bus. Pass

Omg there now trying to take away your bus pass and give it to the young , when will all this end I wonder

[appyalison]

Great! They act as though our bus passes are a privilege to which we are not entitled. I see it as a way of getting around that I have contributed to for all these years. When we were young we walked or cycled everywhere. I would love to be able to do that now. Perhaps bus passes should be given to those who have contributed to the exchequer for donkeys years! Alison

[cuddles64 in reply to appyalison]

I agree with you, I used to always walk and cycle everywhere, we were even known to walk the 3 miles to school on some days if we didn't have the bus fair, there was 4 of us kids growing up in the 70's. I even used to go to the gym three times a week, do aerobics and plenty of swimming with dancing the night away every week end. It's just amazing how quick a person can go from being as fit as a fiddle as I was 10 years ago to having R.A. Degenerative disk disease and type 2 diabetes. I got my bus pass a lot earlier than I had expected, I was 45. I would rather be able to be free of these illnesses and be able to work and do what I used to do. But I can barely walk 10M these days let alone dance, walk miles and cycle. My DLA pays for my mobility scooter because i don't think it should be spent on buying clothes, new furniture and other treats. As far as I am concerned, my buss pass is my treat and so is my mobility scooter, without those I would be house bound!!

[Lynne1955]

New rules mean I won't get one until I'm 65 anyway.

However, not wishing to be contentious but I believe that bus passes, and similarly winter fuel payments should only be given to those in genuine need. Why should those of us who are fortunate enough to have sufficient resources expect them free as a matter of course. I don't really subscribe to things being my 'right' because the country cannot afford to pay for everything, for everyone.

I do support them for those without the necessary resources though.

Lynne xx

[phillips1 in reply to Lynne1955]

I was going to write all that, now you have spoiled it for me. Gonna cry now.

love from Bobby xxx

PS Love the new name

[Hidden in reply to Lynne1955]

but who would decide who has a genuine need, ATOS?

[Lynne1955 in reply to Hidden]

I suppose it would be the old fashioned way as it used to be for welfare benefits. Means tested based on income. As they now do with Child Benefit and used to do for income support (previously called supplementary benefits). Nothing to do with ATOS.

Lynne xx

[knitter]

Trouble is if bus passes or winter fuel payments are only given to those with less money, what about those people who saved for their retirement even though they may not have been high earners and paid tax and NI contributions?

[libbygood]

What about people like me 'inbetween' people. Neither rich or poor, I need that winter fuel payment, I've paid my taxes and NI. I know if it was means tested I wouldn't get it and that is very unfair. I get really cross about this.

Lib x

[phillips1 in reply to libbygood]

The same as us Libby. We are always just the wrong side of income to get a particular benefit. The trouble is we worked hard all our lives and provided for a rainy day. If we had sat on our a***s we would probably be better off now. Sorry, it's one of my pet rants.

Love from Bobby xxx

[libbygood]

Anyway don't need a bus pass, would have to walk 5 miles to catch it, and I'm just not up to it.

Think I'll go and have a piece of cake.

Lib x

[whit]

will the M Ps who want to take ou rbus passes and fuel allowance from us give up some of their allowances, which they get on a very generous salary?

[KingoftheCocktails]

I like my bus pass,it is very usefull

[CornishBrian]

Can't see the problem with giving bus passes to the rich. If you have a couple of Rolls Royces and a Bently in the garage, are you really going to catch the bus?

Unless you use the pass, it costs pence to issue whereas a means test costs hundreds of pounds.

I very much doubt they will touch the bus pass, for one reason......pensioners vote. If one political party lost half their pensioner voters, they would disappear. On the other hand, 18 to 25 year olds, only about 5% bother to vote. In short, it's a vote catcher.

[katieoxo60]

I have a bus pass as I am a pensioner, however I feel others could benefit from free travel or reduced cost travel especially low income workers. I could buy a pass , but can also use the ring& ride service at a reduced cost which takes me from door to door. I appreciate all these perks as I am unable to drive due to disability, but do feel our perks come much cheaper than the MPs perks and taking them away will not save that much money. Am I allowed to say that? it is my opinion and we still have the right to free speech don't we????

[Hidden]

What is so sickening is that OAP's are the only ones who have paid into the system all our working lives as we started work at 14 years of age or possible younger, so we are the only ones that are definitely entitled to 'perks', but we are the only ones the government are trying to fleece, we are sitting targets, they know where we live as we get state pensions.

Why don't they just shoot us all and save some money, because that is what they would like to do anyway, they think we are a waste of space.