To think free bus passes for the old should be abolished?

[Bumpitybumper]

Statistics show that on average wealth peaks at age 65-74 in the UK, why then do we give these people free bus passes? It makes absolutely no sense at all and is just an unnecessary expense. The idea that 'young' pensioners are a relatively poor group of people is completely incorrect and it only serves to enhance the already massive intergenerational wealth gap between baby boomers and everyone else.

Because it's much more expensive to means test a benefit that to give the same benefit to everyone. This is getting tedious. Can't have my pension till 66, can't have WFA, now you want my bus pass. Thanks for that.
I know there are perfectly good reasons for all of the above but even so, it feels like an attack sometimes.
Also, if you live in London, you get a freedom pass which the rest of us do not so how are you going to even it all out?
Range Rover PIL probably doesn't use his bas pass so apart from a tiny amount of admin, it won't cost anyone anything.
'Wealthiest group of people' is a terrible generalisation. Please stop.

You live in Fairyland. Have you been reading the Telegraph? What on earth makes you think everyone over 66 has a massive house!?

Surely they keep profitable routes, the bus companies are businesses if commuter time buses were profitable they'd keep them. Might be a case for easing up time restrictions for pensioners as they'd help to keep the earlier buses running.

Do you really think it’s reasonable to give a group of people with still 6 and almost 7 years of work left free travel at the expense of lower income workers paying for their commute?

With respect to means testing being more expensive than just giving it to everyone, I read a report a few years ago that calculated the real cost of student loans to the government which concluded that it would be less costly in the long run to go back to free education for UK citizens (now we are out of the EU we wouldn't have to extend that to EU students) and scrap student loans. A very large percentage are never repaid.

Same really with making pensioners fill out tax returns because their measly pension goes slightly over £12570 - all that admin for nothing. Just raise the bloody tax free limit 🙄 it's scandalous that low earners should be paying income tax anyway untilmthey earn at least the minimum wage and then have to claim it back in tax credits.

Or owns a house at all?

Indeed. It seems the OP is one of those people who are happy to shoot themselves in the foot because they can't imagine being old.

Yep My parents are in a council house, and will be paying rent until they die. They have already paid way more than they would have if they had bought it.

Well, I don’t, certainly.

Just remember, every single person gets old. Every single person. So those people move around London and spend money. They go to events, they eat out, seniors are worth a lot of money to businesses.

Literally none of that is an argument for people getting free travel for 7 years before statutory retirement.
It’s not remotely relevant that everyone gets old, or that they spend money - so does every demographic? As it stands no one can make a single argument as to why an adult with 7 years left in the workforce should have free travel when those on minimum wage or less pay full price to commute to work and therefore earn even less. There is no justification.

I didn’t make the policy. If you think the silver pound has no effect on the economy, you’d be wrong. Older people spend a lot of money on services, from hairdressers to cafes and leisure centres and sport.
I would imagine the pass at 60 was brought in to match the then pension age but might be wrong. Perhaps they’ll change it to kick in later.
I asked the almighty Google:

The Freedom Pass in London starts at age 60 because it was originally designed to coincide with the state pension age for women, which was historically set at 60, and the scheme has been adjusted over time to align with changes in the state pension age, meaning eligibility now generally matches the current state pension age for both men and women; currently at 66 years old.

Then I suggest the young who could work, but won’t, get a bloody job and start paying tax. I’ve paid tax for decades now and yet the one benefit I might get you want to remove.

Before you say the poor darlings can’t because they all appear to have anxiety, you know what, tough, doesn’t mean they can sit on their arses and not work.

Trust me I see who applies for pip. It’s laughable in lots of cases. There are thousands of young people who have never paid a penny into the system but boy do they take take and take.

Some on full benefits are better off with more disposable income than someone working full time on minimum wage but that seems to be fine by this forum. It’s disgusting, and then on this thread we are being told to downsize! We bought a one bedroom bungalow, exactly how much smaller should we go? Not getting pension yet but am busy saving for retirement.

May the youngsters on this forum reap what they sow. Believe me, retirement years come around sooner than you think.

PIP is not an out of work benefit. So your lack of understanding about that is telling, and you are just benefit bashing.

I am on benefits, and I get less than a pensioner. I also don't have a bus pass. If I got a job, it would be minimum wage, and I would still be on UC, ironically probably more than I get now. On UC, you get more if you work.

Unless you are on above £40k, you are taking more than you are putting in.

Not everyone needs to earn 40k to be a net contributor. It depends on what you are taking.

As far as I know, it's only in London that people get free travel at 60. Everywhere else it's buses only. You get it at 60 in Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland but in England you have to wait till retirement age.

It’s called a travel pass in Wales and can be use on Transport for Wales trains.

I agree with this , I think it's simply wrong that some of my colleagues earning £100 k plus are getting free passes below state retirement age. I am in my 50s so would "benefit" in a few years but it's just wrong. They are quite smug about it to be honest.

In England you are only entitled to a free bus pass once you reach retirement age and then only if you apply for it. The exception to that is London where you get free travel from age 60.

Of course I can imagine being old! Do you honestly believe that I think I'm immune to aging?

I think fundamentally your belief is that I am only against 65-74 year olds getting free bus passes because I'm not that age yet so it doesn't impact me. That is completely wrong! I think it's a terrible policy and that is a poor use of public money. That's why I'm opposed to it! I also don't think Child Benefit should be a universal benefit even though that would directly enrich me. I don't think that's a good use of public money either. In fact I am not in favour of many universal benefits and I say that as someone that never qualifies for any means tested benefits.

Believe it or not, lots of have people have opinions on public spending that aren't directly linked to their specific interests.

I'm afraid l still cannot understand why you picked on bus passes of all things. Out of all the items the government spends money on, this is probably one of the least expensive areas. I could think of plenty of other things that could and should be means tested. Free nursery places for all three year olds. I know that they are a lifeline for many parents, but there are plenty of other parents who could easily pay. The same with free school meals and free fruit for the whole of key stage one. All of these must cost vastly more than the bus passes, but I would not be petty enough to suggest that they should be axed. Sorry, @Bumpitybumper, you have not shown yourself in a good light throughout this thread.

Of course I can imagine being old
of course you can’t and the fact that you aren’t willing to consider how your age might influence your perceptions of this policy makes your opinion all the less credible.

Concessionary travels costs £700 million in England alone. It's not quite the small fry you imply it is

I actually agree with you regarding universal free school meals for KS1 and free fruit. I suppose that makes me ageist against young children... Sorry, I forgot that's not that a thing and the only thing that makes you ageist is daring to suggest that a universal benefit could be taken from older people.

I have considered it, I just don't agree with you. Not all old people think universally free bus passes for the 65-74 year olds are a good idea. Unless you think all people of this age group are some homogeneous mass that all think the same thing? Now that would be ageist ..

No matter how you butter it, your post is ageist