General Chat

What do you do with your WFHA rollo./

Of course Rollo has an answer for everything. And not very nice Rollo to suggest that heating allowance goes on Christmas presents.

Although as somebody said, it is not your business, FYI (as I know you like to use intitials instead of spelling words out) Last year our heating allowance was used to pay towards the heating bills of the younger generation you are so keen on promoting. It was given to our grandsons who are low paid to pay towards their heating bills.

Also FYI we do still have enough shops and markets in our town to be glad to see 'elderly people' visiting and spending their money, even coffee shops need to sell their wares. I suppose it is ok for France to promote coffee shops, pavement cafes etc but not your homeland.

Why don't you try to add something positive to the conversations on here so we can all get along pleasantly instead of always being negative, putting down what others say.

And what nonsense you do sometimes talk. If people with bus passes didn't use some of the bus services, there would be so few using them that the servises would be cancelled.

For someone who 'knows it all' he's not very bright is he Emma? ;-) :-D

Please Rollo walk in my shoes for a day.

Sorry you won't be able to do that as I need my
wheelchair and my OH to push me around.

I feel lucky because I have family to visit and break
the monotony of my day but what about others who
have no one to spend time with them.
The only thing they may have is the company of a TV.

"It seems a shame if retired people cannot find anything better to do than watch daytime TV. "

Full of empathy as ever....

Plenty of seniors have loads to do but that doesn't fill 24/7. My mother, for instance, doesn't drive due to bad sight, belongs to many clubs/groups but at times she'll be sitting at home and will watch some telly. When able to she's out doing things but needs lifts or uses her bus pass when she can't walk that far. She's earnt her pass and free telly so hands off !!

I agree with Magpie - it is a government decision. The BBC has already got its feet in the trough so why give them open season?

By the way, Rollo, some retirees who qualify for free tv do other (often less sedentary) things so stop taking a dig at retired people. Daytime tv is watched by housebound people and shift-workers too.

But it would not say much for our humanity if we all castigated those who watch daytime tv because the day may come when our immobility precludes much else. One never knows what's around the corner.

If you live long enough, think yourself lucky and enjoy the few perks that come your way.

Goodness Rollo as a pensioner myself worked payed my dues .if such as I get help I appreciate it how dare you say WFP only goes on Christmas presents .you know that for a.fact .each to their own & frankly has nothing to do with you were the money goes. The country has more elderly people than ever & we deserve respect we are not lost folk with no brains .some young people think the world owes them a living not all longer education loans they never pay back .it's a cruel world .Scotland has the highest drug problem for years .it's not pensioners you see on street corners doing drugs .life is unfair for all but make the most of what you have .count your blessings
I do every day Barbara

There haven't been any decisions made as yet as to what the situation will be after 2020. Frankly I don't think it should be up to the BBC to make this decision, it was and should be a matter for the government who instigated this benefit in the first place.
As for watching daytime TV? Well the over 75's are by definition often single, housebound and elderly relying on daytime TV for companionship. Not everyone is able to, or wants to be engaged in intellectual pusuits, outside hobbies, or other more 'suitable' enterprises, so keep your your patronising comments to yourself Rollo.

Taking into account previous comments on here I think the BBC should confirm how much is "lost" to free licenses and how much they pay in wages. I'm guessing the price of the inflated wages far exceeds the free licenses.
Keep the free licenses look at reducing running costs, maybe not full advert breaks but you can have advertising still.

The world belongs to the young. It always has done and it always will. Appeasing old people while disadvantaging the young is both morally wrong and bad politics.

The govt has no problems with compex systems for working age and family benefits so the argument that means testing WHA/Buspass is roo difficult is nonsense. For both the WHA and buspass receipt of pension credit / housing benefit is easy to check.

The cost of the buspass is making a wreckage of funding for rural bus services - eg Hampshire has cut funding completely. WHA would be better directed towards those who really need it for heating not buying christmas presents.

Wall to wall tea n coffee shops is not a very attractive proposition for real shopping. Many retailers want a brake on such businesses.Plus more cheap parking not more buses and taxi ranks.

It seems a shame if retired people cannot find anything better to do than watch daytime TV.

We appreciate the free licence, free bus passes and free heating allowance.

Perhaps the BBC should first look at the salaries of their top executives etc and the number of overpaid people they have on their books first.

