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National Union of Older People
Send Email to Clive Mort
I became President of our Forum in December 2006, my place as Chairman having been ably taken by Jim McFetrich. As part of the Welsh Assembly Government's Strategy for Older People, 'SHOUT the Voice of the Older Community in the County of Bridgend, was formed. The basic State pension continues to be eroded. So, if the larger proportion of the electorate are older people, why
are those dependent on basic pension not being treated fairly?
I have concluded that we don't count because we are not organised and therefore lack the influence exerted by other more vociferous sections of society. The Unions have collectively established the minimum wage to safeguard the earnings level of those on the bottom end of the pay scale and have proved that by banding together results will surely follow.
Perhaps we need to form a National Union of Older People. In Bridgend, we have been clear from the outset that there was need for a unified older persons forum because whilst we accepted there are many very good older people's organisations in existence, they are fragmented. Now that we have our SHOUT organisation in the County, we believe we are able to enjoy more respect and
exert more influence on behalf of our older community than ever before. To illustrate the point, we were all, I am sure, impressed by the National Pensioners Convention (NPC) Charter featured in Forum to Forum, with its admirable aims and objectives. We noted that 1000 Pensioners had lobbied 300 MPs to give their support to the Charter. So why has this campaign failed to gather momentum and thus achieve the desired result? Might I suggest that all older people without
exception will agree wholeheartedly with the demands of the Charter. If this is so, then the only reason for it being largely ignored is that we are seen as fragmented and not capable of making our presence felt. Have we now reached the time to become unified?
What would have been the result of 10,000 older people lobbying Parliament or 100,000 letters and emails arriving on MPs' desks one bright and sunny morning?
Is a National Union of Older People the only way to seriously influence Government and correct the many injustices which exist? We undoubtedly have numbers on our side. Is this the time for the gentle giant to stir?
What do other people think?
Clive Mort, President, Bridgend County Shout
Woe, woe and thrice
woe!
I am an Old Age Pensioner, as the
Government call me in their non-stop
barrage of 'helpful' but useless
leaflets*. I prefer to be called a
Senior Citizen. I think that the
older generation deserve more
respect from the people in power,
and the younger generation.
To be called an "Old Age Pensioner"
makes you feel old and 'pensioner'
makes you feel as if you are
sponging off the state. Let's face
it, the amount of pension most old
people get now is not nearly
sufficient to live a decent life
with. The Government have admitted
now that 50% of "Old Age Pensioners"
are living on or below the poverty
line. They even give us £200 every
year to help pay for the heating in
our homes. To me that is admitting
they know that OAP's don't get a
decent pension. Guilt money.
Let us not forget that it was the
Conservatives who removed the link
between wages and pensions the last
time they were in power. Now they
say "If you vote for us next time we
will restore the link". Personally I
think they are lying; as all
politicians do in order to get into
government to line their own pockets
with gold!
I know I have blogged about this
before, but as the cold weather
approaches I am reminded of what a
struggle it was to keep warm last
winter on my small pension. When the
weather was really cold I could only
afford to heat one room in my house
and shut off the bedrooms and one
room downstairs until the warmer
weather came in the Spring. So I was
actually living in a bed-sit in my
own house! In the one room I had my
bed, video-player, radio, computer,
books and food. When I visited the
bathroom it was very quick I can
assure you! I can stand any amount
of heat in the Summer, but I just
can't tolerate the cold.
My gas-bill has been increased 3
times this year already, it's 72%
higher than this time last year for
the same amount of gas! My
electricity bill is up by nearly
60%, and the council tax went up by
8%. My "Old Age Pension" went up in
April by 1.78%!
But, I hear you say, what about the
£200 I get in addition to the
standard pension? That, my friends,
goes towards paying off my credit
card from which I have had to borrow
to supplement my pension throughout
the year to pay my necessary
outgoings.
*The
leaflets I get through the door
from the 'Ministry of Certain
Things' are written by people
completely out of touch with the
way Senior Citizens live. They
contain really useful info like
"Keep warm this winter by
turning up the heat in your
home", "Cook and eat lots of hot
food", "Fit double-glazing and
loft insulation" (Who the ****
is going to give me the money
for all that?
Well, the leaflets make funny
reading and give me a laugh as I
crouch over the two candles in the
fireplace, warming my frozen fingers
on a bowl of hot gruel and nibbling
my bit of dried bread. *cue sad
violin music*
Keith
DENTAL CHARGES
I read with interest the
information about the new system of NHS dental charges in
England and noted that according to that information nobody
will pay more than £189 for a course of dental treatment.
