Would you do this? (Ben Fogle's TV license donation)

[ScrewBalls99]

www.bbc.co.uk/news/entertainment-arts-48607896

Would you do this?

Donate towards over 75's free TV licenses?

No. My parents will lose their free TV license. They are wealthier than me and DH, and we're not doing too badly at all.

It's right that pensioners on low incomes should not have to pay, but no reason why wealthier pensioners can't.

There are many people of all ages in this country who are really struggling financially. Personally, I'd rather donate my money to help those people - regardless of age - than to help wealthy pensioners who don't actually need my support.

I'm talking about collectively. Previous generations should have put more into the NHS for their old age. They didn't so we are now paying for it whilst having to fund our own future in the NHS.

It is what is but I don't take kindly to all this "they all paid taxes". We all did and do. Most will pay more than previous generations. Universal benefits aren't an automatic right if the country can't afford it and other groups lose theirs.

I completely agree that wealthier pensioners don’t need it but those tend to be under 75. I just wish they’d carried on allowing those already receiving a free license to continue and applied the new rules to future entitlement.

I don't think NHS costs are particularly relevant here, but what statistics could we select to show that the elderly as a cohort aren't the biggest and most expensive users of healthcare? Sure, they're not exactly prolific users of eg paediatrics, but then they're the exclusive users of geriatric care and nobody would suggest that means no other group ever costs anything.

You do know how the NHS works? It’s not a piggy bank. Today’s tax payers pay for today’s NHS. My taxes pay for a lot of stuff I don’t think the NHS should be doing at all but I have no say in it. Begrudging old people healthcare is the epitome of mean spiritedness.

No I think it should be immediately.

I didn't notice any pensioners bemoaning the axing of CB as a universal benefit even though they enjoyed it throughout their children's lives.

Just being realistic,services are on their knees. TV licenses are way down on the priority list.

CB was fuck all when mine were small. £2 a week and nothing for the first child. I find it hard to unearth much sympathy for people earning £50k.

I find it hard to find sympathy for any pensioner without dependants with incomes that are more than many earn.

That generation enjoyed CB on salaries over £40k so we'll have that back please if we've got money to fritter on tv licenses.

Out of interest what year was that alsohuman?

We didn’t “enjoy” much on £2 a week and nothing if you only had one child. And £40k a year was a dream.

My son was born in 1975 @RussianSpamBot. We didn’t get any CB at all until he was four. I seem to remember we were existing on about £50 a week at the time.

My dad in his 70s earns over that in a pretty middle manager job. He earnt far more than we do with a cheaper house too. Had a better standard of living and could support a sahp. Enjoyed CB the entire time and a lovely salary. He saw the unfairness.We both work full time for less.

@Alsohuman. My mum told me this too. I was born in 1973 DB in 1975

£50 was worth far more then and prices were lower.

£50 a week was below average salary. You’re really struggling now and this isn’t about child benefit anyway.

"No fecking way. Why should the poor pay rich pensioners to have free stuff"

How DARE you use poorer ppl as a stick to beat pensioners with @Walkingdeadfangirl when you have posted many statements on here berating them (poorer ppl)

You have proved beyond all doubt what sort of person you are. You dont want ANYONE to get anything that you dont. Your posting history in context with the statement you made above shows that rather starkly.

Do not use poorer ppl as a handy stick when you have already shown that you hate them.

I expect I'll end up paying for my Mum's licence as she is 75+, but her income is under the tax threshold.

No one has crawled out of the woodwork to challenge austerity caused by Universal Credit etc. So anyone being righteous now is just embarrassing tokenism

Really? Ive seen a few of the people i follow on Twitter doing this Actor Samuel West for one. But of course ppl like this arent reality stars so some on here wouldnt know that.

And when actors like Samuel West or directors like Ken Roach do it they get called luvvies and champagne socialists.

WTF was I Daniel Blake then? Scotch mist?

Sorry i meant Ken Loach.

NO NO NO Ben Fogle can go and take a run and jump

@HelenaDove
And yet you didn't explain why poorer people should pay for wealthy pensioners to have a free license? Pure snobbery.

There are plenty of younger people far better off than previous generations - just a glance on mumsnet can tell you that / lots of posters discussing their cleaners, problems parking their cars, au pairs, foreign holidays and house purchases. All things alien to my parents and anybody I knew growing up.
All anecdotal but ridiculous to say all old people are rich and all young people are worse off.

Don't think I'm struggling it's being means tested for a reason. There was a consultation on it. This was the popular option.

How many people over 75 do you think took part in that online consultation?