MSE Poll: What should be means-tested? Free bus passes, the NHS, student loans?

clip · 28 July 2019 at 9:16PM

Re free bus fare ... I think Everybody should pay £1.00
I am a pensioner and would not mind paying ,especially to help the smaller bus company’s

nicmalauren · 29 July 2019 at 11:23PM

Scrap means-testing altogether, charge for everything. Give every person a nominal amount - a basic living benefit, if you will. Let them choose then whether to work to top it up if they feel it's not enough to fund the lifestyle they desire.

Alternatively, make everything free for everyone so that no person is disadvantaged, regardless of background.

The problem with both these ideas? The money has to come from somewhere and somebody somewhere will always end up feeling hard done by. This is essentially why communism doesn't work!

Tammykitty · 30 July 2019 at 2:20PM

I don't like means testing - as it generally means those sitting just above the threshold finish up worse off.

For example a couple of pensioners on £256, would be worse of than those on £255 claiming 25p of pension credit.

Couple b claiming 25p of pension credit would get free bus pass, free tv licence, discounts, Cold weather payments etc.

I would up the level of benefits and completely do away with means tested benefits!

edgex · 30 July 2019 at 4:13PM

The problem with the benefits system, & the freebies given to pensioners, is that there's no logic to who gets what.

Take the 'free bus passes' as an example.
Whats the reason for them? If it's; low income, need to travel (reduce social isolation), good environmentally
then surely that applies to more people than just those over 65.
Anyone in education, unemployed, low hours, etc, they all could meet the same reasons.

It will be interesting to see if equalities legislation starts to have an impact on some of the 'freebies', as for many of them the only deciding factor is age.

Privatekid · 31 July 2019 at 9:11AM

NaughtiusMaximus wrote: »

An alternate solution is the government introduces a seperate VOLUNTARY ID card available to any UK citizen for a nominal fee which proves your citizenship and therefore eligibility to work in this country.

The Tories tried that and the lefties hated it.
It was one of the best ideas because it could prove entitlement.

schmeophera · 19 August 2019 at 9:19AM

I'm an old ffffffffellow, so I get a winter heating allowance, automatically, and never asked. I'm not rich, but I really feel that this one should be means-tested, and it's not even on the list.

Why can everyone enter a National Museum or Gallery not just put one pound in an entry machine?

savvysaver46 · 31 August 2019 at 3:10PM

When they stop allowing non UK residents having free NHS care and allowing EU workers here to send family allowance home to their family they can look at means testing. Why do you think all these migrants want to come here surely being in the EU means all countries offer the same benefits. Obviously not!

ronda454 · 23 July 2020 at 12:37PM

I would vote for free bus passes

maisie_cat · 23 July 2020 at 12:46PM

POPPYOSCAR said:

I think we should do away with child benefit altogether and provide a free school meal to every pupil in place of it.

That way no child is singled out and no child should be in school hungry.

That is an excellent idea and would be so easy to put through.

MSE Poll: What should be means-tested? Free bus passes, the NHS, student loans?

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