This begs the question of what constitutes a course of
dental treatment. I recently broke a piece off a previously
filled tooth and the filling came out leaving a cavity with
sharp edges.
I telephoned my usual dental surgery, explained
the problem and was extremely pleased when the receptionist
to whom I spoke told me that my dentist had a gap that same
morning so I was seen very quickly. The dentist told me that
the tooth needed crowning, that he would temporarily fill it
and X-ray it and that I would need to make two further
appointments over the next couple of weeks for impressions
to be taken and the crown to be fitted. He explained that an NHS crown cost
£189 and told me that there were more
expensive crowns available privately. I opted for an NHS
crown.
When I left after the initial visit I was charged
£15.50. When I asked whether this sum would be deducted from
the £189 fee for the crown, I was told that this charge was
additional to the £189 fee. When I said that this seemed to
be at variance with the information on charging given in the NHS guide "What you need to know about changes to NHS
dentistry in England", this was refuted by the dentist who
said that the initial visit was classed as 'urgent care' and
constituted a complete course of treatment for which he was
entitled quite properly to levy a charge of £15.50 even
though the filling was described by him as temporary and I
had agreed at the time to further procedures, namely an
X-ray and a crown.
Do you concur
with my view that the way my dentist is charging NHS
patients is at odds with the information provided for
patients in both the NHS booklet and on your website? Is my
dentist correct in his assertion that because I went to see
him with a dental problem that arose between routine
check-ups, this (what he called "urgent care") attracts a
standalone charge of £15.50 and the subsequent necessary and
wholly related treatment, in this instance the crowning of
the tooth, attracts an additional cost of £189?
My dentist is
adamant that he is administering charges correctly and does
not concede that there is any contradiction in the charges
he makes to NHS patients and those set out in the NHS
guidelines to patients which are paraphrased on your website
and which say that the most any patient can be charged for a
course of treatment is £189.
Colin Jackson
blitzofglitz@ntlworld.com
My email
address is:
colin_macer@yahoo.com
FREE? Bus Travel
I live in a small village with many
pensioners just 5 miles to the north of Cambridge called Bar
Hill.
At present we enjoy 50% bus fare
reduction which means a return to the city centre is £1.25.
Under the new 'free' bus fares for pensioners coming into effect
April 1st the return fare will be £1.80 a 44% increase.
Now Mr Browne may think we have lost
our marbles and be beyond logic but my cynicism has never been
better.
Just before the last General
Election we were promised 'free' bus fares and
given £200 'to help with Council Tax' This year after the
General Election the £200 was conspicuous by its absence.
Now guess when the 'free' bus fares
are going to be 'regularised' across the country 2008 - one year
before the next General Election. I would confidently predict
more 'help' with council tax in 2006.
FREE? Bus Travel
I read with interest the article about Cambridge pensioners being
worse off with their new concessionary travel scheme. Exactly the
same situation has occurred with the new improved Nottingham City
pensioners concessionary travel scheme.
Prior to the new improved City card pensioner asses being issued in
April we paid £7.50 for a yearly pass giving free travel within the
city extended up to Hucknall in the North and Ruddington in the
south, but passes could not be used at peak hours morning and
evening. We could buy Day Rover tickets with Stagecoach at half
price and travel to Doncaster, Sheffield, Meadowhall, Worksop Etc.
We could also buy half price rover tickets on The Sherwood Forester
buses. With our new passes we do not pay for our passes and can now
travel during the evening peak times but have had the Stagecoach
half price tickets withdrawn and also The Sherwood Forester half
price day tickets withdrawn.
I wrote to the council about it but was told that we were being
given more than legislation called for. Just half a mile up the
road from us in the county, pensioners can now travel free
throughout Nottinghamshire and also into adjoining counties, (South
Yorks, Derbyshire, Lincolnshire, and Leicestershire) providing there
is a through fare they can also get half price travel on the local
rail network.
I think that all pensioners should be treated the same and that what
is supposed to be happening in two years time should be introduced
immediately. Dennis Fickling, Nottingham
With the advent of the new bus passes in April 2008 we
shall lose the "right" to travel before 9.30am and after 11pm.
Living as we do in a village, this means we shall no
longer be able to spend a day of reasonable length with our
children and grandchildren, and still be in our own home that
night. Unless we pay of course.
The reason given (apart from money that is) is that we
shall clutter up the buses. Well, the double-decker bus we take
to get to the railway station never has more than a dozen
passengers on it.
We should not arrive at the railway station until 10.30,
then a train journey of at least 1 hour, then another short
onward bus journey (free, hooray!)
So far we have accomplished this journey easily, so we
are extremely disappointed that our entitlement is being
reduced.
