Cameron protects OAP benefits till 2015

[Deleted User]

we use our bus passes twice a week and are lucky to have a bus go through the village every two hours, starting at 9.30 and finishing at 5. We could take the car but tbh would rather not clog up the busy main roads, however lots of oaps will go back to using the car if the pass is removed. Dh and I aren`t doddery but we have seen plenty of older ones who are and who drive. The roads will be flooded with extra cars and extra pollution. 13 on the little bus the other day and that would be at least 8 extra cars out on the road and probably a bus driver out of a job.

It is a lifeline, no shop or any other service here

Roger1

Rupert_Bear wrote: »

There are too many pensioners who live in the city who just get on the bus
because some are too lazy to walk.

Too many? How many? :huh: And besides, why shouldn't they?

I have a bus pass but never use it because I prefer to walk, cycle or can use my car.

So you have incurred public subsidy and never use the benefit? :eek:

If you were true to your principles, you wouldn't have applied for the bus pass in the first place.

zygurat789

seven-day-weekend wrote: »

......and the problem is....?

I do walk, and can drive, but I actually think going by bus is greener than going by car, especially if going to the City Centre.

And, of course, it's cheaper, very MSE.

georgiesmum

Why do some people begrudge a generation who never had working tax credits, high family allowances,child tax credits, Paid maternity leave,etc. a free bus pass? I've never heard a pensioner yet complain about the benefits that young families get today,in fact we are glad that they are a lot better off than we were. After all thats what we struggled to achieve for them. But the bus pass really seems to get up peoples nose.
If it only for people on benefits then that is another slap in the face for people who have saved into another pension.

margaretclare

georgiesmum wrote: »

Why do some people begrudge a generation who never had working tax credits, high family allowances,child tax credits, Paid maternity leave,etc. a free bus pass? I've never heard a pensioner yet complain about the benefits that young families get today,in fact we are glad that they are a lot better off than we were. After all that's what we struggled to achieve for them. But the bus pass really seems to get up peoples' nose.
If it only for people on benefits then that is another slap in the face for people who have saved into another pension.

Why does it have to be seen as an 'us and them' situation i.e. young families today vs pensioners? Why is it a competition?

I'm a pensioner and I haven't got a bus pass. 'Benefits that young families get today' - well, suffice it to say that I'm darned glad I'm not bringing up a family today. I don't envy them.

Jennifer_Jane

Roger1 wrote: »

Too many? How many? :huh: And besides, why shouldn't they?So you have incurred public subsidy and never use the benefit? :eek:

If you were true to your principles, you wouldn't have applied for the bus pass in the first place.

Is this true? I genuinely thought that costs were only incurred when you actually travelled on the bus. How much public subsidy does it incur, please?

Many thanks

Farway

Jennifer_Jane wrote: »

Is this true? I genuinely thought that costs were only incurred when you actually travelled on the bus. How much public subsidy does it incur, please?

Many thanks

I think it varies from council to council, some refund bus co per passenger mile, others have block grant to bus co

So block grant is same cost, used or not, passenger miles is only costing when used

georgiesmum

margaretclare wrote: »

Why does it have to be seen as an 'us and them' situation i.e. young families today vs pensioners? Why is it a competition?

I'm a pensioner and I haven't got a bus pass. 'Benefits that young families get today' - well, suffice it to say that I'm darned glad I'm not bringing up a family today. I don't envy them.

I assume then you use a car all the time or are in walking distance of all the shops. Or are so well off that paying exorbitant fares don't bother you. Some of us do not have cars, we got rid of ours when my husband turned 80 as we did not think it wise to continue using it, and i have never driven.
I don't think anybody has said anything about pensioners vs young families. Having raised 5 myself I am very pleased that they do get as much help as they can. I wouldn't begrudge then anything at all.

Roger1

Jennifer_Jane wrote: »

How much public subsidy does it incur, please?

Farway wrote: »

I think it varies from council to council ...

In London you can get an idea of how much you pay towards the cost by checking the statement with your council tax. I imagine other councils provide similar information.

Where I live (in suburban London), my council is paying £14,967,280 for concessionary fares this year. This would include Freedom Passes for the elderly and disabled. My share of this is £127.77. Money well spent!

Of course, Londoners are favoured with the Underground and suburban trains included in the Freedom Pass as well as buses and we can use them 24 hours a day. I guess taxpayers outside London would be charged less for less comprehensive services.

English bus pass holders can use them for off-peak bus travel anywhere in England. I'm not sure whether this applies to Wales. It doesn't apply in Scotland.

Farway

Roger1 wrote: »

Where I live (in suburban London), my council is paying £14,967,280 for concessionary fares this year. This would include Freedom Passes for the elderly and disabled. My share of this is £127.77. Money well spent!

Of course, Londoners are favoured with the Underground and suburban trains included in the Freedom Pass as well as buses and we can use them 24 hours a day. I guess taxpayers outside London would be charged less for less comprehensive services.

My Hampshire council is paying approx £1.75 million, plus there is Government subsidy, but has additional subsidy of £6.6 million to rural bus routes, some of which will be used by bus pass holders of course, but many will be working people living in villages

I assume similar would also apply to many other rural councils, like perhaps Norfolk, Devon etc

As can be seen it does depend where you live, bus passes are not always the biggest subsidy from local taxpayers