Means testing costs a lot to administer so isn't really viable and there are many pensioners who live alone who really rely on the company of the TV but are maybe not on benefits, so if that was used they would lose the free licence but maybe not able to afford it.

To me free bus passes must help to support the high street economy because no way would we go to town so much and spend money if we had to pay full fares on the bus.

We often remark on the outside reporter broadcasts as well. :-S

The TV & Radio can be a friend to many elderly people all ages really There are programmes on news & some entertainment but it bugs me to see old programmes Bargain Hunt .Houses under the Hammer etc. I myself watch Doctors at 1.45 pm that's it until pointless 5.15 pm .the presenters on football well really why so many .when we have international matches & world cup so many people are out of our country .plus news people beggars belief ?? suppose in this day & age the world is a lot smaller so reports come from all over & our reporters are wherever they are sent but it must cost a fortune .Millions of pounds to sit in a Radio station play music & a bit of chat Chris Evans for one I had better go said my peace Barbara :-)

JoyLouise

It's the pointless outside broadcasts that get me.
Apart from the actual reporter / presenter there must be quite a team to support them.
"And now we go to our live broadcast at The Oval " was one I remember at 6 a. m in darkness to report on some cricket news, which had no particular bearing on the location.
Why the need / waste?

I will appreciate the free TV licence, but don't think they should be just for people on benefits, for the same reasons you give.

I would be annoyed if they took the free licence from me. It is a perk for the elderly - just as the bus pass is.

Many people become housebound and some can no longer drive so these two perks go some way to alleviating the effects of age. Bear in mind that there are some people who would find it difficult to afford a licence or bus fares to do their shopping, visit hospitals etc. Means-testing would not be viable, in my opinion, because of the cost of setting up and the continuing costs of running such a scheme.

Sylvia is right, no one should pay - as well as the countries mentioned earlier, unless times have changed, Oz has free telly too. The BBC needs to cut its salary bill - for instance, how is it necessary to pay four men in one programme to talk about football? If those earning a couple of million and more a year moan, there are other other places to work. Give them the chance to find out, I say.


Correct me if I'm wrong, but don't those on benefits who are fit to work, get the equivalent of the minimum wage? If so, why would they need a free television licence when, for example, a young married man on minimum wage would have to pay for one? It smacks of discrimination against those willing to work for the minimum amount and does nothing to encourage young people to find employment.

If, however, the person on benefits is unable to get out and about because of serious disability, that's a different scenario and I would agree with him/her receiving a free licence.

Finally, why would people agree to abolish free licences (and bus travel) for pensioners when one day they will be the recipient of such largesse? It's madness! What one can afford today may not be affordable tomorrow - unless, of course, you're one of the lucky ones receiving a couple of million a year from the BBC!

Well you can get freeview here in the U.K. But that's not the same as paying for a tv licence

If the BBC are going to struggle to maintain it then maybe they start by not giving out free licenses to viewers who reach 75 but continue to give to those that already have one

The free ones will gradually reduce as older folks pass on

So phase it out rather than bring in new legislation

Over the air is free TV in Canada :-)

well, that's what gets me .........

..... so many moan about having to pay for the TV licence, yet you all want the good programming!

I won't talk about how much it costs in the US 'cos I have absolutely no idea!!!

PBS is free of ads, until their regular quarterly campaign for donations. Samer fpr a couple of other stations. If not enough people donate, then the stations will disappear.

In other words, no government funding

It doesn't cost that much in Canada, but we do have to pay for cable service for TV

Radio is free .................. and CBC radio stations 1, 2, 3 and 4 are also free of ads.

CBC being our equivalent of the Beeb

My Mum (94) is well able to pay for her TV licence but would moan like anything if she had to!

I'd be happy to carry on paying (when I get to 75) if it means the BBC will carry on funding Radio 2 and the BBC iplayer.

Kath. x

The "free" TV is mostly paid for from the fee of people working with no time or interest in daytime TV. The free licence should be only for those on benefits of any age. Same for WHA.

The UK is the only modern country which has three channels with no ads. BBC and itv produce terrific modern drama, great natural history, arts comedy and so on. In the USA stacking up subscriptions can be v expensive. PBS has its limits. Without the licence none of this would happen. U