The government blames the local council, and they blame
the government.
What do other Seniors think?
Margaret Astill
LETTERS
Ken Savage the General Secretary of the
Greater London Pensioners Association
Join the GLPA - We can make the change!
When you collect your retirement
state pension next, as you wait for your hospital appointment,
treatment or surgery - if you are one of the 1.5 million on the
council waiting list for a home - spare a thought for the board of
executives and major share holders of Centrica, parent company of
British Gas, whose predicted profit of £1.53 billion for 2005 pales
into the realms of corporate poverty when compared to oil giant
British Petroleums record sum of £11.4 billion and the corporate
record breaking Royal Dutch Shell which turned in profits of £12.93
Billion.
This profit accumulating obscenity continues apace it
appears, with the blessing of Mr Blair and Mr Gordon Browns New
Labour government.
While for the millions in this country the hardship
continues as they find it increasingly hard to barely exist on
Europes lowest basic retirement pension and many of whom are
struggling to pay fuel bills on miserable means tested benefits. e
are threatened with the announcement of a further huge increase in
the price we have to pay for gas, the government has said that the
winter fuel allowance is to be frozen for the next few years.
Any caring government worthy of the support of the nations
pensioners would slap an immediate windfall tax on these excessive
profits and regulate the amount that these profiteering gas and
electricity companies charge. Last year more than 30,000 senior
citizens of this country died from cold related illness - let us
measure these deaths of the older folk in relation to Centricas
announced 83 per cent increase in their operating profit! It is a
bloody national crime that must be fully exposed and brought to an
end.
The deteriorating environment is of little or no concern to
the boardroom tycoon, they are not unduly concerned about what is
likely to happen in 10 years time; their boardroom discussions are
carried out to make sure that they get their big bonus and stock
options next year, not in 10 years time.
Events move so fast today that to predict social and human
affairs is hardly possible. The movement of events will develop and
go one way or the other according to the will and organised movement
of the people, in todays uncertain developments both National and
World Wide there are numerous possibilities for change. One thing
is certain, the tasks for us are greater, the issues are many and
the movement of the people will intensify. World wide the threat to
peace and the social welfare and security for all people must be of
serious concern to us all and the political uncertainty of millions
of people make the task for change today more difficult.
The organised pensioners movement has been actively engaged
in struggle to defend our social welfare gains for more than 30
years. Many have fallen out of the struggle, disillusioned by the
lack of progress. We have to be realistic and understand that you do
not give up each and every time that you fail to achieve your
immediate objective; the gains you seek involve long, hard and
sometimes frustrating struggles against social injustice.
To give up is a guarantee that the situation for pensioners
will by reason of no resistance get progressively worse. From early
learning, the mass of the people are conditioned by the daily
presentation of news from the media; to be passive, follow
obediently and accept the line and direction of government. They
then become the victims of this daily propaganda; understanding
campaigns and events of the past proves a great educator. Getting
people interested in a specific issue is not all that difficult,
thats the first step to building the organised movement, the
greater the movement the greater me power for change, thats the way
to stop the ongoing private infiltration of our NHS and thats me
way to achieve full rights for women in society.
So what shall we do? There are no easy answers, there never
has been an easy answer to overcoming social injustice imposed by
government for generations. If you genuinely want to do
something, to make changes, then you have to be committed and
dedicated to the cause, day in and day out. Educate, agitate and
organise others, thats the only way forward to rouse consciousness
and understanding, there is no other way. Take the first step and
join with us in the pensioners organised movement. You can become a
member simply by sending in the slip on the back of this Newsletter.
You may not yet be a pensioner, but you will be. dont leave
it to others to campaign on your behalf for a decent pension, health
and community care, Organised unity has, can, and will defeat
injustice in this wealth divided society.
Ken Savage
WESTON-SUPER-MARE
SENIOR CITIZENS FORUM
Tel: 01934 812889
Email:
arlington@bleadonhill.fsnet.co.uk
10 October 2005
Dear Editor,
WAGE WAR ON
WASTE?WWW?
Councillor
Roes recent comments in the press regarding council staff paying
for car parking were interesting because more and more parking
spaces at Carlton Street and Locking Road car parks are being taken
over by council employees for free which results in less income
being received from the paying council tax payers.
In
2005/06 the relevant department budgeted that it would receive an
extra £100,000 from car parking increases. However, they forgot
their statutory obligation to publish these increases until May and
were therefore unable to implement them until June, by which time
most pensioners managed to purchase their annual parking ticket for
£37 instead of the outrageous increase to £125 which the council had
budgeted for.
