Should pensioners who are not poor give up their right to a bus pass, BTW what is rich?

Personally I don’t have a bus pass but there may come a time when I can no longer walk or cycle and would be grateful to have one.

There are other benefits to having a bus pass, one, surely it helps keep poor pensioners socially active and more likely stay out of the doctor’s surgery.

Financially rich is having more money than is needed to live in comfort..

Some very good answers here, but I find “Pamela’s” answer spot on!

Any perks that politicians give themselves such as travelling /being driven to work (or the shops) for free, should be available to senior citizens who have spent a lifetime contributing to society through their work; maybe defending their country in the military and their lives being put at risk in foreign lands; bringing up children to be responsible citizens and paying taxes.

Senior citizens who are not poor, are those who can afford to pay for their own travel expenses. Many of these people would not travel by public transport anyway. However the privilege of free bus fare should still be offered to them as a sign of respect for our elders in society.

When I am back in Lincoln the buses are full of pensioners using their bus passes.

It benefits the entire community. They can afford to get out and about therefore meet people , don;t feel so isolated which benefits their health.

They shop more than they would do if they had to pay full fair every time, so the retailers benefit and this creates jobs for others.

My mother could probably afford to give hers back and take taxis but she wouldn’t go out anything like so often as she would be worrying that her money would be depleted before she leaves this mortal coil. And a lot of her friends certainly could not afford to.Instead she and her friends fossic all over the Lincolnshire Wolds when the weather is good enough, having fun and , ( and this I can vouch for) eating their way across Lincolnshire’s cafes!

It depends Pat, whose decides who is well off and who isn’t. People who are pensioners now have paid into the system all their lives. How would it be fair to take away what they’ve rightly earned. There isn’t an ‘opt out’ for bus passes, heating allowance or free tv licences so everyone of eligible age gets those benefits regardless. If the rich are that concerned they can donate their share to charity or spend it on food to give to the food banks to help feed the impoverished.

Most pensioners who are rich/wealthy do not have bus passes.
IDS does not understand how the system works.

It is something that you have to apply for in person, it is not
something that is sent to you as you reach 60. The wealthy
in my area would never use a bus pass, much preferring to
drive their cars. I only use my bus pass twice per week and
no rich folk on my bus!
The bus pass only costs the government money when it is
actually used, so I do not understand why IDS is making
such a fuss.
Not sure what rich is these days, the rich in this village live
in houses which range from £3,0 to a million pounds.

Ian Duncan Smith’s comments about the bus pass are ridiculous. These only cost money if used. Many people have them, as a right, but don’t use them. I’ve travelled on buses on several occasions when someone is using a bus pass for the first time and said “I’m only using this today because the car is in the garage being fixed.” They’ve had the pass for, maybe, 9 years and never needed it so, as payment is only made when the pass is scanned, that person has not cost the government a penny until the day when circumstances meant the pass was scanned.

M.P.s are so out of touch with reality and the lives of ordinary people most of them probably didn’t even know how the passes work or how the bill for them is paid.

My bus pass is a lifeline. I’d find it hard to pay bus fare once a week but, as it is, I go out most days – weather permitting. It would cost a whole days worth of my pension to use buses just to visit my not-so-local hospital if I had to pay.

