BBC Over 75's

Will be plenty on the forum angry they now have to pay

pension credits still get it
means tested

isn't this the reason they didn't stop it before it will cost more to administer it than it will save ,with appeals etc

The chit chat blue rinse massive gonna kick up a right ruckus over this.

BORIS AHEAD OF THE GAME, 3 GRAND TAX Bribe to blue rinse tories still leaves them  2,800 ahead on the day,not a bad auld day,

I don't get the idea of the elderly being poor.  My granddad, after the war, was an ambulance driver (when they simply drove, not a paramedic) and then got a job at an insurance company.  My nan did some sewing for Mary Quant.  Nothing grand yet they raised two children and in later years had regular trips to Australia to visit my granddad's brother.  They had a detached house, car, mod-cons etc.  When they died, just over £300k was the size of what they left.  They worked and were sensible with money.

More reason not to save for a private pension.

Spend it while you're young, and claim Pension Credit when you retire.

shirley the over 75s on hear never had a tv licence, until it was free , but will get it
due to claiming pension credits.


tory manifesto pledge broken? what happened to trust and democracy?

Shirley if it was in the manifesto - then it was the will of the people. Has this ever happened before?

tory manifesto pledge broken?

Wasn't in the manifesto.

It's not the government changing the rules it's the BBC.

It will enable them to give a deserved raise to some of their talented employees so how anyone could grumble is beyond belief.

''In 2015, the government announced the BBC would take over the cost of providing free licences for over-75s by 2020 as part of the fee settlement''

That's okay - now abolish the BBC.

mrs may give them the decision to make because she didn't have the balls to do it now they have, she,s asked them to think again

Prior to the EU referendum, the government were going to review all aspects of the BBC, many said they would freeze the licence fee indefinitely and clip the BBC's wings.

Yet just before the EU referendum, they announced the changes which went nowhere near as far as were expected.
Some said it was part of a deal for the BBC not to undermine the government's stance of remain.
Which could account for the continued opposition to leave that we see almost daily from the BBC.

A despicable bunch at the BBC paying themselves massive salaries on the backs of the taxpayer,people should march in the streets about
this,just put on adverts or give us the option to opt out.

How are they going to collect it if the old timers refuse to pay?

I can't see them jailing an eighty year old lady living alone with her cat who can't afford to pay.

Just because they're not on pension credit doesn't mean they're flush.
There are plenty of borderline cases with many not getting pension credit for various reasons.

cat will have to pay crippen, whether it can afford it or not

mother in law is 75 next may, ...lol, shes not happy, been on phone ....

my mam and dad would get pension if they spewed all their details to dhss but decided they,d rather keep their savings etc private, so they,ll have to fork out that's them 200 a year worse off,because they wont get means tested,

pride used to come before a fall,now it just costs you a helping hand,as the millions going unclaimed every year proves if oaps owed the same millions in tax they,d be getting a knock on the door in the middle of the night

next election it will be an issue...

''Also,over the years how much have they already contributed ???????''   

probably not as much as you'd like to think as they've been claiming a state pension for 10-15 years .

those that miss out are those that die just before pension age

I'm baffled that any of the posters on here support these labour policies that were clearly brought in to bribe OAP's to vote for them in the 90's and 00's - they (bribes) worked for a few years as well. OAPs paid their way before that and should pay their way now that the bribes have run their course - brexit has to paid for somehow and it's just as well the ever expanding OAP population are generally loaded (compared to younger generations) and able to pay what is coming their way over the next few years. As above, next the winter fuel allowance, bus pass and the ridiculous triple lock - otherwise my generation (50ish) will not have pensions at all!

if their bribes gleefully excepted by oap,s how come millions upon millions of quids worth of sed bribes go unclaimed every year and the government doesnt try a jot to publicise  unite oap,s with the unwanted millions, as compared to mp,s wringing every last cent out of their expenses

left v  right
leave  v remain
anti semite  v islamaphobe
old  v young
unemployed  v  workers
the divide/hatred goes on

One would think that a left leaning organisation like the BBC would put pensioners' welfare top of their list of priorities.
Yet all socialism really stands for is more taxation for those least able to afford it.

This is the BBC showing its true colours.

And has Corbyn promised to step in and reverse the decision should he be elected, like he usually does with stuff like this?
Of course he hasn't, and never will so long as the BBC support the Labour party.

crippen taking the loss of his free tv licence badly

Of course he hasn't, and never will so long as the BBC support the Labour party.


??????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????

What a rotten lot these socialists are.

How the working classes fall for the con time after time is is beyond belief.

follows a consultation with 190,000 people, of whom 52% were in favour of reforming or abolishing free licences.

Shirley the BBC will be calling for a 2nd Vote 52 % ??? If not there should be A complete new Vote who are these 190,000 ??