With the Councils rapidly increasing staff numbers, which is of no
direct benefit to the public, it can be of no surprise that staff
costs over the past three years have increased by £21million and
that figure does not include pension costs. There has been no
improvement in front line services, in fact we now hear that they
are again considering closing Poppyfields (an estimated saving of
£200,000). Yet they are setting up a NEW team of seven staff to
promote sustainable travel, to tell us to get on the buses and, if
you dont cycle to work, we now have an officer to tell us that we
should. Who authorises these jobs? Apparently Councillors are not
aware of them. It really does seem that the Council has different
priorities to the ones we need.
Another interesting item is the process of selling off all our
Council housing stock (book value £375million) for £61/2million.
If this is the case, why are they intent on retaining a Housing
Department of 51 staff and an Executive Council member who manages
the Council housing portfolio?
The Council boasts that it operates 750 services. How many of these
are essential to the taxpayer and have an impact on our lives? How
many are non-essential and are just there to provide a mountain of
paperwork which has no benefit or relevance to the council tax
payers yet contributes to staffing costs and an ever increasing
bill? These, and many other examples of war on waste, will be
investigated and highlighted by the Senior Citizens Forum over the
months running up to the Budget.
We
know the council tax system is unfair and wasteful. We know the
system is bureaucratically top heavy. We know it is indifferent to
the needs of the people it is supposed to serve. But, most of all,
we know that we can no longer sustain ever increasing council tax
payments which are driving more and more people into poverty and
despair.
Yours sincerely,
Ken Lacey MBE, Chairman
30/03/05
MINIMUM STATE PENSION (NON-MEANS TESTED)
Jamie Oliver's successful campaign on
minimum standard schools meals should demonstrate how to shift
Government on any justifiable cause.
Whether Gordon Brown remains as
Chancellor or becomes Prime Minister remain distinct possibilities,
but the Government (of whichever political colour) has got to be
shifted away from the means testing route for the basic minimum,
since income tax removes excess income from those who
possibly receive more than necessary.
A body of personalities on radio & TV,
and in the press, preaching this gospel, referring to their parents
or grandparents, etc. at this time just before an imminent General
Election has got to be the way forward.
Opportunism it may be, but retired
Seniors will never get their justified minimum state pension
relying on low profile pressure groups.
Regards
Derek L Gregory
Hello john,
I received your message about the recent budget sting! to oap's,
however I wonder if you could verify when you have to be 65
because I live on my own and receive the single person's rebate
on the Community Tax and I will be 65 in July of this year.
I have never claimed any other rebate because I was working
part-time until the end of last year. By biggest crib is about
having to attempt to claim any pension credit by disclosing all
my personal and private incomes.
I really do feel and having talked to others in the same
situation that once we reach pension age after having worked
most of the years since leaving school we should get the rate
that the government says that all pensioners should have instead
of having to, once again declare all income. It is a most unfair
system and I am not surprised that many do not apply because of
the intrusion into our private incomes. What is happening to all
this unclaimed income! and if their was no requirement to claim
then it would do away with all the administration connected with
this ridiculous setup.
As the situation is I can't see that their is any incentive for
younger folk to save and buy into extra pensions when they see
that those who did so are not any better off for doing so!!!
Yours, Liz
Dear All.
after reading letter after letter about council tax and the limits
pensioners have put upon them if they have savings above what ever it
is, the next thing will be taking the value of your
home into account ( in a way the government do already ) .
We say we must not be political CRAZY.
We should be political in our own right i.e. a IS IT FAIR / SENIORS
party, with us standing in every council and parliament election going,
just standing for fair play for our problems and not just be trod on.
The Grey vote can be a massive mover and its the only way things are
going to be changed.
Think if we withdrew our support from all the things we do for nothing
the effects would be more than just felt.
Best Regards
Norman Harris
PS. Would like to hear your thoughts.
normanharris@onetel.com
Your Ref FLG/4/2/010
Dear Mr Meyler,
As spokesman for the HARROW COUNCIL TAX
CAMPAIGN (HCTC) which resulted last year in us receiving 25000
signatures against the massive increases in Council Tax since 1997 of
120% I was amazed to read the letter you sent one of our residents a
Mr David A Stanley for the following reasons.
You state that you are making a good
settlement this year well that is no surprise seeing that we are
approaching a General Election , you also state that Sir Michael Lyons
is investigating but you fail to mention we will not receive the
results to after the Election how convenient.
You also state that Pensioners are better
of but fail to mention that 20% of Pensioners in England are living in
poverty and that 18,400 died from the cold last year and these figures
were given to me by Help The Aged so how can Gordon Brown says he is
worried about poverty World wide when he ignores the poverty in
England?
