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TV licence thread

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14 minutes ago, Robin-H said:

I think it’s ridiculous for people over 75 to get free food and free petrol. 

 

I also think it’s a ridiculous argument that elderly people should get a free tv licence just because they may have paid for it for 50 years. 

 

If that’s argument, why should they pay council tax? 

 

That's great that we both agree that the over 75's  shouldn't get free food and free petrol.

 

The difference between a TV licence and council tax is that  everyone pays a different amount of council tax over 50 years.  Also a TV  licence costs only £154.50 a year and every household will be paying over £1000 a year council tax.  I pay over £2000 a year council tax.  The TV licence is really a small amount of money that is given to the over 75's  as a perk but council taxes are really large amounts of money paid to different authorities in different areas of the UK.   However to a poor pensioner £154.50  is quite a large amount of money.

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12 minutes ago, Lockdoctor said:

That's great that we both agree that the over 75's  shouldn't get free food and free petrol.

 

The difference between a TV licence and council tax is that  everyone pays a different amount of council tax over 50 years.  Also a TV  licence costs only £154.50 a year and every household will be paying over £1000 a year council tax.  I pay over £2000 a year council tax.  The TV licence is really a small amount of money that is given to the over 75's  as a perk but council taxes are really large amounts of money paid to different authorities in different areas of the UK.   However to a poor pensioner £154.50  is quite a large amount of money.

Poor pensioners should be on pension credit. They’ll get the licence for free. 

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3 minutes ago, Lockdoctor said:

That's great that we both agree that the over 75's  shouldn't get free food and free petrol.

 

The difference between a TV licence and council tax is that  everyone pays a different amount of council tax over 50 years.  Also a TV  licence costs only £154.50 a year and every household will be paying over £1000 a year council tax.  I pay over £2000 a year council tax.  The TV licence is really a small amount of money that is given to the over 75's  as a perk but council taxes are really large amounts of money paid to different authorities in different areas of the UK.   However to a poor pensioner £154.50  is quite a large amount of money.

You are not answering WHY they should get this perk over millions of other people who are receiving just as little income and dont have the cop out excuse of "being old"

 

A genuinely poor pensioner getting pension credit gets the free licence.   However, the others could be earning a state pension of anywhere between £129 - £160 + a week even more income on top if they have a private pension too. 

 

That equates to between at least an annual income of  £6700 - £8700 a year with the annual TV licence cost being merely 2-2.5% of that. 

 

Pensioners seem to afford it during the first 10-15 years of their retirement.   What is so different at 75+

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45 minutes ago, Robin-H said:

Poor pensioners should be on pension credit. They’ll get the licence for free. 

I don't think you appreciate how proud the pension generation is especially those who are over 75.   These proud people don't claim pension credits or seek to claim benefits they might be entitled to

 

41 minutes ago, ECCOnoob said:

You are not answering WHY they should get this perk over millions of other people who are receiving just as little income and dont have the cop out excuse of "being old"

 

A genuinely poor pensioner getting pension credit gets the free licence.   However, the others could be earning a state pension of anywhere between £129 - £160 + a week even more income on top if they have a private pension too. 

 

That equates to between at least an annual income of  £6700 - £8700 a year with the annual TV licence cost being merely 2-2.5% of that. 

 

Pensioners seem to afford it during the first 10-15 years of their retirement.   What is so different at 75+

I think all pensioners should get this perk because I am not mean spirited unlike those who wish to take the perk away from pensioners who are over 75.

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12 minutes ago, Lockdoctor said:

I don't think you appreciate how proud the pension generation is especially those who are over 75.   These proud people don't claim pension credits or seek to claim benefits they might be entitled to

 

I think all pensioners should get this perk because I am not mean spirited unlike those who wish to take the perk away from pensioners who are over 75.

So they’re happy to pay thousands of pounds in council tax unnecessarily, but paying an extra £150 in the tv licence will push them into penury?  Strange.. 

16 minutes ago, Lockdoctor said:

I don't think you appreciate how proud the pension generation is especially those who are over 75.   These proud people don't claim pension credits or seek to claim benefits they might be entitled to

 

I think all pensioners should get this perk because I am not mean spirited unlike those who wish to take the perk away from pensioners who are over 75.

It’s not a case of being mean spirited. It’s the case of what is affordable. 

