Are Pensioners a Generation of 'Silver Spongers'? | Good Morning Britain

The government are due to finish a consultation today on the future of funding free TV licenses for the over 75s. Figures from the Institute for Fiscal Studies show that over 75s have average incomes above working families so Nina Myskow and Andy West debate whether or not the older generation are entitled to discounts.

1) there shouldnt be a licence fee in the first place
and
2)if there is to be a discount then it should be income based

+1

TVs are a luxury, so there shouldn't be a discount based on income. If you can afford a TV, you can afford a licence. Dunno about the over 75s - a lot of them are probably perfectly able to afford a licence.

What if you bought your tv before you retired, or inherited it, then your income drops, you've still got the tv but find the fee too much?
I don't think its a luxury when that's all you have and maybe can't get about much, for many people its their only contact and friend.

yes miss prissy, of course you forget that someone on low income may be given a TV by say family, or buy one second hand (you can get a serviceable flat screen for 20 quid if you know where to look ) and the licence fee is extortionate. of course we all know as far as YOU are concerened anyone on a low income should live in a cardboard box under the arches and starve.....of course what they should NOT have is the latest all singing all dancing job, bought on extortionate credit of 999%

My daughter for instance is on a low income as a nursery nurse, which givenm the fact that her work enablesd others to work AND the huge responsibility of doing so is crazy, she couldnt afford a PC for my grandkids and the eldest NEEDS one for his school work...she got one.....because I gave her the one I was using and bought myself a lightening fast gaming computer... (and I only paid 1/4 of what its price would have been....since I built it from scratch.

Nobody needs a TV - I rarely watch TV myself.

ah thats it then....YOU dont, so none else needs to

Lord Foul wrote:ah thats it then....YOU dont, so none else needs to

Why do they need to watch TV? It's not a necessity is it?

Perhaps disabled people who can't leave the house could have a discount, but anyone else should pay.

that principle could be applied to a lot of things, INCLUDING things you do.

the answer of course is to dump the licence fee altogether....then sanctimonious folks wouldnt have a beef.

Lord Foul wrote:that principle could be applied to a lot of things, INCLUDING things you do.

the answer of course is to dump the licence fee altogether....then sanctimonious folks wouldnt have a beef.

Do stop whinging. If someone really needs a TV then they have to budget for it, like people have to budget if they want a car. You way you go on, anyone would think that I'm rich and can have anything I like.

Raggamuffin wrote:

Lord Foul wrote:that principle could be applied to a lot of things, INCLUDING things you do.

the answer of course is to dump the licence fee altogether....then sanctimonious folks wouldnt have a beef.

Do stop whinging. If someone really needs a TV then they have to budget for it, like people have to budget if they want a car. You way you go on, anyone would think that I'm rich and can have anything I like.

Nope they would think you are bitter and twisted, self righteous and sanctimonious.

Lord Foul wrote:

Raggamuffin wrote:

Do stop whinging. If someone really needs a TV then they have to budget for it, like people have to budget if they want a car. You way you go on, anyone would think that I'm rich and can have anything I like.

Nope they would think you are bitter and twisted, self righteous and sanctimonious.

Because I think that people should budget?

You're about as logical as Didge.

Does anybody really pay the license? Seems like it's impossible to enforce.

it is quite easy to enforce....apparently

Maybe pensioners of a low income should just get on and die out of the way, they wouldn't need entertainment then. Because you don't watch tv doesn't mean others should do without, you choose not to watch as I said many people have a tv as the only way of 'seeing' other people. It's sad in this day and age that people can't afford entertainment or have to choose between eating and heating when they have worked all their lives in jobs that they probably didn't enjoy. They way things advance things that you think are luxuries become things you need to live a reasonable life, a tv being one of them, pubs are shutting, there's rarely a café or corner shop for many, social centres for all kinds of people are shutting.
My mother knew how to budget at least to keep a roof over her head, just about adequate heating and food, her family saw to it that she had more, without anyone to help and only her pension I doubt she like many others would have both heat light and food let alone a bit of company and entertainment when we couldn't be there, however brilliant she was at budgeting. Like it or not computers are becoming a requirement now yet many can't afford them or the internet and children can be at a disadvantage in school, we initially bought one because our daughter was expected to send in homework, the nearest library with computers and internet access was nowhere near us at the time , that's now closed, all this is without mentioning the lack of public transport to go and do anything else. We could have budgetted ourselves to death but would never be able to afford a car when I was growing up, many people are the same today.

