Nick Clegg is at it again

Thanks Movelot - had no idea. Not quite there yet .

OH insists on having a UK TV licence even though we only spend a few weeks a year in UK! Doh.

granjura I think anyone over 75 gets a free TV licence even if they live with others younger

janepearce6 who gets a free TV license these days? Do people on a pension still get this? Thanks.

As Ana says, if they go ahead the bar will be quite high and won't affect those truly worried by this.

Don't go anywhere without a towel, me....[y'neverknow; perhaps this should be on the 'end of the world thread']...

And look what happened to Arthur Dent?

Of course you can still do it! Just don't take any life-threatening risks, that's all...

You mean I won't get the chance to walk up and down the A6 with me placard? Or lie down in front of the Skylink Bus [a la Arthur Dent]?

crimson, I really do think you're worrying unnecessarily. Look at how high they had to set the bar for Child Tax Credit to get the new measures through - there's no way they'd take bus passes away from low-income pensioners. I know Nick Clegg has never said (because he can't) who he considers to be 'wealthy' pensioners, but it certainly won't be those in your position.

cc; we must be about the same age. I will get my pension next September. I'm doing everything I can to reduce my outgoings so I can either retire of semi retire. I now have a water meter, and have almost halved my fuel bill [partly due to my son leaving home and also having a new boiler]. I have to run a car as my village doesn't have a very good bus service but I am relying on a bus pass and fuel allowance to help me even more financially. I very rarely go into town these days because I'm scared of how much I spend when I do go and also because parking fees are so expensive. I'm also of an age that won't get the new higher pension rate when it comes in. I feel sick at the though of someone taking that bus pass away from me before I even get it.

To lose my bus pass (freedom pass) would be tragic! To lose my TV Licence would be worse - I could probably do without (but don't tell anybody) my heating
allowance but I wouldn't like it because I am anything but wealthy and probably would not still be working at my age if I were! But we have free prescriptions and as I take quite a lot of medication, that would really hurt and there is the eye test - wouldn't mind too much because I am lucky my eyes don't seem to change much! But I think that a lot of those in full time jobs over the age of 60-70 shouldn't claim all they are entitled to but everyone will if they can obviously!fwink

One thing that always strikes me is that the fuel allowance is based on an outdated idea...no one i know now fills a coal bunker ready for the winter: everyone pays a monthly fuel payment spread over the whole year.
For bus passes,most pensioners would prefer to pay a reduced amount for a more regular and reliable service: bus passes are not much use when the bus service has been reduced to a skeleton.
Keep the benefits universal, but taxable.

I'm over 60 but don't yet have either my bus pass or pension due to the pension age changes. We're reasonably well off and have a car but I already use buses for uphill trips (rather than pay the ludicrous parking charges here in Bath) and would certainly use a bus pass if I had one. I live in dread of them being taken away before I ever get my hands on one - my pass is due next October.

The fares are very high here but a daily or weekly pass is not economic for the few journeys that I make. However I would be perfectly happy to pay a small fee for having a bus pass - perhaps this is the answer? Perhaps it could be rolled together with the card for reduced train fares? That way you'd be getting more for your money and encouraging use of public transport including trains. As bus passes are issued by local authorities they could take steps to ensure that people in REAL need do get free passes.

I suspect that the very wealthy do not actually use buses much, but if they chose to get a pass and pay a fee they would actually be subsidising the public transport system a little.

"Use it or Lose it" used to be a motto for something and it certainly applies to public transport. We're down to one bus an hour on our city route - which ceases in the early evening. This may seem like a good service to those of you who live further out in more rural areas, but I've seen the effect that it has had on the very elderly locally. The bus times don't tie in with what they want to do in town any longer and some have stopped their hobbies and lunch clubs.

I was interested to read above that a British pensioner in South Africa still gets a winter fuel allowance. This is a ridiculous abuse of the system and should be stopped, surely?

Have you ever read 'The Queen and I' by Sue Townsend (of Adrian Mole fame)?

To get back to the subject, I doubt if anybody on a (say) £75.000+ income would be affected by the loss of bus pass and fuel allowance- would they, really?

I misread your post, Movedalot and thought you were suggesting that all MPs should be teachers.....

I would pack the whole lot of them to live on the top floor of a high rise flat in a deprived area for a month on a basic pension.

I use my bus pass for the same reason as granjura.

I think not only MPs should live in the real world before becoming MPs but teachers too.

I don't think it is reasonable for them to have experience of things before legislating on them as no one has that much experience but I do think they should make the effort to find out by speaking to real people and not just civil servants.

Unfortunately those of us who don't live in the city don't have the option to use the bus very often.

If I am going into the city, I drive to the nearest park and ride and then use my bus pass other than that I have to drive everywhere.

I used buses all the time when I lived in the UK- even though I DO have a car. Why pay £8 or more for parking when I can pay 2.50 for the bus door to door. Lots of people with cars use buses!

I have always felt that MPs should work in the real world for at least 10 years before they can stand for election, and by that I don't mean straight from university to researcher or aide to a sitting MP.

They should do a job where they have to face the same problems as everyone else, without the feather bedding of a generous expenses allowance.

If you use the bus pass then it shouldn't be taken away because you only use the bus pass if you don't have a car, as an MP why can he nor work that out, its like was said on this thread they do not have a clue what the real world is like, according to recent reports they are all on the make and are only concerned with their own possible gains, having said that I do believe that some MP's do care

But my general view on MP's is--how can they make decisions about things that they know nothing about....

The problem with Nick Clegg is that he has been promoted above his abilities. I think he probably does care but he does not seem to think things through. Yes cutting benefits for the wealthiest does make sense but by not clarifying which is meant by "wealthy" he is leaving a lot of people worried about their future finances.

Having made a total fool of myself - I may as well continue, LOL.

Here goes - I actually really like Nick Glegg - pheeew never thought I'd dare say that, but it's done.

He is in an impossible situation, damned if he does, damned if he doesn't. He has aged terribly since the elections and I really worry for his health. And I do think he really does care. Cuts HAVE TO BE MADE - and cutting benefits for the wealthiest among us seems like the right place to start, no?

err, violin

Worth trying though - go on get the cello out