The days of cheaper cinema tickets and discounted attractions may be coming to an end
By Sean Gallen
The BBC’s recent announcement of plans to axe free TV licences for those aged 75 and older has sparked further questions as to whether discounts for older generations are discriminatory.
Currently, any household including a person over 75 is exempt from paying £150.50 a year for the BBC. But by June 2020 this system is set to be scrapped.
The decision has faced backlash from Age UK, whose petition calling for the government to restore funding for the elderly has over 79,000 signatures.
They claim that for the oldest people in the country, television is their main form of company.
The BBC is one of many benefits that may be stripped from the older generation in coming years, with older visitors now also being asked to pay full price for admission to many of Britain’s attractions.
Isn’t it about time?
£65million worth of concessions are given to the over-60s every year, regardless of their ability to pay.
Many attractions offer concessions to the over-60s but offer no discounts for students or young people.
This suggests that the over-60s are more likely to be struggling financially than recent graduates.
As house prices and university tuition fees increase, surely it is time to base concessions on someone’s ability to pay rather than their age.
People often assume that those on retirement-level incomes need additional financial support. But, a recent report into wealth in the UK found that those who are retired are now wealthier than graduates, proving that the pricing policies of these attractions doesn’t reflect the growing income of pensioners.
Removing age as a measure of need will ensure all demographics are able to participate in culture.