The only vote needed , is that of the BBC being subscription only ... How can it possibly be illegal to not want to pay to wards anything that you hardly use .  ??

Something of a contrast isn't it that the BBC only apparently exists now to push "diversity", political correctness, pro-EU propaganda, and luvvie leftie "right thinking" down our throats at every possible opportunity. The very demographic they are now going to force to pay for their hugely inflated salaries is surely the demographic that will be least interested in the self serving patronising right-on bullsh1t "auntie" now produces.

One up side is it will surely help put pressure on getting rid of the license fee, or breaking the organisation up so we only pay for bits we want to watch. Blue planet X once every 3 years, - if it's not entirely devoted to transgender penguins from Bradford by then.

The way the weather is Going cant be long before Bradford is  full of them

Where are the white working class at the bbc? Still the biggest social group in the UK so therefore still the biggest contributer to the bbc

"The BBC said "fairness" was at the heart of the ruling, which comes into force in June 2020."

I'd have though fairness might be that people shouldn't be forced to pay for Huw Edwards's £600,000 per year to read a ****ing teleprompter a few nights a week.

The easiest way for the government to regain the upper hand with the bbc is to take over collection of the tv tax, this would mean the bbc would need to apply to the government for funding.

In the BBC coverage of this on their news, they show the pensioners in "still game" watching TV. Except ... the remote the guy has in his hand is CLEARLY a SKY remote, they are very distinctive. Kind of makes the anti-License point a bit doesn't it, wonder if they thought that through!

If more people are paying then I suppose the fee will go down.

Government was funding it but removed the funding putting the ball in the BBCs court. But they've lineker's salary to cover, and Hislops 20k an episode to make snide remarks about Brexit.

the question has to be who the hell sits and watches the BBC  least of all  the over 75s i'd've thought

we get a running commentary from jc on bbc and chanel 4

dont know anybody else

I'm amazed at the stat that the over 75s are in effect covering 1/5 of the BBC budget?
From https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Demography_of_the_United_Kingdom#Age_structure
They consist of .. 7.9% of the population. That's actually more than I'd thought but still.

Probably lots of pensioners statistically living alone, housebound, and a TV is company. And Huw and Lineker and Claudia Winkleman and Gompertz gots to gets payed...

Claudia Winkleman must be one of the most talentless people on tv.
Why does she get paid so well.
Not sure how they enforce the licence fee.
Plenty o vids online saying they have no right of access to your house and to ignore any questions.
Anyone know how they can enforce the licence? (cue blackbarn whos normally savvy with this type of thing.

The BBC spent a whopping £148million last year on presenters' salaries alone. An estimated 4.6million households currently escape the £154.50 annual charge.

This debate will run and run but the important debate is whether the compulsory license fee should remain at all. I have just turned 75 so will have one year free for my home license but still pay for 2 self catering cottages on my property although they are only occupied for around 18 weeks of the year, so nearly £10 per week of occupancy. I will therefore contribute £300+ to the BBC this year and it seems likely that it will be £460 next year. I also pay for Sky, BT sport and Racing UK but the important thing is that I can cancel any of those at will but I can't watch any of them without paying for the BBC which I hardly ever watch. I am old enough to remember when the BBC was the only TV broadcaster and the license fee made sense but now the BBC represents only about 5% of the available channels but they have the power to stop you watching any of them unless you pay their ransom. I would make the BBC raise their money from a voluntary subscription which would tell us just how many people really want it.

Scrap the BBC poll tax.

State aid that gives a company an unfair advantage is against both WTO and EU rules.
The BBC receives billions of pounds a year in state via the TV tax.
The big question is how come the rest of the world does not complain about this inbuilt massive advantage?
The only answer that makes any sense is Britain has forfeited something in exchange, but what?
What have we given away that everyone else is so happy to accept?

there are a few campaigns being launched to stop this unfair tax on over 75 year olds.

somebody pointed out that bbc gave great coverage and praise to d day vets this year

....next year they will charge them £154 to watch themselves be praised!!!

I can’t believe we are still forced to pay for the bbc , especially when you consider their arrogant attitude, they use this well funded broadcaster to push their own agenda. the bbc in effect are dictating British social direction, this is unacceptable from an unelected body .
The government need to get the bbc under control.

Anybody who lives alone doesn't need a TV licence.

If you don't  subscribe to anything Sky etc. It should be easy to give them the runaround.

lot of jealous lefties in this thread seething at BBC presenters ability to draw a good wage in the free market of entertainment

it's unenforceable i would have thought. not gonna be hauling 100s of 1000s of old dears up before court

Interesting points but most 75+ were brought up to pay their bills and obey the law which is sadly less prevalent these days. As far as the EU rules etc, they get away with it as it has been in place for so many years and apparently Germany has a similar system. They could not introduce it these days. I might consider paying a modest annual fee for BBC news, but certainly not for the rest of their programmes.

