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It's easier to act deaf or stupid.

To be a moderator on this site, you surely need a sprinkling of all five?

I just wonder at some of these claims made by 'eco' specialists. Our house was originally a Yeomans cottage built C1650. The walls are solid red brick, (bricks probably made on site) and sit on sandst

Yes Prescriptions over 60

 

Free TV Licence over 75, NO, not anymore after 2020.

 

Bus / Tram pass

 

Free eye test, although most people get free tests at most opticians.

 

Seniors discount in some food establishments.

 

I've recently been to New Zealand and got Seniors discounted entry to most tourist type places.

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Pardon?

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10 minutes ago, Stuart.C said:

Bus / Tram pass

 

The goal posts are always moved on that one.

 

Free bus pass used to be when you reached 60; now it's state pension age (which in my case would be 66).

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28 minutes ago, denshaw said:

It's easier to act deaf or stupid.

My old office manager used this ploy. He always said, when dealing with the Inland Revenue, DSS and similar authorities, the best ploy was to ‘act daft’. Doing that meant that they did all the work for you. I employ this philosophy all the time now that I’m in my dotage and get away with it. Poor old soul they think. I love it. :biggrin:

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14 minutes ago, Beekay said:

Your still a Spring chicken CT. Do you still qualify for half fare ?

 

To prove my first comment.....my earliest memory of the bus journey from Clifton to Nottingham, the fare was 6d for adults and 3d for kids.

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As I see it, the removal of free TV licenses from all over 75s except those on Pension Credit, would amount to an effective £2.80 per week reduction in disposable income.   For a single pensioner on the basic, that would amount to almost 2% reduction in income. (All based on current pension/license fee.) That's a day's food/heat/light per week for some.

 

If they must cut the free Licenses, and they probably must thanks to Central Govt., I'd rather they set the bar a bit higher. 

 

The Pensioner's Bus/Tram (and in my case also Train/Ferry pass) is something that Govts will abolish at their peril.  Without the 'pensioner footfall' many businesses, cafes, garden centres, museums and other attractions would be empty midweek for much of the year.  It's the same reason that many places offer 'Concessions' to us old gits. We are usually well behaved, can't last long without buying a cuppa, etc.

 

Politics?

 

 

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The paltry £10 Christmas bonus would be £134 now if inflation proofed. I suppose that will be the next to go. We oldies shouldn't be disregarded. We’re not sponging off the state, we’ve paid a substantial contribution in taxes over our lives. 

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Ten quid is not significant unless you are on benefits, same with the winter fuel allowance - scrap 'em I say..

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8 minutes ago, Brew said:

Ten quid is not significant unless you are on benefits, same with the winter fuel allowance - scrap 'em I say..

 

Boris is going to have to fund his giveaway to the rich somehow..  ;)

 

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I found to my delight a few weeks ago that I could have a Senior Railcard from age 60. I now have one - save 30% on fares. Costs £30 per year or £70 for 3 years. I have started to use trains more lately anyway.

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Senior Railcards are excellent.  You can save the cost on a single journey.

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18 minutes ago, DJ360 said:

 

Boris is going to have to fund his giveaway to the rich somehow..  ;)

 

It's not necessarily a giveaway is it? He did talk about raising NI contributions as well. Whilst a few of these people may be classed as quite rich, many will be senior teachers, police officers, health workers etc. And what will they do with the extra cash? Why they'll spend it of course, thereby stimulating the economy and adding to the VAT coffers.

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Surely poorer people would be far more likely to spend any extra cash, as they don't have the luxury of being able to just 'bank' it? And in any case, NI contributions were supposedly introduced to pay for health services, state pensions, unemployment benefit etc., not to fund priveleged lifestyles.

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Not that simple in my view. 

Those who have sufficient to live comfortably have the choice to spend or save/invest. And anyone on £50k+ per year who thinks they can't live comfortably needs to have a word with themselves.

Yes, maybe they'd spend a bit more, but they also have the choice to save or invest.  Returns aren't good at present, but they will still do it.  They won't lose long term and will be looking to grow their 'stash' for the future, whether in savings, pensions or investments. I don't blame them in the least for this by the way and I don't do envy.  I saved all I could towards the end of my working life because I was finally able to.  Prior to that I was always running to catch up.

However, the poorest are already either going without, or running up debt.  Those people are more likely to spend more, or all of what they can get, just to stay afloat.

 

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On 6/11/2019 at 9:32 AM, denshaw said:

What are the benefits of getting to a certain age?

Free prescriptions for over sixties, any more?

 

I doubt if there will be any government benefits in future for anyone with a private pension or savings. Most of these people have worked hard for this and they are not 'privileged'. 

The only benefit of getting to a certain age is experience.

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.... but few younger people want to learn from our experience.   I suppose everyone needs to make their own mistakes to truly learn from experience?   I know that's true of my own life, so yes, we do learn from experience as we get older.

 

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22 minutes ago, MargieH said:

.... but few younger people want to learn from our experience.  

 

I agree, but it's always been the case that  young people think they know it all anyway, so don't need to learn.

 

It's only when you get older that you begin to realise there are - and were - things to learn

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