Dont forget your bus passes

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  • JVB66
    JVB66 Forum Participant Posts: 22,892
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    edited March 2017 #2

    our bus pass also got us free bus travel in Benidormcool

  • Unknown
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    edited March 2017 #3
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  • SteveL
    SteveL Club Member Posts: 12,299 ✭✭✭
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    edited March 2017 #4

    That is a little ironic, seeing as we can't use ours in Wales or Scotland.😂

  • JVB66
    JVB66 Forum Participant Posts: 22,892
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    edited March 2017 #6

    OH Blesscool

  • Metheven
    Metheven Club Member Posts: 3,987 ✭✭✭
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    edited March 2017 #7

    Aww, do you remember when they use to look at you as if doubting your word laughing now they don't even look up cry

  • nelliethehooker
    nelliethehooker Club Member Posts: 13,636
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    edited March 2017 #8

    Maybe they thought that you would appreciate the paintings and the Americans wouldn't, David!!sealedwink

  • Tammygirl
    Tammygirl Club Member Posts: 7,958 ✭✭✭
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    edited March 2017 #9

    We can't use ours in England either, wish we could would make getting  about a lot cheaper. frown

  • Bakers2
    Bakers2 Forum Participant Posts: 8,191 ✭✭✭
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    edited March 2017 #10

    I would if I were allowed one.  Along with my pension age my entitlement to one was hoisted by age without any by your leave yell.

    I suppose I'm lucky in that I'm not working at the moment, but haven't any income so some help would be nice.  To get anything as unwaged on has to be registered with the job centre.  I'll forgo that pleasure, I have enough years to qualify for a full pension - unless they change the rules again!!! In fact both hubby and I have worked for more than qualifying requires these days.

  • Tammygirl
    Tammygirl Club Member Posts: 7,958 ✭✭✭
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    edited March 2017 #11

    Bakers at what age do you get a bus pass in England? I got mine when I was 60 (4 years ago) I think in Scotland you still get it as 60, and in our city we are not restricted to any times of day that we can use them. In my home town in England they are not allowed to use them before 9am I believe

    Apologies for going slightly off thread.

  • Bakers2
    Bakers2 Forum Participant Posts: 8,191 ✭✭✭
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    edited March 2017 #12

    It goes with women's pension age in England so has been creeping up gradually. I was one of the first to have to be 66 years old so it seems I have another 5 years until I get either. Not p' d off by the change at all 😉. 

    I have to say lots of rules are different in Scotland probably similar for Wales and NI too. 

  • Tammygirl
    Tammygirl Club Member Posts: 7,958 ✭✭✭
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    edited March 2017 #13

    Gosh that does seem very unfair, think I would be p'd of too, I would have had to work an extra 3.5 years if I hadn't taken a package and early retirement, however I did have to wait until 63.5 years to get my state pension. frown there are lots of things that allow you concession rates from the age of 60 yet others that are tied in with retirement age, I wish they would just standardise it all and stop messing folk around.yell Rant over for the night bed is calling wink

  • Bakers2
    Bakers2 Forum Participant Posts: 8,191 ✭✭✭
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    edited March 2017 #14

    Yes. Planned to retire together.  Born 5 years apart. Hubby was forced to retire at 60 under a new rules, when there were lots of unemployed. Never checked that out for real as he got package at 56. That made it seem even longer before we could enjoy retirement together. Saved planned etc but still thwarted. Decided to do what we can now whilst we're still fit and active, and I deprive Te government of any income tax from me - some protest 😂😂 hurts me more I fear! 

    Apologies for taking get this off thread. But I am grievously miffed.

    Yes there's no consistency with age concessions at all.

  • IanH
    IanH Forum Participant Posts: 4,708
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    edited March 2017 #15

    Don't blame you for being miffed, Bakers2 - we are in the same boat. No state pension until 66, so that's 7 years of payments we were diddled out of.

