So Why Not The Bus Companies ?

[Canary42]

Osborne has ruled that the BBC Free Licence for over 75s should (although a Government ruling) be paid for by the BBC.

But I bet he wouldn't ever consider making the Bus Companies finance the free bus passes for over-75s. That would upset his rich shareholder cronies.

[douglas9401]

The bus companies aren't on radio 4 at 6.30 every night telling us what bell-ends Cameron, Osborne, Duncan-Smith et al are.

[Canary42]

Yes, that's what I thought - suppressing any opposition, first step on the way to totalitarianism.

[fiction-factory]

The bus services would probably feel the need to cancel a lot of off peak services in response whereas the BBC would probably just look to spend its money a bit more efficiently. But I agree that there may be an element here of 'revenge' against the BBC and the measure was also seen as a disguised tax

[gingejbee]

"the free bus passes for over-75s"....aren't they for those over 60?

[weecalf]

Don't understand that why would the BBC pay for free licences for over 75s ,just let those good people watch the television for nowt where does the money come into it .or is Geordie saying the Tory are not gonna give the Beeb anymore money on behalf of those folk over 75 to watching the telly

[Old_Geezer]

The bus companies run the busses anyway. It's whether they run emptier or take a few pensioners as they go. There's no major financial loss in that. Most concerns extra journeys that gets pensioners out of the house, that they wouldn't take otherwise.

TV licence is weird. I've not checked the details but question if it is really ring-fenced. Government simply agrees a budget for the BBC and then taxes broadcast receivers as much as they can, don't they ?

[EDDIE51]

Bus passes are funded by local councils not directly by government.
As with all other spending they are having to look at ways to reduce cost. So there is talk of cutting the subsidy to bus companies to provide services.
Very few bus routes even cover the cost of the service from the fares anyway so the bus companies can not fund the pas
Nearly all bus routes can only operate with large subsidies from the local council anyway so any cut in funding will just mean reducing or cancelling services.

[EDDIE51]

Until now the government has paid the BBC the cost of each 'free' TV licence that has been issued. That will now stop and the BBC will be short of £624 million or whatever the cost was.
The government never directly paid the cost of bus passes it has always been funded by local and county councils.

[EDDIE51]

You qualify for a bus pass at 62.5 years old , not 75!
It used to be 60 for women and 65 for men but that was ruled sexist so now it is halfway between the two at 62 1/2 years old.

[Svejk]

I suspect the BBC, with the connivance of the Labour Government, have been ripping the tax-payer off for years. ie. getting the fee for everyone over 75 in the country. In reality, how many 75+ year olds live alone. I cant be bothered to do the maths. (I doubt either of them could, if it's possible to work out, either.)

[EDDIE51]

Even over 75s have to actually 'buy' a licence , it is just that if you are over 75 the cost was £0. The BBC did not get fees for the over 75s who did not even apply for a license. For example a care home could have had 50 residents but it only needed 1 licence for all of them. It is one licence per address.

[mikey4444]

In Wales, we have bus passes at age 60. I think OG has it right. The buses are running anyway. Something I have noticed this last 2-3 weeks is that most people I see waiting at the bus stops are obviously over the age of 60.

As I understand it, the Welsh Government funds this, probably a good reason why Labour runs the show here on our side of the Severn Bridge ! If you people in England have to wait until over 62 before you get your passes, perhaps you should consider voting Labour as well !

[EDDIE51]

You only need 1 person over 75 in the house to get a free TV licence. If your grandparent comes to live with you , you can then get him/her to put their name down as the licence holder and get a free TV licence.

[Svejk]

^ Yes, I suspect, whether he lives with you or not.

[naomi24]

Mikey, //the Welsh Government funds this, probably a good reason why Labour runs the show here on our side of the Severn Bridge ! If you people in England have to wait until over 62 before you get your passes, perhaps you should consider voting Labour as well ! //

The Welsh vote Labour just to get a bus pass a little earlier? Well, that explains it. Sheesh!

[TWR]

Make the most of the Bus Pass Mickey, that will be one of the next things to go in England.

[Svejk]

Mikey wont be so smug when the WAG start collecting tax next year(or 2017)

[mikey4444]

Naomi...we have lots of advantages in Wales that we get from having a Labour administration...that is why we voted for an Assembly Government and that is why we continue to have Labour in power.

Its called democracy, and it was the Labour landslide victory in 1997 that made it possible. If we hadn't have had the opportunity to govern ourselves, we would still have Tory Governor Generals, in ostrich plumed hats, coming over the Severn Bridge, in ministerial Rovers, like this wonderful fellow ::::

https://www.google.co.uk/search?q=john+redwood&rls=com.microsoft:en-GB:%7Breferrer:source%3F%7D&rlz=1I7ADFA_en&source=lnms&tbm=isch&sa=X&ved=0CAkQ_AUoA2oVChMI44PcjZrpxgIVQbUUCh1ORwK-&;biw=1024&bih=726

[mikey4444]

TWR...then perhaps more of the English should have voted Labour, instead of Tory !

[TWR]

Yachi Da