And you also fail to mention that
Pensioners under 70 does not get the extra £50 or the £100 given last
year but this is ludicrous as 65 is the retirement age but you
discriminate against any body under 70 why?
You also forget to mention that Pensioners
have to pay higher Gas, Electric Council Tax and Water Bills so any
Pension increases are used straight away so increases must be in line
with wages not inflation.
Also if a Pensioner get Pension Credit
why are they not entitled to a Council Tax reduction without filling
out more forms as you have the information from the Pension Credit
Form?
So after speaking to our members their is
no way the Pensioners are better of unlike your MPs who have a
guaranteed Pension for five years whilst every body else does not live
but just exists.
As it is the Pensioners who come out
to vote in an Election and as most of our members are Pensioners it
will be very interesting to hear your views especially how the
rebanding is going to effect us when it comes in force as the 25000
HCTC members have seen what has happened in Wales and they are very
worried.
On another point our residents want the
GLA to reduce our London Precept as we cannot afford to pay this on
fixed incomes and we are not interested in the Olympic games either
as Harrow will not get any benefit from it.
I look forward to your reply.
Stanley Sheinwald
Spokesman
HCTC
0208 421 1281
Hi Everyone
My name is Sithy Hedges and I have a 71 year old wonderful mother who
lives in Luton. On June 21st 2003 we held an event call Young At Heart
for the elderly which was mostly attended by those who lived in the
council flats around my mum's area.
It was a musical event with many old time entertainers, raffle and light
refreshment. It was so successful simply to see the pleasure in
everyone's faces. It was completely free and most of the food and raffle
prizes were contributions by local businesses. The entertainers were
free except for a couple who only wanted travel expenses. The acts were
were well rehearsed with lots of variety and wonderful costumes and
included all ages from children to the retired.
The event was to acknowledge the contribution that the elderly had made
to family, community and country. It was just a day of fun for all as
many of the pensioners really believe that they are forgotten and it
would be great if everyone was made aware how rich the contribution that
they make to us.
Many wanted to know if I would do this again.
Well I am committed to make this an annual event. However, I am
proposing to make this an event in many places of the UK as possible.
An event called Young at heart, on the same day, at the same time under
the same banner, all over the UK. I waould like to meet prospective
volunteers who are willing to operate in their area, working
independantly but within certain sets of criteria to ensure that it is
recognisable as the same event.
It would involve getting sponsors, entertainers, volunteers etc. and the
media.
I would very much appreciate your view on my proposal and what action
can be taken to ensure a wonderful Young At Heart Day in June 2004.
Looking forward to your response
Sithy
Good Morning from Cape town.
Just writing to thank you for the July Newsletter. Being so far away
from home its good to get what news we can. Regards. Carol Ratcliff
Mr S. Sheinwald
12 Ridgeway Court
1 The Avenue
Hatch End
Middlesex
HA5 4UT.
Tel: 0208 421 1138
As a pensioner how am I expected to pay a rise of 21.3% in
Council Tax as my single state pension is so low and as our rise
in pension is linked to inflation my increase is nothing
compared to the proposed rise.
Is it not time that all pensioners in England said enough is
enough and with 11 million pensioners votes at stake this
Government would have to listen after all the MPs gave
themselves a hefty 40 % pay rise with a shorter working week and
longer holidays and also voted themselves a protected pension
package and the whole deal is unfair to every pensioner in the
Country.
The UK is unique in the inequalities to pensioners in this
Country for example 25% of pensioners live below the poverty
line of 60% of median household income. This is a miserable
achievement for this Government from 27% in 1997.
The UK is very mean to pensioners when compared to other well of
countries.
And when you take into account that many pensioners just live on
the basic state pension which has declined in proportion of
average earnings, and is set to further to dwindle to 7% by
2050, and how can this Government justify an increase of just
25p increase in your pension when you reach 80 years of age?
And I am sure that any pensioners who have savings are having
their capital eroded by the low interest rates so this
Government and our MPs must now do everything possible and start
listening to the voters after all the last government lost the
election because they refused to listen to the public and unless
this Government helps the pensioners we should send a clear
message that the Councillors and the MPs should not count on our
vote in the local or national elections.
What this Government fails to realise is that it is not the
young ones who take the time to vote but it is the pensioners
who are mostly seen at the polling booths in Local and national
elections.
So I ask all pensioners to write to your MPs and tell them that
unless they start fighting for the pensioners to live a decent
life without worry and with dignity they should not count on any
future votes and then they will realise they had better start to
listen to the poor pensioners. |
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