To think people take the absolute P**s when it comes to paying their own way

[chopper23]

I am member (lurker) on a Facebook group that helps people get their debt wrote off, advocates not paying TV licences etc the group gets my back up, but it provides some regular entertainment. BUT tonight has shocked me, people are actually calling our NHS disgusting for charging for prescriptions ?! Are people crazy, do people want everything for free in life?

Grrrr I just felt like I needed a little rant

I want to help them but the tin hat brigade mainly in the form of the main admin and some of his posts are totally out there.

Although it might not cost much more to make prescriptions free, I'd bet it would increase GP appointments, costing more in the long run.

Meh, it isn't that long ago that prescriptions were free, and as a pp points out the NHS is paid for by taxation; levying prescription fees does penalise people for being sick.

They do definitely check though; I had an £80 penalty notice through for a prescription I did actually pay for. They talked to me like a scummy criminal when I phoned them to query it and, because at first I didn't even remember what the prescription was for, then stated there's no way I wouldn't have paid they told me I was "changing my story". In the end I sent them my bank statements to show the £8 coming out.

Why would anybody willingly pay for the tv licence if they don't need to? Also, it is unfair that people in England have to pay for NHS prescriptions when most of the rest of the UK doesn't. Everyone tries to pay less for things, it's human nature. Why would anyone choose to pay more if they can legally pay less?

I've got a super doctor but his advice seems to be don't take an appointment if you can avoid it. I get sleeping tablets and temazepam, both of which are unavailable on repeat prescription because of their nature.

The last time I was in, he said just fill out the online form for them and put a few words in the comments section, it's fine.

I think what he was saying was 'look, you're an intelligent person. I know you don't abuse your prescription. Appointments are gold dust and you don't need to take one'.

Works for me. I think we will end up with a system geared around the needs of the very dependent in society, and those who can sort out their own arrangements will be left to do so.

And the tv license pays for the only non commercial tv company in the world I think? Or do you want advert breaks in Strictly, and sponsorship ads at each end of Newsnight?

They do check. My exemption card is in my maiden name and my prescription issued in my married name. I was sent a fine. Very easy to sort out (just gave them the card number) and I need to send it in to change my name.

Must do that actually.

People not paying for things they should, because if cheek, is outrageous. But there should also be tighter credit checks to prevent people taking out unaffordable Sky packages, for e.g.

This kind of thing drives me crazy. I flipping love the welfare state, am proud of it and want to preserve it, so it incenses me that some people want to abuse it. The problem is it leads to a poor me mentality in some people, and no im not talking about the poor and vulnerable. I'm talking about people who want everything for nothing, who complain about everything and who are down at the doctors/A&E etc every five minutes with minor worries

As for the BBC, watching it on iPlayer still counts, you're still watching it. Or listening to BBC radio stations. If you never watch or listen to the BBC, remember that to some extent it keeps the value of programming higher in U.K. generally. Just go to other countries that have wall to wall rubbish quiz shows, and cheap 'comedies'.

And i don't think ripping off the state in any way can be argued as a compelling perspective just because someone else rips it off more (i.e. Corporations not paying taxes). If everyone in Britain took out just £100 from the system, that's 6 billion or one fifth of the NHS budget. One unnecessary blood test or one A&E visit costs around £124. I'm not saying anyone should avoid going to the doctors if they are worried about something. But if we all decided to think about whether we really needed it, and if we managed some things ourselves, e.g. mild headaches, viruses and sprains, the NHS would not be creaking.

I agree BarbaraofSevillle. Some of the things you can get on prescription are ridiculously cheap. I was prescribed paracetamol (I'm exempt for medical reasons) which is just daft when they are 16p a packet. Maybe there should be something similar to a prescription that just allows you to buy larger quantities of things like paracetamol, as I was prescribed 100 and no one would sell me that many at once.