    Same with the bus pass, which you get at same age as state pension age. Whilst I'm no big fan of public transport, it would be handy (and would save a fair bit of money in diesel and parking charges) at some of the places we go to.

    As David says, it is also good ID for getting reduced entrance fees etc.

  • JayEss
    JayEss Forum Participant Posts: 1,663
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    edited March 2017 #16

    I have to wait till I'm 67 and that's being considered for a rise. Seeing as when I started work the age was 60 and pension calculations were based on that assumption I feel miffed too. 

    I am pretty sure that there'll be nothing left in the national pot when I get there. 

  • Bakers2
    Bakers2 Forum Participant Posts: 8,191 ✭✭✭
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    edited March 2017 #17

    Gosh even worse for you JayEss 😲. 

    If I see that advert one more time about do you know how much your pension will be I'll hit someone 😉. Within a little I knew what mine would be when I was in my 40s. I'm double miffed cos my work pension, if I'd stayed, would have to wait until I reached state pension age, 60 once, 65 then 66 now . As I decided against returning after last NZ trip, seemed a good time to make a fresh start, still not decided on what and when new start will be 😉. I was pleasantly surprised on returning home to find letter offering me reduced pension now. Did I jump? You bet who knows what local government pension pot will be like in another 5 years. A bird in the hand and all that 😆

    I'm the first to say we should save and provide for ourselves but that should be honoured. Can you imagine if a bank or building society said that x year bond you've saved into will be extended and you'll continue to pay in but get nothing extra out? Or maybe even that it was a huge jump for the male of the species, theyve only had 2 year increase not 7 - so far, If they can adjust to suit themselves why should I trust them again? I feel sorry for our son, making him save into a pension but I'm wondering why. Maybe he should just enjoy his money while a £ is worth a few p rather than a minus £ by the time he gets it back.

    Sorry this thread is being taken off topic 😔

  • Unknown
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    edited March 2017 #18
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  • Bakers2
    Bakers2 Forum Participant Posts: 8,191 ✭✭✭
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    edited March 2017 #19

    I'd use my local bus. That would help keep it running too. I walk into town about a mile or so no hardship, but walking back with heavy shopping after a good walk around isn't funny. I haven't tried a trolley 😲 but I have backpacks very limiting and panniers on a bike. Bus far home when I last tried was £1.50 😂😂. When the children were little we often took the car because parking was cheaper than one and two halves bus fare and they couldn't always cope with walking both ways and activities. Despite youngest coming up to 29 I still forget I don't have the pram or buggy to put shopping on 😂😂. Luckily I've sussed now and do shopping then M&S shopping and collect by car. Walk home drive back 😉. Or phone hubby for a lift home.

  • JayEss
    JayEss Forum Participant Posts: 1,663
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    edited March 2017 #20

    Our local bus runs once an hour and stops at 6.30. It costs £3.50 to travel 3 miles into the city or £4.50 return. Driving is better value. 

    If I ever get a bus pass I'll move somewhere with a bus service. 

    It's good to hear that passes are used as proof of retirement though. 

  • DavidKlyne
    DavidKlyne Club Member Posts: 13,856 ✭✭✭
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    edited March 2017 #21

    I was perhaps lucky that I got my bus pass at sixty (ten years ago). Men only got them at 60 because of the European Court ruling told the UK they could not discriminate against men as the ladies got theirs at sixty which in the end worked against the ladies as they equalised the retirement age. We make quite a lot of use of ours, although not so far as an ID card. It is a shame that it can't be used UK wide but I suspect that is never going to happen now. 

    David

  • Wildwood
    Wildwood Forum Participant Posts: 3,579
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    edited March 2017 #22

    We cannot use ours in England or Wales, it would help if it were UK wide.

    Ours works on local trains too giving us a big discount at £1.30 return for most trips.