Why should BBC find out how much it's customers earn, or pension they receive?

Maintaining free TV licences for those pensioners was part of the Conservative Party manifesto at the 2017 general election.


Conservative Party leadership candidate Andrea Leadsom called for a reversal of the plan, describing the decision as "unacceptable".
She said: "It's a commitment in the Conservatives' manifesto and we need to find a way to reverse that."


Her leadership rival Esther McVey said she was "ashamed" of the BBC, which had "forgotten the public they are supposed to serve".

Labour deputy leader Tom Watson told the House of Commons that voters who read the manifesto pledge "have been betrayed and it's shameful".
He continued: "The government had the breathtaking gall to blame the BBC for this mess, but passing the buck won't work.

"The BBC is not the DWP [Department for Work and Pensions]. Public broadcasters should never be responsible for social policy."

Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn said "providing over-75s with free TV licences is not too much to ask".

Conservative MP Ed Vaizey, who was culture minister when the licence fee settlement was made, told MPs the government should "either take back this policy or support the BBC changes".



https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/entertainment-arts-48594434

Surely means testing any freebie is sensible?

It remains free for those on pension credits. The rest have to pay. It'll save the Beeb 10s of millions. With an ageing population why should those who can afford £3 a week not pay??

It's an indictment on our politics if this becomes a big issue at the next election.

It doesn't make sense for labour to oppose it for sure

It's already been said but many over 75s are some of the wealthiest people in the country. Having benefitted from the housing boom and final salary pensions, asking them to pay a measly £3 a week is hardly something to cry about.

The ONS predicts that ONE THIRD of babies born now will live to they're 100. It's a staggering statistic. No way can all of the freebies continue.

https://www.ons.gov.uk/peoplepopulationandcommunity/birthsdeathsandmarriages/lifeexpectancies/articles/whatareyourchancesoflivingto100/2016-01-14

Govt could easily scupper this by making everyone entitled to £1 pension credit.

noone needs to pay this bbc tax,,when they turn up[  if they ever do ]  at your door just turn them away,,you wont hear another word from them,,iv never ever paid this  bbc tax to watch tele,,

my mams 91 and not some of the "wealthiest people in the country" and this will probably stress her out now, she loves her TV.

and all for a "measly £3 a week", why not cut the wages of norton, linekar and edwards etc.

why should she be means tested at her age, and all for this poxy license tax.

Agree about the BBC wage bill.

Why will it stress your mum out? Can't her son step up?

means test imposes stigma , shocking that folk support anything like that

divide and rule, eh

donny I used to take my old man to West Ham. I'd pay £50, he'd pay £25. He's loaded

With people living far longer, these issues have to be addressed. If folk can't afford £3 a week, they must surely be entitled to pension credits meaning exemption from the licence fee.

Almost all over 75s are likely to be retired so if they are "loaded" it is because they have saved and invested wisely through their lives. I am not badly off but have already given quite a lot to my sons to remove the stress of high housing costs from them as my father did for me. What you spend is much more important than what you earn.

Here again we see people who did the right thing being penalised, with  all those who put something away for their retirements now paying the price of their thrift.

And all those who didn't give a toss and spent their money enjoying themselves are now being rewarded for a second time.

Hang on - didn't they tell the first lot it would be the other way around when they sold them their private pensions?

should be free to over 75 year olds if there is nobody under that age in the house.


injera your old man might be loaded, but its typical of your short sightedness on the forum

1 ok, millions struggling...thats ok for you!

the question has to be who the hell sits and watches the BBC  least of all  the over 75s i'd've thought Laugh

The average age of a BBC viewer has topped 60 thanks to the migration of younger audiences to online streaming, according to a report.

from
https://www.thetimes.co.uk/article/bbc-viewers-have-average-age-of-60-as-young-default-to-netflix-7jg0skcdd

Why should BBC find out how much it's customers earn, or pension they receive?

because the gov used to fund it but handed it over to the BBC - it is either charing or getting rid of basically the whole lot apart from radio and BBC 1,2


Injera is the only one whose (right wing) principles seem to hold on this issue - must be a youngster! I really don't see any justification at all for OAP's not paying it - my 82yo dad (doesn't object to having to pay it) has 50k in the bank 400k house with no mortgage and he doesn't pay - explain the rationale in that! Old people always used to pay it but it seems this generation of old people don't see why they should pay their way - if the 1.5m people who don't claim the credit start claiming it as a result of this then it won't save the gov any money I'd have thought!

donny - are you saying millions of over 75s who are NOT eligible for pension credits can't afford £3 a week?

