Free T V licences

I’m not inclined to make a contribution while they pay such high salaries to certain individuals. They do not appear to understand the value of money. 

Won't  qualify  for  mine  'til  December  this  year  and  NO  Rubygirl,  I  certainly  won't  offer  to  forgo  it  !  Especially  as  long  as  they  have  so  many  channels  on  FreeView  and  still  have  the  brass  nerve  to  say  ==  For  More  information  visit  our  Website/social  media  etcetera  !

This benefit should be paid by the Government, they swapped the liability for it, to have a Dig at the BBC.whom they hate. They would much rather us be paying our 145 quid a year to their mate.....that Crook Rupert Murdoch , the phone hacking king.Would I give up a free TV licence ?  I don't know, 5 years is a long time (I'm  only 70) but at 75 I think I'll  have earn it. So ,no.   But that doesn't mean that I begrudge the BBC an income stream, to keep them  Free to Air.

But the Government should be paying Pensioner Benefits not a broadcasting company.

... But the Government should be paying Pensioner Benefits not a broadcasting company.

I could not agree More.

I think that any funding should come from general taxation. That way, those who can afford to will contribute more, at whatever age. It would also avoid the need to prosecute those who don’t buy licences. 

I think that any funding should come from general taxation. That way, those who can afford to will contribute more, at whatever age. It would also avoid the need to prosecute those who don’t buy licences. 

How would you define "Those who can afford it" though?   Will it be payment for those of us who have looked after our money and free licenses ( and everything else!) for those who have spent every penny all their lives?

When thd CEO and all the highly paid minions and presenters and all these " celebs" swanning around the world on licence payers money CUT their income - then and only then would I even considerate it

Isn't it just speculation at the moment? One of those ideas put out there to guage what the reaction's likely to be?

We don't qualify for a few years yet, but, no I wouldn't give it up although I'd probably donate an equal sum to charity.

For me the worying thing is that some genuinely hard up pensioners would be "guilt tripped" into giving it up, even though it may be an important link to the outside world for them; I can just imagine my 89 year old Dad, living on his own, doing just that!

I think that any funding should come from general taxation. That way, those who can afford to will contribute more, at whatever age. It would also avoid the need to prosecute those who don’t buy licences. 

How would you define "Those who can afford it" though?   Will it be payment for those of us who have looked after our money and free licenses ( and everything else!) for those who have spent every penny all their lives?

My thoughts are that too much effort is being spent running the licence system, yet almost all of us have a television. If the BBC needs to continue to exist, it should be funded from general taxation. Whist some pensioners may be cash-rich and able to make a contribution, others are not so fortunate. Taxation collects (or tries to) in proportion to individuals’ ability to pay, so would address that inequality. 

As most of us watch non BBC programmes on our telly why should we be paying anyway. Its a cheek to ask us to forgo a perk whilst the elite live on perks -particularly the top dogs and their entourages at the BBC