  • JVB66
    JVB66 Forum Participant Posts: 22,892
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    edited March 2017 #23

    It costs us to use the buses in Scotland but we do not pay on the trainswink

    but a day pass on buses /trams in Edinburgh is good valuesmile

    The oyster card we use when in London gives us great value,60p per journeylaughing

     

  • EasyT
    EasyT Forum Participant Posts: 16,194
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    edited March 2017 #24

    My Welsh bus pass would be more useful for scraping ice off the windscreen. I doubt that it has been used more than 4 times in 4 years. Once to go to Chester and once back. Twice to return from servicing garage (return to garage with OH).

    If I go into Chester a 5 minute walk to stop, need to be 5 mins early, 40+ minutes for the 8 mile journey round the houses. So 50 mins. By car 10 mins to P&R, 5 mins wait and 5 mins journey = 20 mins + £2

    It would be used on holiday but spend more time in England where I cannot use or in Scotland. When on site in Wales there is rarely a bus route to a major town that is convenient. 

  • Metheven
    Metheven Club Member Posts: 3,987 ✭✭✭
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    edited March 2017 #25

    Love the bus pass, fairly new to me but why the rush to go by car unless timing is an importance!

    We have a service every 20 minutes from our village into Hull, I love the top deck and having a good nosey enroute, also take a trip into town for no other reason than a few hours of leisure. Only slightly limiting factor is it can't be used before 9.30am, but again I'm only just coming around from getting out of bed by then, drifting along slowly is now my aim.

    As yet I have not tried using it as a reduction in any other forms but will bear it in mind.

  • EasyT
    EasyT Forum Participant Posts: 16,194
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    edited March 2017 #26

    why the rush to go by car unless timing is an importance!

    To me time is important as the only reason for my going into Chester is normally for an appointment at a building society or bank to move money, take out a bond etc. I can time the P&R buses to arrive on time for my appointment. When the job is done timing is such that I am unlikely to wait more than 5 mins for P&R bus. I wish to spend as little time in town as possible. 

  • milliehull
    milliehull Forum Participant Posts: 4,754 ✭✭✭
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    edited March 2017 #27

    Or N. Ireland SteveL frown

  • Natasha2
    Natasha2 Forum Participant Posts: 306
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    edited March 2017 #28

    I was perhaps lucky that I got my bus pass at sixty (ten years ago). Men only got them at 60 because of the European Court ruling told the UK they could not discriminate against men.

     

    Well it's now us women who are being discriminated against...my other half gets his pension on his 65th birthday and his bus pass when he is 64 yrs 8 months.  

    I am 9 months younger than him and I get my state pension and bus pass 6 weeks short of my 66th birthday. 

    6 years of pension income stolen from me and now because the number of qualifying years for state pension have been changed I won't even receive the full amount unless I acquire another year by paying voluntary contributions.  Hubby is pointing me in the direction of the Job Centre. 😱

     

  • EasyT
    EasyT Forum Participant Posts: 16,194
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    edited March 2017 #29

    It was daft when women lived 5 years longer than fellas but got their pension 5 years earlier. 

  • Vicmallows
    Vicmallows Forum Participant Posts: 580
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    edited March 2017 #30

    Quite agree!  It should logically have been the other way around from the startlaughing.

    "1940 - men age 65, women age 60
    In 1940 pension age for women was cut to 60 to try to ensure for most couples that the married rate would be paid as soon as the husband reached 65.

    1948 - retirement condition added
    From 1948, men had to retire as well as reach 65 to claim the new Retirement Pension paid under the National Insurance scheme. If their wife was still under 60 when they reached 65 and retired they could now claim a dependant's addition for her."

    More interesting facts/dates in a simple format here

     

  • Vicmallows
    Vicmallows Forum Participant Posts: 580
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    edited March 2017 #31

    Another reason not to forget your bus-pass:

    I found that on the occasions when a shop wanted additional identification when using a credit card, my bus-pass (with it's nice bold picture, name, and expiry date) was much preferred to any other ID (even passport, although I prefer not to carry that).