Vintage wrote:Maybe pensioners of a low income should just get on and die out of the way, they wouldn't need entertainment then. Because you don't watch tv doesn't mean others should do without, you choose not to watch as I said many people have a tv as the only way of 'seeing' other people. It's sad in this day and age that people can't afford entertainment or have to choose between eating and heating when they have worked all their lives in jobs that they probably didn't enjoy. They way things advance things that you think are luxuries become things you need to live a reasonable life, a tv being one of them, pubs are shutting, there's rarely a café or corner shop for many, social centres for all kinds of people are shutting.
My mother knew how to budget at least to keep a roof over her head,  just about adequate heating and food, her family saw to it that she had more, without anyone to help and only her pension I doubt she like many others would have both heat light and food let alone a bit of company and entertainment when we couldn't be there, however brilliant she was at budgeting.  Like it or not computers are becoming a requirement now yet many can't afford them or the internet and children can be at a disadvantage in school, we initially bought one because our daughter was expected to send in homework, the nearest library with computers and internet access was nowhere near us at the time , that's now closed, all this is without mentioning the lack of public transport to go and do anything else. We could have budgetted ourselves to death but would never be able to afford a car when I was growing up, many people are the same today.

Interesting post

+1

The problem with people over 75 being given a free TV licence is that would apply to over 75's who can well afford to pay as well as elderly pensioners who struggle financially.
Same with the winter fuel payment....even elderly millionaires get the £200.
Pity some of these benifits cant be income related.

To even things up I also think child benefits should be
fairer  income related too.

Syl wrote:The problem with people over 75 being given a free TV licence is that would apply to over 75's who can well afford to pay as well as elderly pensioners who struggle financially.
Same with the  winter fuel  payment....even elderly millionaires get the £200.
Pity some of these benifits cant be income related.

To even things up I also think child benefits should be
fairer  income related too.

I agree with all the above.

Vintage wrote:

Syl wrote:The problem with people over 75 being given a free TV licence is that would apply to over 75's who can well afford to pay as well as elderly pensioners who struggle financially.
Same with the  winter fuel  payment....even elderly millionaires get the £200.
Pity some of these benifits cant be income related.

To even things up I also think child benefits should be
fairer  income related too.

I agree with all the above.

Thanks x
I used to work in a little country pub close to a very elite golf course. Lots of elderly retired men used to pop in for lunch, they openly bragged that their state pension was a little perk that they used to to keep their wine cellars well  stocked.
Compare that to OAP's who live off their state pension to feed, clothe and pay their bills with. Many are a £1 or two over the limit that would entitle them to reguar benefits.

Obviously one group have no need for extra perks like winter fuel and TV licence allowances.
Maybe one way of deciding who is in need and who isn't would be to concentrate on OAP's who pay tax on annual  income, and cap the higher tax payers from recieving extra benifits?

Apparently means testing isn't fair to anyone and wouldn't save any more money for the needy.
There should be a cut off point that is at a reasonable liveable level.
I know people who are only on state pension and they are struggling to budget for what they need let alone luxuries and they have worked from leaving school to retirement, yet across the road from at least one is a middle aged couple who are claiming mobility, have a large four wheel drive and work unofficially of course at the husband's brother's firm, they get far more than the person I know that's has worked and paid tax.
Now I have to say I have a problem with people claiming this who are
as well as any most of us claiming this benefit but I also have a problem with the well off being able to have money to get a car when plainly they can afford it themselves. One man who ran a business near us had a rolls Royce, you can have any car you want providing you pay the difference, its bristling with £40,000 four wheel drive cars around here, people who work struggle with the smaller cheaper cars. Pensioners don't get help for funeral expenses yet if you are on mobility you get almost all the expenses paid, What happened to no one should have more than someone working mantra. Obviously some people with certain illnesses will need extra equipment etc.

