Government ending concessionary fares fror eldely and disabled!!

alggomas

Just found out that the Government is axing concessionary fares for the old and disabled [National Coaces info].
Terrible! Why not .005pence on income tax.

Owain_Moneysaver

only in England.

It will continue to be funded in Scotland.

AirlieBird

No they're not. They are ending an agreement where by coach companies can receive a subsidy intended for local buses in return for offering half price fares for the over 60s. Concessionary fares are not being abolished.

wealdroam

OP, how come you have only just heard about it?
As AirlieBird says, you are off the mark.

In October 2010 the Department for Transport's Transport Spending Review announced that the the subsidy to long distance coach operators would be withdrawn in October 2011.
So a year's notice was given.

That same document goes on to say...

Concessionary travel
We are committed to protecting the England-wide concessionary travel scheme for older and disabled people. So while we have identified substantial efficiency savings in this area, they are focused on the way the scheme is administered, rather than on the benefits received.

opinions4u

alggomas wrote: »

Just found out that the Government is axing concessionary fares for the old and disabled [National Coaces info].
Terrible! Why not .005pence on income tax.

Why's it terrible?

1) Just because somebody is old doesn't mean they are hard up.
2) An old person uses up the same amount of space on board as a younger person.
3) Why should a younger taxpayer fund the price of a seat for an older taxpayer?

We've just had 13 years of old people being given something for nothing to buy their vote at election time.

While the older generation might enjoy spending their winter fuel allowances on a few weeks in Benidorm some are beginning to realise that their children and grandchildren are struggling to pay the bills while they get free TV licences, subsidised heating and free transport.

Tilt

IMHO, concessionary travel should be available for serving armed forces personel or anyone retired who has seen active service (irrespective of age), anyone over 60 who has less than £10,000 in savings, on low income and providing that they have been a UK resident for at least 20 years (so that they have paid their taxes ect to the state), anyone who is disabled and are therefore on low income and that they have been a UK resident for at least 10 years.

bigjl.

Tilt wrote: »

IMHO, concessionary travel should be available for serving armed forces personel or anyone retired who has seen active service (irrespective of age), anyone over 60 who has less than £10,000 in savings, on low income and providing that they have been a UK resident for at least 20 years (so that they have paid their taxes ect to the state), anyone who is disabled and are therefore on low income and that they have been a UK resident for at least 10 years.

And who would pay for all that?

Tilt

bigjl. wrote: »

And who would pay for all that?

What do you mean? It would cost far less than it would now because as it stands, ANYONE over 60 qualifies... even if they are loaded or only been in the country 5 minutes!

Frogletina

Tilt wrote: »

What do you mean? It would cost far less than it would now because as it stands, ANYONE over 60 qualifies... even if they are loaded or only been in the country 5 minutes!

I don't think that is correct. My understanding, at least in my city, is that you only get the concessionary fares if you are of pensionable age which is over 60 since the staggered state pension age increases for women has started.

Tilt

Frogletina wrote: »

I don't think that is correct. My understanding, at least in my city, is that you only get the concessionary fares if you are of pensionable age which is over 60 since the staggered state pension age increases for women has started.

Err, isn't that what I said; 'ANYONE over 60 qualifies'?

Frogletina

Tilt wrote: »

Err, isn't that what I said; 'ANYONE over 60 qualifies'?

Ah, I can see where the confusion with my statement lies, and I apologise for that.

The point I intended to make was that the state pension age is not 60 any more but is later than that.

A woman who is 60 today, born on 3rd September 1951 - will not get her state pension until Sunday 6th January 2013. As such she will not, at least in my city, get a concessionary bus pass until that date. She will then be 61 and 4 months of age.