I have just discovered the Pensioner Concession Card in Australia and immediately thought it would be a good scheme for the UK.
Who can get a Pensioner Concession Card - Pensioner Concession Card - Services Australia
I will be writing to my MP this evening about the scheme with a view to having such a scheme here in the UK. If you agree then I urge you all to write to your MP too about it.
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Don’t we get a lot of those benefits already in the U.K., though?
Free prescriptions, free access to hearing services, bus pass, you can buy a Senior Railcard to reduce train fairs, winter fuel allowance
As far as council tax and utilities, I’d rather see help with those aimed at the poorest, regardless of age, than just targeted at pensioners, some of whom are quite wealthy
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My hairdresser used to offer OAPs cheap haircuts, when he stopped I asked him why. He said something like, “Younger customers saw the sign on the wall and thought it unfair, they said OAPs are amongst the well-to-do, get too many state handouts already, none of them are poor”.
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There are a lot of wealthy and comfortably off OAPs, I would rather any discounts go to the poorest in the community.
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What about the pensioners who are not well off and wealthy though…?
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I would be interested to know the definition of “well off and wealthy” in terms of retired people - also the percentage of those “well off and wealthy” in terms of the whole retired population which in your view constitutes “a lot”. Or else it’s simply guesswork on your part and means very little.
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Well, I get some:
Benefits of the card
With a Pensioner Concession Card (PCC) you can get cheaper medicine, bulk billed doctor visits and help with hearing services.
With your card you can get:
- cheaper medicine under the Pharmaceutical Benefits Scheme ( I get mine free on the NHS)
- bulk billed doctor visits, which will depend on your doctor if you are eligible for these (I asume that NHS doctors still visit free)
- a bigger refund for medical costs when you reach the Medicare Safety Net (all my ailments are dealt with for free on the NHS)
- help with hearing services, such as the Hearing Services Program on the Department of Health and Aged Care website (AFAIK, such services are free on the NHS)
- discounts to redirect your mail through Australia Post. (N/A)
Your dependent child may also be able to get some of these benefits. (N/A)
Other benefits
From January 2020, if you live in Western Australia or Victoria we won’t send travel vouchers with your PCC. Read more on the Transwa website or the Public Transport Victoria website.
Your state or territory government and local council (1) may offer you more benefits. They may lower your:
- utility bills
- property and water rates
- public transport fare
- motor vehicle registration
- train fare.
(1) I receive help with council tax and I have a bus pass
The Winter Fuel Allowance from the DWP is, of course, very helpful.
I consider myself to be financially comfortable .
Having no financial worries no mortgage or loans, pay all my bills by direct debit, have several holidays each year, nice car …Money isn’t an issue.
Any discounts as suggested in the OP could be better used to provide comfort for the poorest in the community.
Young families struggling to keep a roof over their heads .
The disadvantage healthwise ,family carers.
The poorest on benefits .
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Thank you for your explanation Ripple. I suppose then that I am in the same position as you in that I have no debts, several holidays a year and so on. I have never considered myself as being wealthy but had saved carefully for my retirement. I just wonder though how many pensioners are in this position and how many are just scraping by and need those additional benefits. I suppose we’ll never know the full number because I read that many who could claim Pension Credit don’t do so because of pride, I find that very sad.
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But if we are comparing U.K. pensioners to Australian pensioners, then I have read that the Australian holders of those Pensioner Concession Cards will already have been means-tested to test their eligibility to receive a state Age Pension in the first place - and the amount of state pension they receive is dependent on their private income and assets - unless I’ve misunderstood their system, the wealthier they are, the less state pension they receive.
That’s quite different to the way State Pensions are calculated in U.K., based on number of years National Insurance Contributions, and paid out irrespective of their private income and assets.
I didn’t realise we were comparing like for like. .
My reply was purely a response to the OP
There aren’t in Australia - the pension is means tested, it cuts out completely once your assets exceed a certain figure as in the table below (the house you live in doesn’t count as an asset) but we don’t contribute to our pension and everybody is entitled to the same amount.
https://www.servicesaustralia.gov.au/assets-test-for-age-pension/
The OP was suggesting that U.K. adopt a Pensioner Concession scheme similar to Australia.
My point was that if we did that in U.K. then the wealthy would not be getting discounts - they would not be eligible for one of those Pensioner Concession Cards which give them discounts because the whole scheme is based on a means-tested state benefit.
Hi Bruce I wasn’t dissing this scheme with regard to Australian pensioners . I am pleased to hear there’s a financial safety net in place.
I was querying its necessity for the UK, as many of the benefits the most needy pensioners already receive.
Also it is a fact many younger age groups and those with disabilities have limited access to benefits in the U.K. are faced with living in extreme poverty .
If that would mean the wealthy amongst us would get no benefits what so ever .
Yes I’m all in favour . It’s highly likely this will be the last year the winter fuel payment along with the Xmas bonus will be paid .
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When you are old, you don’t need much, it ain’t about the incomings its about the outgoings 
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That’s true: it’s the local soup kitchen for lunch and that’s your day out, no clubs and gigs into the early hours you’re tucked up in bed.
Bingo!
This was my reason for having this card universally to everyone upon retiring. This would give access to all entitlements without having to jump through hoops etc and even applying.
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Don’t you think todays 67 + age group have become benefit savvy.
Unlike past generations who lived through the wars to proud to ask for what they considered charity.
This attitude is almost a thing of the past with internet & tv info.
After all we are now the older generation….my apologies to anyone in their 50s 