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BBC Free tv licence

I have no objection to paying the licence fee, my objection is the elderly should not have to pay, okay many can afford it but a whole lot more can't.
 
Well in fairness there are also a lot of people who aren't old who can't afford it either. You don't get one free if you're on the dole. According to the news today there are 14 million households living in poverty in the UK.

Frankly I think that's utter BS. There's only 28 million households in the UK. Half live in poverty?

I don't know if I agree that the elderly should get it completely free. They get £200 heating allowance regardless of whether it's a cold winter or not so they must be rolling in it by now. Maybe it should be reduced a bit though.

Don't take that that too seriously folks, it's a family forum...
 
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I have no objection to paying the licence fee, my objection is the elderly should not have to pay, okay many can afford it but a whole lot more can't.

If you're on pension credit you don't have to pay.
 
I don't know if I agree that the elderly should get it completely free. They get £200 heating allowance regardless of whether it's a cold winter or not so they must be rolling in it by now. Maybe it should be reduced a bit though.
Don't that that too seriously folks, it's a family forum...
I'm a pensioner and my yearly amount is £7016.16 throw in the £200 winter fuel allowance and I get per month £601.34, that works out to £138.77 a week, that's for all food, clothing etc, and rent if you have to pay that,
I consider myself lucky because I have a generous works pension as well but there are many pensioners who have nothing but the state pension.
I can only guess at the sort of life they have to live, of course they should get free TV it may be their only pleasure in life.
 
I'm a pensioner and my yearly amount is £7016.16 throw in the £200 winter fuel allowance and I get per month £601.34, that works out to £138.77 a week, that's for all food, clothing etc, and rent if you have to pay that,
I consider myself lucky because I have a generous works pension as well but there are many pensioners who have nothing but the state pension.
I can only guess at the sort of life they have to live, of course they should get free TV it may be their only pleasure in life.

If you get less than £167 a week you get pension credit. So you get a free TV license. And housing benefit for your rent.
 
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If you get less than £167 a week you get pension credit. So you get a free TV license. And housing benefit for your rent.
But with my firms pension I get more, so no pension credit.
 
Pensions seem to be treated like betting on horse racing in this country, and the bookies (fund managers etc.) are the only ones getting rich. I must be dim, but I could never work out why making money from money (instead of actual, real things) is treated with such admiration. Nice for those that can, rubbish for those that pay for it.
 
U.K. pensioners are the poorest in Europe relative to average income, by a long way.
And average of just 29% of their working income, compared to, for example, 100% in Germany, which is why all the big expedition trucks are German!!!

This makes sickening reading!

https://www.weforum.org/agenda/2018/02/retirees-in-these-countries-receive-100-of-a-working-salary/
There is a clear difference in the appearance of pensioners on the continent to those at home. Very often they appear to be on hard times at home whereas here in Amsterdam, for example they are supremely well turned out. Ok, that’s probably like comparing London residents with Bognor residents but the picture is roughly the same in the smaller towns I’ve visited.
 
There is a clear difference in the appearance of pensioners on the continent to those at home. Very often they appear to be on hard times at home whereas here in Amsterdam, for example they are supremely well turned out. Ok, that’s probably like comparing London residents with Bognor residents but the picture is roughly the same in the smaller towns I’ve visited.
Bognor residents being the better turned out of course :laughing-rolling:
 
Copied & pasted from BBC website today
Cutting the pay of stars and senior managers would only save a fraction of the cost of free TV licences for older people, the BBC has said.

The broadcaster has defended its decision to end universal free licences for over-75s because of the £745m cost.

In a letter to the Daily Telegraph, BBC director of policy Clare Sumner said the BBC could only save £25m if it kept all salaries at or below £150,000.

Up to 3.7 million pensioners stand to lose the free licence from next year.

Well they need to do their sums again.

3.7 million pensioners at £154.50 equals around £571m

Or am i wrong ?
 
I think they mean £745m is the total cost for the free licence for all over 75’s.
What they will save is the £571m from those who will no longer qualify for it.
That’s how I read it anyway.

I’m hoping to retire early next year (well ahead of 75 I might add) so I’m pushing for a free licence for the over 60’s :lol:
 
Personally I believe all pensioner credits should be means tested, I cringe that pensioners on final salary pension get all those benefits, when someone working and earning less still has to pay.
 
Copied & pasted from BBC website today
Cutting the pay of stars and senior managers would only save a fraction of the cost of free TV licences for older people, the BBC has said.

The broadcaster has defended its decision to end universal free licences for over-75s because of the £745m cost.

In a letter to the Daily Telegraph, BBC director of policy Clare Sumner said the BBC could only save £25m if it kept all salaries at or below £150,000.

Up to 3.7 million pensioners stand to lose the free licence from next year.

Well they need to do their sums again.

3.7 million pensioners at £154.50 equals around £571m

Or am i wrong ?
They probably got Dianne Abbott to do their maths!
 
Personally I believe all pensioner credits should be means tested, I cringe that pensioners on final salary pension get all those benefits, when someone working and earning less still has to pay.
But pensioners on final salary had to pay into these pensions for years and are now reaping the benefits of years of interest earned, if some thought they could get by without saving then more fool them. So you think it would be fair for them to be means tested (taxed) again on money they put by for old age?
 
But pensioners on final salary had to pay into these pensions for years and are now reaping the benefits of years of interest earned, if some thought they could get by without saving then more fool them. So you think it would be fair for them to be means tested (taxed) again on money they put by for old age?
Final salary pensions have nothing to do with being sensible, planning for your future, or interest earned (hence why now they have turned into a financial time bomb).
It was purely luck if you worked for the right people.
Those on a state pension did pay in, a lot, and the government has now rescinded on that like the daily mirror!
Yes, it’s absolutely fair, why the hell should someone on &40k a year pension be entitled to freebies like this?
 
Final salary pensions have nothing to do with being sensible, planning for your future, or interest earned (hence why now they have turned into a financial time bomb).
It was purely luck if you worked for the right people.
Those on a state pension did pay in, a lot, and the government has now rescinded on that like the daily mirror!
Yes, it’s absolutely fair, why the hell should someone on &40k a year pension be entitled to freebies like this?
Mogg, I don't think it was luck that I worked for the right people it was that they had a very good pension scheme, I did have to pay a considerable percentage of my wage (from 1976) into my pension pot which accrued interest that I benefit from now. I just wish it was anywhere near the 40k you mentioned, if it was I wouldn't mind at all paying for my TV
 
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