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2 minutes ago, Robin-H said:

So they’re happy to pay thousands of pounds in council tax unnecessarily, but paying an extra £150 in the tv licence will push them into penury?  Strange.. 

What is strange is that you can't comprehend the point I am making.  I haven't suggested  that paying the £154.50 will push a pensioner over 75 into penury.  Proud poorer pensioners  use their limited income to budget for big expenses such as council tax.  What you don't seem to understand is a proud poor pensioner will do without something else instead to pay the £154.50 TV licence.  A proud pensioner might decide not to put the central heating on for as many days in the year in order to fund the TV licence fee.

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1 minute ago, Lockdoctor said:

What is strange is that you can't comprehend the point I am making.  I haven't suggested  that paying the £154.50 will push a pensioner over 75 into penury.  Proud poorer pensioners  use their limited income to budget for big expenses such as council tax.  What you don't seem to understand is a proud poor pensioner will do without something else instead to pay the £154.50 TV licence.  A proud pensioner might decide not to put the central heating on for as many days in the year in order to fund the TV licence fee.

Well that’s up to them. I don’t see why that’s the BBC’s problem. I tend to think pensioners have a bit more sense.. 

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18 minutes ago, Lockdoctor said:

What is strange is that you can't comprehend the point I am making.  I haven't suggested  that paying the £154.50 will push a pensioner over 75 into penury.  Proud poorer pensioners  use their limited income to budget for big expenses such as council tax.  What you don't seem to understand is a proud poor pensioner will do without something else instead to pay the £154.50 TV licence.  A proud pensioner might decide not to put the central heating on for as many days in the year in order to fund the TV licence fee.

So you're argument is that some people over 75 are so proud that they'll pay for things they shouldn't?  And so we should let all of them off, including the ones perfectly able to pay for it?

That's nonsense.

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15 minutes ago, Cyclone said:

So you're argument is that some people over 75 are so proud that they'll pay for things they shouldn't?  And so we should let all of them off, including the ones perfectly able to pay for it?

That's nonsense.

Absolutely. Complete nonsense. 

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11 hours ago, Robin-H said:

Poor pensioners should be on pension credit. They’ll get the licence for free. 

Many poor pensioners are unaware of Pension Credit, or don't know how to apply. Many poor pensioners will be unaware of, or unable to pass, the BBC TV Licensing verification checks that will be essential to acquiring a free BBC TV licence. 

 

Do you understand that the mental capabilities of somebody over 75 years old may not be at the same level as somebody who is 35 years old?

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17 hours ago, Magilla said:

That would be Brexit in a nutshell... you've been pretty quiet on that NHS dividend, side of the bus guff potentially funding a tax cut for the rich.. can't think why! :suspect:

 

Welcome to Brexit Britain! 

I guess Brexit is the default excuse for everything these days, especially to a certain affluent middle class type of person. I'm really surprised you haven't blamed the scrapping of free TV licences for the over 75s on the weather! Anything but where the responsibility truly lies - the greedy, out of touch BBC.

 

Director General Lord Hall and the BBC decided to take on responsibility for the cost of free licences in exchange for  licence fee increases being linked to the rate of inflation. Lord Hall and the BBC knew perfectly well what they were agreeing to. Lord Hall wanted to ensure the continuation of the licence fee as he is fully aware that the BBC can only survive if people are forced to pay for it by law, and he wanted increases linked to inflation.

 

Quite honestly its far too late to start moaning about it now. This deal was struck years ago. Its the BBC's problem. They brought it on themselves due to their greed.

 

The BBC owns this. The BBC alone.

Edited by Car Boot

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I'm not far off the age that previously meant a free TV licence.  Its £3 a week, and it won't break the bank to continue paying for it.  We are by no means well off pensioners, but we don't qualify for Pension Credit.    However, there are pensioners, often single, whose income is only marginally more than they'd get on PC.   People who have tried to provide for themselves, sometimes from quite low incomes, can feel hard done to because if they hadn't saved, the state would be giving them far more.   

 

I was pleased when the basic state pension was raised by around £40 a week  in 2016 to what was the maximum Pension Credit level, meaning anyone retiring after that date with even a small extra pension will be better off.  It removes the need for means testing. It probably also means that no-one retiring after 2016 will ever qualify for a free TV licence. 😳

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