Free TV licence to go?

I'm not yet retired so won't be eligible for a bus pass for a couple of years.

I got a bus pass at 60, although I was not yet at the state retirement age. I don't think the two things are connected.
No-one notifies you of being eligible for a bus pass - you just have to apply for it, to the local authority.

Our bus pass age is your retirement age, so 66 for me. 60 if your in Scotland/Wales or NI. Not that it will be much use as our buses have been slashed in the last year, one cause being given as concessionary fares - the amount they get paid for each use does not cover cost.

All the pension "perks" seem to vanishing as I approach that time, I expect they will all vanish over time.

FarNorth most councils have now adopted the state pension age as the age at which we can apply for bus passes, very few if any still allow them at 60.

Jusnoneed you beat me to it. Add in a change in the number of qualifying years for a state pension from 30 to 35, a push back of the age at which we can receive a state pension from 60 to at least 66, and the loss of all the other associated benefits. Women born late 1950s early 1960s have been 'done over'.

“Done over”indeed Missterious and I am one of them. DH and I have an almost 11 year age gap (56-67) we had thought that we could both finally retire when I hit 60 . Sadly my pension age is now 67 . I really can’t see him being able to carry on until he is 78 .

Yep, we have been well and truly done over. And many may not know that there’s another delight in store when we do get to 66+. Any years we were “opted out”, as many of us were encouraged to do, don’t now count towards the 35. My pension forecast is £100 on the new “universal” (ha-ha) scheme, despite an NI record of 41 years. Fortunately there’s a transition period and I should get the “old” pension of £125......eventually, and if they don’t change the rules again. I doubt there’ll be any other “benefits” left by then.

I really do sympathise gillybob, it's an appalling situation for many thousands of women, that's why I'm so against complaining about the loss of a 'perk' such as free tv licences when there is a much bigger issue over pension entitlement receiving little or no attention.

Most of the really good programmes are BBC , I find, though there’s loads of rubbish as well. Bbc4 is pretty good.

I’m not sure which way the BBC is meant to be biased. The left think it's biased to the right, and the right think it’s biased to the left.

The left think it's biased to the right, and the right think it’s biased to the left.

How true, Grandma70s. We once sat eating a hotel breakfast, and the people on the tables at either side of us were both discussing BBC bias, one convinced it was to the left, the other to the right! They should have got together and thrashed it out between them.

I think it should stay after all the BBC wastes huge amounts on inflated salaries, Christ Evans for one so why not give to those who have so little.

The fact that both left and right accuse the BBC of bias does not prove they are unbiased. They have promoted brexit was relentlessy from their numerous invitations to Farage o Dr the last twenty years up to the present when they treat brexit as inevitable. Just today our local programme included a vox pop of people saying they did not want a People's Vote on the deal when most surveys find the majority do want it.

As a Scottish Nationalist I see/hear daily evidence of BBC bias towards Unionism. Not really surprising when you realise that their Charter commits them to encouraging cohesive Britishness.

BBC Charter Para 6/4 The BBC should bring people together for shared experiences and help contribute to the social cohesion and wellbeing of the United Kingdom.

My mum is 83 so has been receiving her free tv licence for some time now. They have always covered a period of 3 years. The last one ran out 2 weeks ago and when she received her new one in the post she immediately noticed it was just for 1 year. Perhaps it's the start of the wind down.

I take it that those of you complaining of BBC bias will be sending your free licences back?....I thought not.

Get a grip folks. Spend a day watching American TV and then you will really know what bias is. Just be glad that we have tv with no commercial interests. I am always amused when there is a discussion about TV, whether in real life or online; the number of people who don't watch it, or 'just watch the news' or maybe 'just watch documentaries'

GillT57 i love my TV. I know people who say 'i never watch TV' inferring they are too intelligent for it. Its about everything in moderation, socialise, work, exercise and relax in equal portions. I see travel progs about countries i may never get to see, cooking from different cultures, crazy progs like XFactor which make me laugh out loud sometimes at the people who think they are brill and are rubbish, good drama, films and series about historical figures and so much more why wouldnt i watch it!!! And of course GN have devoted a whole section to TV and radio for people to express point of view over the latest progs.

Is this the same Director General of the BBC - Lord Hall of Birkenhead - who earns £465 thousand and whose staff include:
Tim Davie £664 thousand
Mark Linsey £293 thousand
Valerie Hughes-D'Aeth £295 thousand
Charlotte Moore £295 thousand
Ralph Rivera £307 thousand
etc etc
11 of his team earn more than the Prime Minister so let's not say that they are rewarded for their responsibilities - at least some of which are pretty vague.
Let's say instead that the DG doesn't seem to be able to put together a team that isn't a drain on expenditure. Instead he goes for savings from elderly pensioners, some of whom are the loneliest and poorest members of society.

Well said Grannypauline