Does any other country still have one of these archaic hill shephe "television licences"  ???

Oz gov't abolished ours some 50+ years ago..

If you have a Disability [as I do] you can claim PIP, personal independence pension. The full rate is £235 a month. You can if you wish use this money to pay for a car , after 3 years the agreement ends and the car must be handed back.You can of cause start another agreement with a new car as long as the Disability you have remains the same . Some small cheap cars do not require a deposit . The more expensive a car is, the more deposit you pay. If you work it out, a car with no deposit will cost you Around £3000 a year, £9000 over the rental time plus Petrol costs. I don't have a Mobility car , I take the money instead and use some of it to run and insure my Range Rover and cover repairs .

If you have a Disability [as I do] you can claim PIP, personal independence pension. The full rate is £235 a month. You can if you wish use this money to pay for a car , after 3 years the agreement ends and the car must be handed back.You can of cause start another agreement with a new car as long as the Disability you have remains the same . Some small cheap cars do not require a deposit . The more expensive a car is, the more deposit you pay. If you work it out, a car with no deposit will cost you Around £3000 a year, £9000 over the rental time plus Petrol costs. I don't have a Mobility car , I take the money instead and use some of it to run and insure my Range Rover and cover repairs .

I think some people just know how to work the system, they know that if they are claiming certain benefits others open up for them, and it's immoral and greedy to claim for what they are not entitled to.

That applies to people of all ages, not just pensioners.

and just to open another can of worms....

Child benefit should be restricted to those who keep their kids under control...your kid misbehaves (badly and consistently, at school or does something sufficiently criminal ).... you loose ALL child benefit.not only for the one kid but all you are claiming for.....

Child Benefit should not be paid after the 2nd Child, starting from a certain date so as to not penalise those that have more !

Lord Foul wrote:and just to open another can of worms....

Child benefit should be restricted to those who keep their kids under control...your kid misbehaves (badly and consistently,  at school or does something sufficiently criminal ).... you loose ALL child benefit.not only for the one kid but all you are claiming for.....

More worms.... imo child benefit should be restricted to 2 children.
Having kids shouldn't be a career choice, if you want a squad of them make sure you can pay for them.

bloody ell...MORE worms...I'll be able to go fishing soon

nicko wrote:Child Benefit should not be paid after the 2nd Child, starting from a certain date so as to not penalise those that have more !

Snap Nicko. /\

When I had my son in 1975 there was no child benefit for the first child. I think it came in about 3 years later.

I have a Grandaughter who has 6 Children, 3 of them are on PIP and so is their  Mother.    Her Husband does not work because if he did , he'd have to pay the mother of his child from a previous marriage ! Her Father, a Para' is disgusted with her , how the hell do they get away with it ?

nicko wrote:I have a Grandaughter who has 6 Children, 3 of them are on PIP and so is their  Mother.    Her Husband does not work because if he did , he'd have to pay the mother of his child from a previous marriage ! Her Father, a Para' is disgusted with her , how the hell do they get away with it ?

I have no idea Nicko, other than they are well versed in how to play the system.

Lord Foul wrote:and just to open another can of worms....

Child benefit should be restricted to those who keep their kids under control...your kid misbehaves (badly and consistently,  at school or does something sufficiently criminal ).... you loose ALL child benefit.not only for the one kid but all you are claiming for.....

Careful now, you're beginning to sound bitter and twisted, self righteous, and sanctimonious.

Vintage wrote:Maybe pensioners of a low income should just get on and die out of the way, they wouldn't need entertainment then. Because you don't watch tv doesn't mean others should do without, you choose not to watch as I said many people have a tv as the only way of 'seeing' other people. It's sad in this day and age that people can't afford entertainment or have to choose between eating and heating when they have worked all their lives in jobs that they probably didn't enjoy. They way things advance things that you think are luxuries become things you need to live a reasonable life, a tv being one of them, pubs are shutting, there's rarely a café or corner shop for many, social centres for all kinds of people are shutting.
My mother knew how to budget at least to keep a roof over her head,  just about adequate heating and food, her family saw to it that she had more, without anyone to help and only her pension I doubt she like many others would have both heat light and food let alone a bit of company and entertainment when we couldn't be there, however brilliant she was at budgeting.  Like it or not computers are becoming a requirement now yet many can't afford them or the internet and children can be at a disadvantage in school, we initially bought one because our daughter was expected to send in homework, the nearest library with computers and internet access was nowhere near us at the time , that's now closed, all this is without mentioning the lack of public transport to go and do anything else. We could have budgetted ourselves to death but would never be able to afford a car when I was growing up, many people are the same today.

