Budget 2018

Apodemus

merrydance wrote: »

I am currently not able to drive because of a medical condition. I am 62, my doctor said, ah well at least you've got your free bus pass. I said no the pension age for women has changed from 60 to 66 for me. She was astounded and did not know anything about it. So it is very possible that a lot of women did not know this was going to happen.

...and to be even more fair to your doctor, if you lived in Scotland, Wales, Northern Ireland or London, she would have been correct! Any link between knowledge of female state pension age and knowledge of bus pass age is a bit tenuous!

merrydance

I live in Dorset, no free bus pass here until you are 66, I presume my doctor lives here too. I told her about my pension age, she did not know. Wow didn't realise so many other areas of my country still get the free bus pass, how was that worked out?

Thrugelmir

merrydance wrote: »

Wow didn't realise so many other areas of my country still get the free bus pass, how was that worked out?

Does your local authority have the funding resource to subsidise bus services?

merrydance

Obviously not or I would be getting it. Went for my field vision test today, hopefully will be able to drive soon. Bus fares are a fortune!

Paul_Herring

Thrugelmir wrote: »

Does your local authority have the funding resource to subsidise bus services?

Only if you've reached the female SPA apparently:

https://www.dorsetforyou.gov.uk/travel/public-transport/bus-passes-and-concessionary-travel/apply-for-a-bus-pass.aspx

You can get a bus pass for free travel when you reach the female State Pension age, whether you're a man or a woman.

My own LA have different wording: https://www.gateshead.gov.uk/article/5006/Concessionary-travel

The Government has changed the age at which people become eligible for a travel pass and people no longer receive a free bus pass on their 60th birthday.

Instead both men and women become eligible in line with the rise in the age at which women become eligible for a state pension.

So apparently it's a nationwide thing.

zagfles

merrydance wrote: »

Yes but it shows it's not general knowledge, not everyone including those affected did know.

"Shockingly, the government didn’t write to any woman affected by the rise in the pension ages for nearly 14 years after the law was passed in 1995. The Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) started sending out letters from April 2009 onwards."

The govt don't need to tell people when a law changes that affects them, and hardly ever do. Why should they in this case? My age has been changed, I wasn't informed.

If people haven't heard that sex discrimination is being stamped out they must have been living under a rock the last few decades. What if an employer refused to employ a woman and used the excuse that he wasn't personally informed that sex discrimination is now illegal :rotfl: Yet some people seemed shocked that sex discrimination in the state pension age is about to disappear!

merrydance

I can understand that yes it should be the same for men and women. But in my humble opinion it should have been phased in better, not so abruptly. But heigh-ho that's just my view.

zagfles

merrydance wrote: »

I can understand that yes it should be the same for men and women. But in my humble opinion it should have been phased in better, not so abruptly. But heigh-ho that's just my view.

The 1995 act wasn't abrupt - that was announced in 1993 with 17+ years notice and the phasing was gradual. There is a particular issue surrounding the 2011 act and the lack of notice for the additional increase in age up to 18 months with only around 6 years notice. If WASPI and the others had stuck to that issue they may have had some credibility instead of trying to include everyone affected by the 1995 act and demanding a return to 60 for them all.

merrydance

Yes that's what I am referring to 2011 act an extra 18 months, a tad too far in my opinion.

MK62

zagfles wrote: »

My age has been changed, I wasn't informed.

Made me laugh that.....I didn't think government had THAT much power....;):D