get a reduction on council tax

£16.000 is simply the point where if you have more than that, you can't apply for a reduction on your council tax

www.citizensadvice.org.uk/scotland/benefits/help-if-on-a-low-income/help-with-your-council-tax-council-tax-reduction-s/applying-for-council-tax-reduction-s/council-tax-reduction-income-when-the-pension-age-rules-are-used-s/#:~:text=If%20you%20have%20savings%20or,calculate%20income%20from%20your%20capital.

(I hope this might also help people in GN who have less than £16.000 in savings apply for the reduction)

Better reference as this covers all the UK on council tax reduction

www.ageuk.org.uk/information-advice/money-legal/benefits-entitlements/council-tax-reduction/#:~:text=If%20you%20don't%20get,tend%20to%20be%20less%20generous.

CariadAgain

I can't find the "edit" button anywhere to edit my post above - so I'll just add = I thought the £16,000 limit to savings is what applies now to anyone wanting to get pension credit type stuff (ie under £16k they can ---over it they can't)?

That's very different from taxing pensioners' savings. Pensioners pay the same tax as everyone else - less if they are working, as they don't currently pay NI.

Pension Credit is a means-tested benefit, and people with savings aren't entitled to it, any more than they would get other benefits, or help with things like care costs.

This is not a new thing, or peculiar to this government. There are numerous problems and unfairnesses with means-testing, IMO, but your post suggests that this is part of a package of 'attacks on pensioners' being considered by Starmer, which is simply not true. Whatever you think of the government this sort of speculation spreads fear and worry, and is unkind. For the record, the other things in your post are not verified either. We don't know what will happen in the budget - it is not until 30 October.

Sorry Wyllow. I had to answer the door half way through my post, and you have said all of this while I was away.

No problem

It's the level of means testing I'm concerned about. Also I know I'm going to be affected by this but I also need to know if I'm going to be monitored on what I actually spend MY money on and what will happen if and when I eventually get to a position where I don't have any savings left! Even if I haven't wasted it on holidays or if I have spent it buying a car or on expensive holidays. It's MY money and I should be able to spend it making my life easier and enjoyable.

Who is going to monitor your spending MaggsMcG?

Iam64

Who is going to monitor your spending MaggsMcG?

I was puzzled by that comment.

Iam64

Who is going to monitor your spending MaggsMcG?

Well, I’m glad nobody’s going to be monitoring mine!

‘Tut tut, yet another order to Wool Warehouse? Why aren’t you ironing or dusting instead of knitting? And what are all these 99p payments to Amazon? Books on your Kindle? One a month would be plenty! Get off the sofa and pick up that duster, you lazy baggage!’

Witzend

Iam64

Who is going to monitor your spending MaggsMcG?

Well, I’m glad nobody’s going to be monitoring mine!

‘Tut tut, yet another order to Wool Warehouse? Why aren’t you ironing or dusting instead of knitting? And what are all these 99p payments to Amazon? Books on your Kindle? One a month would be plenty! Get off the sofa and pick up that duster, you lazy baggage!’

😁

Why do I feel guilty if I knit or read in the mornings?

Yet I'm wasting time on here! There's a thunderstorm going on out there, it's dark, wet and miserable so that's my excuse.

Tut tut, yet another order to Wool Warehouse? Why aren’t you ironing or dusting instead of knitting? And what are all these 99p payments to Amazon? Books on your Kindle? One a month would be plenty! Get off the sofa and pick up that duster, you lazy baggage!’
Have you been spying on my bank account, Witzend?

Where has the idea come from that we are going to be monitored? I must confess to being uneasy about the rights that Terese Coffey gave to HMRC to access bank accounts, but we were assured that this was just to prevent fraud, and most on here seemed to be broadly in favour at the time. that was the last government anyway, so nothing to do with the dastardly deeds that Starmer is being accused of vaguely considering.

TBH I do feel vaguely guilty if I read or knit in the mornings, though obviously scrolling GN/MN doesn’t count!

It’s down in Holy Writ that sewing up doesn’t count as ‘knitting’, though, so later this morning I shall get down to the fiddly sewing up/faces of my ‘professional’ hand puppets. One chap in a suit, one doctor and a nurse ready so far. Only 4 more to go…

Well done, you could have a sneaky G&T at the same time.

Mind you, should we be buying gin at the price it is 😮

Allira

Well done, you could have a sneaky G&T at the same time.

Mind you, should we be buying gin at the price it is 😮

Yes, we should! Most of the price of gin is duty which goes to the Government so we are helping to fund essential services. 🍸 🙂

I have seen that very often of you havd things like the lower rate pension pension , bus pass etc they leave it that way but in future they could stop stuff like free prescriptions, bus passes but if won’t affect those already with it . Doubt they will come round collecting your bus pass if still in date . Hope so any way .

Sunglow12,me too, I have only just got mine!

I have already waited six years for my pension, and where I am there is no bus pass until SPA. I will be fizzing if it is withdrawn before I even get it.

But (and it is a big 'but') This Is Not Policy. It is speculation by journalists who have had nothing to write about while parliament wasn't in session

What worries me is losing the free prescriptions. I have 9 different items monthly!

Doodledog

I have already waited six years for my pension, and where I am there is no bus pass until SPA. I will be fizzing if it is withdrawn before I even get it.

But (and it is a big 'but') This Is Not Policy. It is speculation by journalists who have had nothing to write about while parliament wasn't in session

"But (and it is a big 'but') This Is Not Policy. It is speculation by journalists who have had nothing to write about while parliament wasn't in session

Just so.

Doodledog

BevSec

Wendyann23 you will only see change for the worse under Labour

I heard they were bringing in compulsory kick boxing classes for over 60s, as they are reducing the number of police on our streets and we will have to defend ourselves. People on pension credit will get 50% off the cost, but everyone else will have to pay £30 an hour. I think my hairdresser's neighbour's cousin saw it on Twitter.

You know what they say about sarcasm !!