Watching TV is a choice, as you said. If you want to watch it, pay the licence fee. TV isn't a social service.

Raggamuffin wrote:

Lord Foul wrote:and just to open another can of worms....

Child benefit should be restricted to those who keep their kids under control...your kid misbehaves (badly and consistently,  at school or does something sufficiently criminal ).... you loose ALL child benefit.not only for the one kid but all you are claiming for.....

Careful now, you're beginning to sound bitter and twisted, self righteous, and sanctimonious.

thicko

Nicko compared to what many get around here you are being short changed at £235.
So Raggs if a tv licence breaks your budget as a pensioner, what do you suggest they do, sit in the dark perhaps to save energy on long winter nights, maybe twiddling their thumbs to keep warm - oh I know they can get a computer and internet and join a forum aye?

Vintage wrote:Nicko compared to what many get around here you are being short changed at £235.
So Raggs  if a tv licence breaks your budget as a pensioner, what do you suggest they do, sit in the dark perhaps to save energy on long winter nights, maybe twiddling their thumbs to keep warm - oh I know they can get a computer and internet and join a forum aye?

I agree with you. if a pensioner who reaches 75 and needs financial help they should get it, including a free TV licence.
The empathy seems to have gone out of our society, old people are treated badly enough as it is without depriving them of maybe the only entertainment they have.

People seem to forget that the pensioners now have paid for the education and health care of the current batch of workers when they were growing up until they began work and started to contribute themselves.

I certainly wouldn't see my parents without a tv if that was their entertainment and they couldn't afford it, I doubt many would, so why be so mean to those in the similar circumstances just because you aren't related to them.

Vintage wrote:Nicko compared to what many get around here you are being short changed at £235.
So Raggs  if a tv licence breaks your budget as a pensioner, what do you suggest they do, sit in the dark perhaps to save energy on long winter nights, maybe twiddling their thumbs to keep warm - oh I know they can get a computer and internet and join a forum aye?

What does anyone else do?

We already established that pensioners aren't necessarily poorer than anyone else. Do you think that young people on benefits should have their TV paid for too?

Lord Foul wrote:

Raggamuffin wrote:

Careful now, you're beginning to sound bitter and twisted, self righteous, and sanctimonious.

thicko

I don't think so, Mr Buffoon.

Syl wrote:

Vintage wrote:Nicko compared to what many get around here you are being short changed at £235.
So Raggs  if a tv licence breaks your budget as a pensioner, what do you suggest they do, sit in the dark perhaps to save energy on long winter nights, maybe twiddling their thumbs to keep warm - oh I know they can get a computer and internet and join a forum aye?

I agree with you. if a pensioner who reaches 75 and needs financial help they should get it, including a free TV licence.
The empathy seems to have gone out of our society, old people are treated badly enough as it is without depriving them of maybe the only entertainment they have.

Says the person who thinks anyone over pension age should be kicked out of their jobs.

Raggamuffin wrote:

Vintage wrote:Nicko compared to what many get around here you are being short changed at £235.
So Raggs  if a tv licence breaks your budget as a pensioner, what do you suggest they do, sit in the dark perhaps to save energy on long winter nights, maybe twiddling their thumbs to keep warm - oh I know they can get a computer and internet and join a forum aye?

What does anyone else do?

We already established that pensioners aren't necessarily poorer than anyone else. Do you think that young people on benefits should have their TV paid for too?