I agree with you although I don’t think it should matter wither one is rich or poor, if they are of age and want to hassle with public transportation then they should get a “free ride”.
I live in Hungary and anyone who lives within the EU and is over age 65 can travel on all public transportation within HU for free.
If one is under 65 but can show paperwork that they are retired, they qualify for a discount pass. Over age 65 you only need your ID to ride free.
Between the crowds, the cell phone talkers, the food eaters and the many beggars who jump on for free it is really not the best way for seniors to travel unless they go on off hours to avoid the crowds
There was some talk of stopping this system here but so far things are still free for the over 65.
My husband sometimes uses the system just to get to places quickly without having to worry about parking and heavy city traffic.
We had a car, just sold it , looking perhaps to buy another one just because the public transportation is not exactly comfortable here for long trips.
Most retired here in HU are poor by almost any standard. Their work years of paying taxes were mostly done under the old communist system so after the chances here they were mostly forgotten. Some people get as little as $2. a month income on their ss.
They must live with extended family which often isn’t the best for them.
Medical is taken out of their ss checks it is about $30. a month per person here, no matter your age. Those with jobs have it taken out of their work checks but retired people must pay out of their monthly allowance.
There are many senior centers in the city which give out free lunches everyday to poor seniors so there are some back up systems for the poor but they must ride the bus to get to the centers.
I could suggest to any seniors within the EU to move here to HU if they wished to. For anyone with even a low monthly pension they would have a much easier time here with bills and even be able to save every month to travel to their country once in awhile to visit.
After all I read so many people in the UK complain about eastern Europeans taking over there, why not move here where your money goes further.
We have done this , come from the US, not always easy but no really big money worries here.
Can afford to eat and drink well, travel is free in the country and many people do speak English here and there is a huge ex pat community from the UK here.
www.budapestinfo.hu

I’m in the U.S. but I thought this was interesting and googled it. It seems to me that having a bus pass and using it are two quite different things. The people who are well-off may have access to a free bus pass, but they probably aren’t using it as much as poor people. A bus pass only costs the government money if it’s actually being used. So, really, it’s beside the point. This Ian Duncan Smith sounds like he wasn’t thinking things through, but if he’s a politician, that’s par for the course.

No rich person goes on a bus. I will give up my bus pass when MP’s give up their travel warrants for free travel on trains and buses,ever seen an MP on a bus? As for the fuel allowance,MP’s don’t even pay for their heat at all! they put it all on expenses,we pay for it! They have a bl**dy cheek telling pensioners to give up these little perks when their noses are right in the trough and unlikely to be pulled out,for gods sake they choose their own pay rates and enhanced pensions!

In London, school age children have bus passes too.
They get on the bus and travel about one or two short stops taking seats and shouting and swearing, swinging from the railings etc.
If they had to pay there as my grandchildren here have to pay, I am sure that would save a couple of bob!

Hi some of us worked in jobs where an occupational pension is paid as well as the state pension we worked for that pension some have private incomes from other sources as well.
so what the hell is cable going on about he is sitting comfortably anyway with the sort of pension he gets. so it maybe time he should pay out or shut up.
these members of parliment come up with all this hot air as the are just wind bags.
we worked for anything we get so why not.
they want to save the country money well give up half your salary mr politician.

I will give my bus pass, television licence expenses my fuel allowance if their MPs give up there expenses allowance Ours were given by Law the MPs expenses they made their own law. Also the extra they gave me on my old age Pension, 25 pence.

I think I am classed as poor – but if he ever tried to take my bus pass back ,now, I’d be absolutely lost without it.I certainly couldn’t afford the actual bus fares.He’d better leave my heating allowance alone as well – even though I only get 1/2 the amount

No weather pensioners who is rich or poor they should not give up their right to a bus pass! They have worked hard all their life and paid tax!

I’m not a pensioner but I think its wrong what they are doing taking the bus pass away from them!

Socialism, enjoy it. Liberals clamor for more and more government, they want cradle to the grave care from the tax payers.

I agree with you. What about child benefit?? He should look at that. Every parent who has a child is entitled to this regardless if they are receiving other benefits or earning loads…

IDS was on TV this morning and stated that the government has no plans to take travel passes away from anyone.

Yes they should, but that, getting a pass, is part of the reason they are not poor.

Why those that dont need it dont use it, they use there car., but they will not always drive.

I worked hard all my life I have earned a free pass. where i live it’s bus only but some areas London and Liverpool include free rail travel as well

No they shouldnt give up the right to bus passes

Give up the right ? NO ! — if they decide not to exercise that right, well, that’s ok too