Bus passes etc to remain

You should have known since the mid 1990s that your state pension age would be the same as it is for men.

I didn't say I didn't know. Just that I had to wait.

I know I'll be waiting longer but it still bugs me and I count will count my pension as being late by x number of years.

They're simply playing number games. You get to keep all those things because the things they're changing i.e. the care costs and winter payment will mean you lose a lot in the long run.

They're picking off the least contentious first then will gradually move on to the other benefits. Remember if a well off pensioner doesn't need a winter fuel allowance why should they need all the other things and before you know it everything will be means tested.

I think they should all be abolished anyway and adjustments made to tax codes. That would avoid the "cliff edge" situation where somebody with income jut a few pence over the eligibility threshold for Pension Credit is worse off than somebody who receives means-tested benefits.

I won't receive my state pension until I'm 66. I've known it would be 65 for over 20 years (the extra year at 10 years' notice was a blow), but it's not exactly waiting. It's just how it is and has been for a couple of decades.

daphnedill I think when you get your state pension you will be very grateful for a free bus pass. It is wonderfully liberating to be able to travel by bus without having to worry about the cost, and a great enefit in reducing social isolation in the elderly.

I'd rather have a couple of pounds extra on my pension, so that I could spend it as I wish.

Bus passes might be very liberating in an area where there are buses, but there are hardly any in rural areas.

I agree daphne, the public transport in rural areas is very poor. Personally I live in an urban area, and my bus travel would cost me considerably more than a couple of pounds - a day, never mind a week/month/year! In fact a single journey is a minimum fare of £2.50

Its not clear how a "wealthy" pensioner is defined. Is it those claiming pension credit ( not exactly wealthy if you are just above that), or those on the higher tax rate? (few pensioners come into that category)

And how would you travel Daphne?

One comment I heard was it would apply only to those with income in the higher tax bracket. (43k)?
Maybe wouldn't apply to the average pensioner but wouldn't be unreasonable in my opinion.

I get my knickers in a twist over the £10 Christmas bonus which must cost a fortune to administer. Would means testing also not cost a lot for the winter allowance or whatever it is called?

What's this Christmas bonus?

Means testing definitely costs money as they have to employ people to decide who is and isn't eligible. Then someone else to deal with the appeals.

If they use PC as the passport to WFA it won't cost anything extra to administer - at the moment the data base of all in receipt of state pension is used to trigger the payment of WFA - they'll just in the future have to use the data base of people in receipt of PC. It really is a non argument.

DaphneDill is apparently lucky enough to be able to fund her own transport - as you say, angelab, the cost of public transport in some areas is ridiculous - it would cost me £6 just to get to town and back (and it's only about 5 miles!)

Daphne has a car? no surprise she wants rid of the bus pass and a bit more money for self, what about the many who cannot afford a car and their bus pass enables them to travel

angelab it's £10 that appears in your back account at that time of year. You could easily miss it if you don't scutenise your accounts.

Daft idea IMO.

Where I live a car is essential,for many people - the bus service is dire - I have a bus pass and can hardly use it.

Anya I quite agree, but when an aunt of mine was alive she needed that + the winter allowance and a Christmas bonus of around £300 from the place where she used to work to survive. Her pensions were so small that she needed it, she was lucky if she had £250 a month left for food and electricity. The rest was covered by her rent.

I agree re the bus and in my case, tube journey paid for, it is very expensive to travel by tube in London. I am fortunate as the bus service is very good but not everybody is so lucky.

And if one cannot afford to run a car Rigby?

I'm getting confused at the press (BBC plus a couple of papers) mention of £300 WFA. isn't it £200 per household, split for a couple in receipt of retirement pension? Not sure what I'm missing.

It's the BBC putting a spin on how generous the WFA is - it's £300 for a couple over 80. I despair of much of the media at the moment

Yes ab it's really grim in rural areas if you can't afford to run a car. Round here it limits work opportunities for example. When we first moved here there was sn excellent local bus service - well we all know who got rid of that don't we?

I know that bus passes are staying at least for now but I am sure that those of us with decent bus routes will end up like many on here because we will not be able to afford to go as and when we want so the buses will stop running.