I'm sorry I can't agree that all pensioners aren't necessarily poorer than anyone else. Basic is £125:95 take £90:00 to £100:00 out of that for rent that leaves you with little to feed yourself,for lighting and heating. I know people who barely make it to the next payment and have little food in the house at any time, one woman I read about lived off cheese and bread in the winter because she couldn't afford to heat and eat. Many working poor are in the same position which I think is a disgrace in our country.
If someone needs £230:00  basic to take care of themselves because they are too ill to work, many around here get a lot more, the same should go to pensioners without works or private pensions, they are more or less in the same boat.
As for young people it would depend on their circumstances, although I don't believe there should be a fee at all, maybe the BBC should stop paying such huge salaries to their stars.

Raggamuffin wrote:

Syl wrote:

I agree with you. if a pensioner who reaches 75 and needs financial help they should get it, including a free TV licence.
The empathy seems to have gone out of our society, old people are treated badly enough as it is without depriving them of maybe the only entertainment they have.

Says the person who thinks anyone over pension age should be kicked out of their jobs.

I would prefer the basic state pension was high enough to live in comfort so pensioners didn't have to carry on working in order to make ends meet.
I certainly wouldn't begrudge the less well off from being given a free TV licence.

WhoseYourWolfie wrote:

Does any other country still have one of these archaic hill shephe "television licences"  ???

Oz gov't abolished ours some 50+ years ago..

they don't even make sense

why isn't everyone just using netflix?  

they are stupid in the 21st century and should be abolished.

Besides BBC makes good shows there is no way it couldn't be made profitable enough to be self sustaining

Syl wrote:

Raggamuffin wrote:

Says the person who thinks anyone over pension age should be kicked out of their jobs.

I would prefer the basic state pension was high enough to live in comfort so pensioners didn't have to carry on working in order to make ends meet.
I certainly wouldn't begrudge the less well off from being given a free TV licence.

Higher pension payments? Means more taxes.

veya_victaous wrote:

WhoseYourWolfie wrote:

Does any other country still have one of these archaic hill shephe "television licences"  ???

Oz gov't abolished ours some 50+ years ago..

they don't even make sense

why isn't everyone just using netflix?  

they are stupid in the 21st century and should be abolished.

Besides BBC makes good shows there is no way it couldn't be made profitable enough to be self sustaining

It's got nothing to do with what you watch. It's about owning a TV or having one in your house. If you do, you pay a licence for it. Even if all you do is watch DVD's on it.

HoratioTarr wrote:

Syl wrote:


I would prefer the basic state pension was high enough to live in comfort so pensioners didn't have to carry on working in order to make ends meet.
I certainly wouldn't begrudge the less well off from being given a free TV licence.

Higher pension payments?   Means more taxes.  

Means test certain benefits, do the rich really need child benefits, do all pensioners need free prescriptions, winter fuel allowances etc etc..take off the rich the perks they dont need and there will be more to give to the needy.

HoratioTarr wrote:

veya_victaous wrote:

they don't even make sense.

why isn't everyone just using netflix?  

they are stupid in the 21st century and should be abolished.

Besides BBC makes good shows there is no way it couldn't be made profitable enough to be self sustaining

It's got nothing to do with  what you watch.  It's about owning a TV or having one in your house.   If you do, you pay a licence for it.  Even if all you do is watch DVD's on it.

I don't think you have to pay if you only watch DVDs - ie, if there is no aerial.

HoratioTarr wrote:

veya_victaous wrote:

WhoseYourWolfie wrote:

Does any other country still have one of these archaic hill shephe "television licences"  ???

Oz gov't abolished ours some 50+ years ago..

they don't even make sense

why isn't everyone just using netflix?  

they are stupid in the 21st century and should be abolished.

Besides BBC makes good shows there is no way it couldn't be made profitable enough to be self sustaining

It's got nothing to do with  what you watch.  It's about owning a TV or having one in your house.   If you do, you pay a licence for it.  Even if all you do is watch DVD's on it.

So is a Monitor a TV ?  to be honest that is even more stupid 
What Part makes a Screen a TV the idea is 1980's as the tech is not even built like that any more. hasn't been since LCDs and they are already obsolete been and gone.

and if it's the Aerial 
Fuck it off and watch Netflix that uses a little thing called the internet
 You know that thing that rendered Terrestrial TV signals obsolete 2 decades ago 

I have Netflix but I also like to watch some things on TV...the BBC do some great dramas, and I will flick about various channels to watch the news.