Free bus passes for under 22s

[Deeranged]

I’m similar to what you say in your post only a bit younger, I’m 2 and a half years away from my card, but I’d rather this was giving at retirement age and the money used for other more important things or even taking away the 1% tax, it doesn’t just stop at 1%, once you hit £43k you go to 40%, rest of the UK is £50k, this is all wrong

As someone who's paid that rate of tax, and above, for years I see the card as a tiny bit of a scrape back. I can see that some would use it much more than me of course and some of those won't be like us and might never have paid any tax.

I agree with your earlier point regarding the under 22 entitlement - should be for school / college / university travel only and invalid after a cut off time and at weekends

[islaydarkblue]

I've worked since I was 16 with only four weeks where I didn't actually have work in that time and during which I didn't claim any unemployment benefit. I've paid my tax to successive UK and Scottish Governments and currently pay an additional 1% on my tax to cover some so called freebies by the current SNP Scottish Government. When I turned 60 I was given an 'entitlement card' that gets me free (although not really free) bus travel anywhere in Scotland. I've used that card once to get to Glasgow, I was accompanied by someone who didn't have a card and it cost them £10.00 - we paid £1 each booking fee so it cost the tax payer (me) £10. I've possibly used the card twenty times on local buses in the 18 months I've had it so possibly £60 worth on 'benefit' to me. The amount of tax I've paid over the last year, as stated on my P60, nearly drives me to tears.

And you grudge me that card, even though I'm working and essentially paying for it?

The extra 1% you pay on your Scottish income tax is not to pay for some so called freebies by the Scottish Government.
They are paid by the funds received annually from Westminster under the rules of the Barnett Formula.
These useless SNP and Green MSPs who voted in favour of charging higher rates of income tax than the rest of the U.K. did not do their homework.
As a result the Scottish Government coffers have received less income tax from high earners in Scotland than they thought that they would receive.
Initially the Westminster Government via the U.K. Treasury handed over any shortfall in the amounts raised from Scottish income tax compared to the expected amount but that may have stopped.
I do not see the point in having a Scottish Income Tax especially as extra staff have had to be employed to administer it and the projected amount to be raised is deducted from the annual amount received under the Barnett Formula.

[Deeranged]

The extra 1% you pay on your Scottish income tax is not to pay for some so called freebies by the Scottish Government.
They are paid by the funds received annually from Westminster under the rules of the Barnett Formula.
These useless SNP and Green MSPs who voted in favour of charging higher rates of income tax than the rest of the U.K. did not do their homework.
As a result the Scottish Government coffers have received less income tax from high earners in Scotland than they thought that they would receive.
Initially the Westminster Government via the U.K. Treasury handed over any shortfall in the amounts raised from Scottish income tax compared to the expected amount but that may have stopped.
I do not see the point in having a Scottish Income Tax especially as extra staff have had to be employed to administer it and the projected amount to be raised is deducted from the annual amount received under the Barnett Formula.

Thanks for confirming that a very small part of the tax I pay in Scotland comes back to me in the very small form of a freebie bus pass.

[jdfc]

Just another gripe about these free bus passes
Those in possession of these for what ever reason, can travel on the airport bus for a £1 booking fee, now I’m not convinced that someone going to the airport is living on the breadline

[eric_sinclair]

Just another gripe about these free bus passes
Those in possession of these for what ever reason, can travel on the airport bus for a £1 booking fee, now I’m not convinced that someone going to the airport is living on the breadline

As do those fiddling the disability benefits.
Canna work due to bad back then doing conga in Spain!

[The AuldYin]

As do those fiddling the disability benefits.
Canna work due to bad back then doing conga in Spain!

Doing a media wall for a lassie this week who takes home £1400 a month, her pal has Fibromyalgia and 2 laddies who are Autistic or ADHD or something disnae work and gets £2370 a month.

[Deeranged]

Just another gripe about these free bus passes
Those in possession of these for what ever reason, can travel on the airport bus for a £1 booking fee, now I’m not convinced that someone going to the airport is living on the breadline

It's not about whether anyone can afford it though. It was dressed up as a climate thing to get people out of cars and onto public transport. All contributes to the achievement of climate targets - another load or absolute tripe.

[jdfc]

It's not about whether anyone can afford it though. It was dressed up as a climate thing to get people out of cars and onto public transport. All contributes to the achievement of climate targets - another load or absolute tripe.

This climate **** does my nut in, Royal Mail have agreed to take 16 flights out, this means all mail will come to Scotland by road, every postie in the DD PH postcode will now start 90 minutes later meaning folk get their mail later, working to at least 16:30 on a Saturday some places later, do they really believe this will make a difference to the climate or is it the £££’s their saving

[Returnofrros]

This climate **** does my nut in, Royal Mail have agreed to take 16 flights out, this means all mail will come to Scotland by road, every postie in the DD PH postcode will now start 90 minutes later meaning folk get their mail later, working to at least 16:30 on a Saturday some places later, do they really believe this will make a difference to the climate or is it the £££’s their saving

No reason to it, just nonsense, UK less than 1%, Scotland must be about 0.1%

[islaydarkblue]

No reason to it, just nonsense, UK less than 1%, Scotland must be about 0.1%

Wee Pat and his tinpot Green policies have a lot to answer for.