Should Pensioners Get Free Travel?
Every so often, an old policy winds up back in the headlines. Free travel for pensioners is one of those policies
Everyone over the age of 65 currently gets free travel on local public transport, this is an especially good deal in London where travel is the most expensive, but the problem here is that so many of those pensioners are extremely well off...
Is It Still Fair?
For years, pensioners were seen as the poorest group. That’s why they got free bus rides, winter fuel payments, and a bunch of other benefits. But times have changed.
However, data from the Office for National Statistics shows pensioner poverty has dropped a lot since the 1990s, some of these pensioners are sitting on six figure cash reserves on top of their state and private pensions of over £30K a year, mortgage free.
And the Institute for Fiscal Studies points out that pensioner incomes have actually grown faster than those of working-age people for a couple of decades now.
Of course not every pensioner is rolling in case, but many are, and so why this universal free travel perk, it makes no sense!
Universal vs Targeted Benefits
Free bus passes are what economists call a universal benefit, everyone gets one no matter what their economic situation. The other option is means-tested support—only people on lower incomes qualify.
Universal benefits are simpler, obviously, there is no hassle of means testing.
But they cost a lot. And when government budgets are under pressure. , it's right to question them!
Free Travel still Matters
For a lot of pensioners, the bus pass isn’t just about saving a few quid. It means independence. It means getting out, seeing friends, staying active.
If you take the bus pass away, you might save money on paper. But you could end up paying the price elsewhere, with more isolation and worse health among older people.
We just need to get the level of support right...
I'm not sure what that level is, maybe a taper, so it's free for pensioners on just the state pension and then have some kind of tapered claim back method on them for those slightly better off...?
But certainly if yer on £40K a year plus pension, no way you should be getting that free bus pass!
I think in most places you need to have reached state pension age before you qualify for a pass, except for London where you get a Freedom Pass (I think for the underground, too) from age 60.
Due to corruption in the Philippines, a traveler might end up in prison without having committed any crime. This is because corruption in the country remains widespread and here is its history: [Philippine history of tyranny] Philippine society and revolution 1/86
I don't think pensioners get free public transport in Australia. Discounted if you qualify for pension which seems fair enough to me.
https://www.reddit.com/r/Britain/comments/1rpourl/should_pensioners_get_free_travel/
This post has been shared on Reddit by @davideownzall through the HivePosh initiative.
In Portugal, this support is provided in the form of social passes. Pensioners over the age of 65 are entitled to free municipal public transport. This was established in a decree-law in 2003.
This law guarantees that municipal transport services can be used by the elderly without having to pay. Many of the pensions awarded in Portugal are not even enough for pensioners to pay for their medication and cover other unexpected expenses. Of course, there are pensioners who have annual incomes well above mine, for example.
You raise a very interesting point, because making the measure universal, without the need to provide any proof of income, makes it simpler and more practical, but at a significant cost to the state budget.
Free travel is an easy lift, and a meaningful perk for paying into the tax system during a lifetime of work.
I get the means tested argument, yes, many pensioners are very well off and many are in poverty, but all have served their time, paid their dues, some have had a luckier roll of the life dice than others, some were wiser in youth and prepared better, but all make up our collective past and origins.
What harm is free transport?, I don't see them clogging up the tube or mainline trains and shouldn't a progressive benefit overt time accrue to our longest contributing members of society.
Who said you judge a society by how it takes care of it young and old ? We are slipping badly on both counts I feel, lets not focus on the weakest and begrudge them a boon.
edit, In Ireland u get free travel and free travel for someone to accompany you, pity the public transport system is so shit there.
And one further thought, where is the hard incremental cost associated with pensioner travel, I'm going to guess that the modes of transport they use, bused and trains are not running at capacity , so there is just the extra fuel to move the bodyweight about, I'm going to say the transport system is has a very very very low cost per additional user
Your reply is upvoted by @topcomment; a manual curation service that rewards meaningful and engaging comments.
More Info - Support us! - Reports - Discord Channel
It's too late to change this now, because so many voters are pensioners...
Great point about the bus pass being more about independence than just saving a few quid.
Luxembourg bypassed this whole 'who deserves it' debate by just making transport free for everyone. Do you think the UK could ever pull off a fully free system, or is it just too big?
The London price difference makes this debate extra interesting. Good call on the wealth gap angle.
I guess the benefit of getting them onto public transport will reduce the number of the fuckers behind the wheel driving at way below the speed limit, holding me up!
Forgetting their cars are equipped with indicators and rear view mirrors.
Just wish we could keep them out of supermarkets too, dithering and dallying.
PS I have got a wrinkly travel card!!
Yo pienso que es necesario revisar estas ayudas porque no parece justo que personas con altos ingresos reciban beneficios gratuitos mientras los presupuestos públicos están bajo presión. Aunque el pase de transporte es vital para evitar el aislamiento y mantener la independencia de los mayores lo más lógico sería aplicar un sistema basado en el nivel económico.