Beeb should be ashamed

Just as I was benefiting from all these extras old folk don’t deserve, I find that my free TV licence is being ripped out of my wallet.

It seems therefore that I shall in future have to pay for repeats of ancient films or for the salaries of talented people like Lineker and Winkleman.

Perhaps the vast numbers involved compared to say ITV for outside broadcasts need to be further increased. Furthermore, whereas previously I could be indoctrinated by the bunch of lefties at the Beeb who decide what is politically good for me and what isn’t FOC, I must now pay for the brainwashing. Not good.

There are suggestions that the old should rampage around the streets, throw house bricks through windows and thereby qualify for a cosseted life in prison (all costs including TV paid for by the State). This is perhaps not the way to go.

It is possibly a little unfair on society that all OAPs should get free bus passes and winter fuel allowances (especially if you now live in sunny Spain) or if you happen to be an ageing billionaire, even though they may have paid vast amounts into the Treasury over their working lives.

I’d put my foot down though if I had to pay for prescriptions. Yes I can afford these (just about), but I know many old folk who would not activate theirs if they had to pay. It would be a choice of heat, light and food or paying for the tablets they take. This is part of the NHS and I’ve stumped up plenty towards this during my life.

The situation could be ameliorated a little and without the extra cost of red tape involved in means testing by recouping winter fuel allowances and TV licence freebies from the richer amongst the old by clawing the payments back through tax returns made.

This would be a simple adjustment and would kick in at a given level of income.

The more affluent not requiring TV licences would merely tick an extra box on the tax return thereby nullifying the charge.

All information and receipts on TV licences would then be passed on to Aunty to squander on, for example, some new mindless cookery or game show programme, or even better to add more gravy to Mr Lineker’s gravy train.

Alan M Etheridge, West Midlands

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