In our area, they are now using a list of things which will no longer be prescribed, such as cough medicine, OTC painkillers, and a ton of other things that can be easily purchased or done without.

And the tv license pays for the only non commercial tv company in the world I think? Or do you want advert breaks in Strictly, and sponsorship ads at each end of Newsnight?

Everything I've ever watched on ITV or Channel 4 has had ad breaks and I've just about survived it. Anyway, surely the problem is that the TV is mandatory, regardless of whether you want to watch the BBC?

Meh, I can't get too worked up about it. Most of these people in debt got given credit when they could not afford it, the debt collection agencies usually buy the debt for pence and then add on their ridiculous fees. TV license is a load of old rubbish anyway, I know more and more people now that just refuse to pay it so it will be interesting to see the future of TV licensing.. I don't agree with people getting prescriptions for paracetamol either etc, it's dirt cheap in the supermarkets for their ow brands.

I used to belong to that group but couldn't stop myself posting so got blocked.

I got annoyed with people moaning about the tv licence. It's £12 a month. Lots of people spend more than that on shit coffee from Starbucks. I think it's worth every penny. The BBC have some really good programmes and you don't have to put up with all the terrible ads

I'm in favour of people being able to fuck off debt collection agencies and bailiffs, too. These organisations target and exploit the poor, on the whole, and let's not forget that most people's poverty is not actually their fault - it's to do with 'austerity', low pay and the housing bubble.

@mydogisthebest, thank you for saying that! I'm from Denmark, and the TV license is DOUBLE what is it in England. BBC produces some of the best TV in the world. I think England should be proud of that. I am happy to pay my TV license, I like knowing that I help fund it.

Really fucks me off as well OP. People are so ducking entitled. They think everything should be free for them. They never ever think up the chain at where the funding comes from or what other services can't be funded because of their feckless disregard.

The tv licence thing really incenses me. Creating content costs money. Someone somewhere has to pay for the camera equipment the crew the talent etc.

Just plain ignorant.

i dont mind peopl not paying certain things like private parking fines-but to purposly run up a debt knowing your never going to pay for it is wrong

i.e sky phone loans

Having sky tv isn't a human right, why should people get away with not paying their bills? People like this piss me off, by them not paying it causes the people who actually bother to pay be charged more!

although i know of someone lik this

runs up debt knowing they'll never pay it back thy dont pay tax either just declare bankruptcy when it gets too much

Banks get a blank cheque. Bottomless, eternal credit.

You are mad at the wrong people.

I can't get worked up about people depriving Sky of money - I think they've got more than enough tbh.

I think Asda have got more than enough money, so I'm entitled to walk out of their shops with a trolley full of goods without paying for them, am I?

Grow up. If you can't afford to pay your sky bill, you shouldn't have it.

And the tv license pays for the only non commercial tv company in the world I think? Or do you want advert breaks in Strictly, and sponsorship ads at each end of Newsnight?

I'm not bothered about adverts and I don't watch Strictly or Newsnight or any BBC or channel 4 shows. It should be subscription only then if you want to watch those programs you pay for the privilege.

A lot of people have debt because they were given credit they should never have had

No, people have debt because they applied for credit they couldn't afford.

You can't simultaneously argue for TV to be supported by advertising rather than a licence fee, and say anyone responding to adverts shouldn't be responsible for their actions.

I don't really see the problem. If there is the opportunity to not pay for something and no law is being broken, then presumably it is the fault of the Government/NHS/utilities for allowing these loopholes rather than the people using them? You can't blame people for using schemes that are legal and available to those fitting the criteria.

The rich have plenty of "legal" loopholes to avoid/reduce their taxes and plugging those loopholes would help the country a lot more than ordinary people claiming things they are legally entitled to. If the rich are allowed to do it, why shouldn't others. Why should there be one rule for some and one rule for everyone else?

There is no moral equivalence between legally minimising a tax bill (and I think you overstate the extent to which this is done) and deliberately reneging on a contract you have signed.