Are you also saying if they live till they're 100 they should get the licence plus other things free for all that time?

Why not give them free milk in Sainsburys while we're at it?

Surely over 75s shouldn't be expected to pay for anything?

they got pension to pay for stuff, pension still pays for milk, but
didnt go up to cover rapid rise in licence fee.

if they live to 200 they should get it free because thats what was planned and promised
to them, if rich pensioners dont want a free licence they can go to post office and pay for one.

if your rich old man wants to pay £50 to see west ham, they will sell him a ticket at that price.

how will bbc know who gets pension credit?..........data protection nightmare no doubt.

rather like mays death tax at last election if good folk stand up it will be reversed.

tory election pledge...tory leadership election

see who wants the votes...

I agree it's a vote loser donny. It's a nightmare for the Tories and they've just stepped on another mine.

My Father offered to pay for his prescriptions. They said no! He agrees all benefits should be means tested. Speak to the revenue, see who pays tax and simples.

I know old folk in council houses which they bought. Brand new car in the drive, and use the free bus! It's MADNESS.

If the oldie are forced to pay for it, then surely to be fair to them unedited episodes of "Tell Death Us Do Part" should be shown on prime time BBC along with archived Bernard Manning concerts?

The lowest pension a pensioner gets is £8700 with no rent or council tax to pay, so surely all this hysteria about them going hungry in order to pay £154.40 is stupid.

I am not really opposed to the over 75s paying their way but it is disappointing to see it abolished just one year after I reached the magic number What I will repeat is that I am opposed to anyone paying the fee. All TV watching should be funded by those who watch it, not those who don't. It is not an essential service like the NHS. And in case somebody tells me they prefer ad. free television, try timing the BBC adverts for their own programmes. They are almost equal to those on ITV/C4,5 etc. for other products because the "one hour" programmes are all made to last around 52 minutes.

But I definitely agree that the BBC is a bloated, overpaid corporation which needs serious pruning.

annie. that is not true. If you don't have enough qualifying years you can get much less than that. The rules have changed for those retiring now but anyone retiring 10 years ago with only 25 years of NI will only get half of the state pension. You may get pension credit as well if you live alone and have no other income or assets.

That is what i meant, sageform. 

If you do not qualify for the highest state pension of £8700 then you will qualify for a top up from pension credit to this figure.  You will also have your rent paid and no council tax.  And thereby qualifying also for a free tv license!

Totally agree with safeform's post  sageform • June 11, 2019 10:34 AM BST, especially this part:
but the important thing is that I can cancel any of those at will but I can't watch any of them without paying for the BBC which I hardly ever watch. I am old enough to remember when the BBC was the only TV broadcaster and the license fee made sense but now the BBC represents only about 5% of the available channels but they have the power to stop you watching any of them unless you pay their ransom.

More records broken on chit chat for levels of made up rubbish, on this thread.

Well done!!!

Jun 11, 2019 -- 4:23PM, STUDYFORM wrote:

More records broken on chit chat for levels of made up rubbish, on this thread.Well done!!!

That sounds made up to me please show proof of the old records for verification.

BBC = SUBSCRIPTION its 2019 , no one should be forced to pay for summat they don't watch ,I would pay a couple of quid a Month to listen to their Radio Channels  ,I rarely watch the BBC .

some pensioners have rent to pay, as always.

Subscription is the way foward imo ,if there is such a High percentage of people who want to pay , then there should be no problem

The tech is there to put things in place , cant see what the Problem is TBH.

I know a man who lives in sheltered housing and he only pays £7.50 for a tv licence and he is only 66.  I wonder what will happen to that.

A lot of people wont pay that why they are after the over 75"s now. I knew a women who would turn her telly up way high when the tv license people came knocking, swore blind she didn't have one and they did bugger all about it, good old cornwall

annie, may be a sheltered housing development can get away with one license for the whole place and share the cost but I don't think that conforms with the rules.

Tremendous trolling from the beeb on this.

Tories cut their income and told them they had to make it up themselves, trusting - just as they have done with local councils - that they would have to be the bearer of bad news and the public would blame them, not the government for forcing them to look at alternatives.

So the tories weigh it up and turn the tables by using a government definition as the decider: pension credits.

A brief flurry of how unfair it all is, how Lineker is paid a lot etc but the aftermath is a lot of pensioners are now asking questions about pension credits and how they can avoid paying the licence fee.

Turns out only about 40% of all eligible pensioners claim pension credits. The DWP reckon 650,000 households could claim for it now.

The cost to this shambles of a government could dwarf what they cut from the beeb. But at least people are getting their dues and that money isn't going to build HS2 or some other folly to line the pockets of their businessmen mates.