It is being suggested that the issuing of the Freedom Pass does not benefit society and that older people do not contribute and give economic value in return.
A committee of MPs are discussing the possibility of abolishing the cheque system altogether by 2018. Bills will have to be settled online or by cash at outlets such as post offices where you can pay some bills. Campaigners against the abolition of cheques have argued that older people will have to horde cash and hide it around the house with which to pay bills. There are obviously security issues here which have concerned many older people’s charities. Furthermore, many people aged over 65 do not have access to the internet and do not trust making money transactions on it even if they acquired access. Cheques have been in existence for 350 years, and we at The Greater London Forum for Older People feel that the alternatives are not acceptable to many older people and we oppose the abolition of cheques.
