So much for working hard for a pension

From: Ian Barnes, Blake Court, Wheldrake, York.

IT was interesting to read the report regarding Nick Clegg’s broadcast on a radio phone-in (Yorkshire Post, January 11), in particular about the benefits warning to wealthier pensioners. He cited Peter Stringfellow and Sir Alan Sugar as examples of people who don’t need the benefits available to them.

Whereas I wouldn’t disagree with him regarding multi-millionaires getting these benefits, for the Government to make any real savings on the entitlement to winter fuel payments, bus passes and television licences, the latter applying to people of 75 and older, they would have to cast their net further. Going after the likes of Sir Alan Sugar will not make any real savings – they would have to go after the pensioner who has invested during their working life in company or personal pension schemes and possibly never claimed any sort of state benefit and having savings invested, so when they do retire they can enjoy the years left to them.

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Once again, those of us that have made provision for our retirement will be the ones to pay for other people’s mistakes such as what happened in the banking industry, multi-millionaires not paying the correct amount of tax and businesses finding loopholes to avoid taxation, which comes under the euphemism of being tax efficient!

Clegg, Cameron and Osborne won’t go after multi-millionaires and big businesses because these are the people who contribute to party funds. Remember the U-turn budget last April when pensioners helped pay for tax reductions for the top earners? That’s because we are always going to be the soft option.

Bear in mind that we have one of the poorest state pensions in the western world and it seems the Government want to reduce any extra benefits we get even further. So much for working hard until retirement.

From: Mike Padgham, Chair, Independent Care Group (York and North Yorkshire), Eastfield House, Eastway, Eastfield, Scarborough.

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IN this, the pantomime season, it looks as though, just like Cinderella, social care won’t go to the ball quite yet.

In its mid-term review, the Government merely said that an announcement on how it plans to tackle the future care of older and vulnerable adults would be made in due course. It had been expected that the coalition would announce measures, including a cap on how much an individual would be expected to pay towards their own care costs. It didn’t come and we are again left wondering: will they or won’t they introduce measures suggested by the Dilnot Commission now 18 months ago? Oh yes they will ... oh no they won’t!

We have been waiting for social care funding reform for what seems like ages and it’s time this pantomime was over. It would be better if they just came clean and told us what, if anything, they do plan to do. In the end Cinderella did get to go to the ball, we need to know if social care will too.

From: G Ellison, Hawthorne Avenue, Dronfield.

WHEN is posh boy David Cameron going to remember that since becoming our unelected PM the Tory toffs are not protecting pensioners’ allowances? The heating allowance was instantly cut when they got into power. They have rich friends to look after.

From: Robert Holland, Skipton Road, Cononley.

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IF the cap on benefits for the unemployed was fair, Yorkshire MPs will no doubt seek an increase in MPs’ salaries of the same amount – one per cent.

No additions to current expenses for inflated travel costs, rising costs of food, fuel or housing, just like the unemployed. We are all in this together.

Don’t weaken an institution

From: Chris Schorah, Gascoigne Avenue, Leeds.

DAVID Craggs solves the faith difficulties associated with the proposed redefinition of marriage simply by redefining God (Yorkshire Post, January 8). His divine being is “all-inclusive”.

However, the God I know through the Christian faith isn’t. He is not all-inclusive when it comes to our wrongdoing or indeed for any attribute which is not for our good and weakens communities and families. Marriage, as presently defined, is for our benefit. It has been the bedrock of society and all evidence indicates that it’s the best environment for raising children.

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The present proposals to redefine marriage will weaken an institution that has stood the test of time and probably remove terms like husband, wife, mother and father from legal documents and education.

Deflated by wind farms

From: Peter L Ramsden, Gun Bank, Masham.

IT was stated recently that applications have been received for further wind farms close to Harrogate. One for four, one for seven and 17 in the pipeline.

It was also stated that Yorkshire Water wanted to reduce their carbon footprint by 15 per cent and this would go part way towards that figure. All that expense and disfiguration of the countryside for a portion of 15 per cent.

Like most things that politicians tell us, or do not tell us, not many people can honestly say what the practical output really is. I do not mean maximum in a fair wind, but day to day average over 12 months. All the people who have their property devalued, or business affected adversely should be generously compensated. Then add that to the installation cost and see what these white elephants cost. Compare it to savings on electricity over 10 years.

No one dare give an honest answer.