NOTES TO REMEMBER

EDM Winter Fuel Allowance.

This is an Early Day Motion to protect our Fuel Allowance, so do please write to your MP and ask him to sign it. Although the Lib Dems promised they would not touch this, it is worth remembering that this Allowance and the Freedom Pass are now at risk since the Coalition appears to feel justified in breaking all promises made prior to the Election under the excuse that they have a massive deficit to deal with. If there had not been a "massive deficit", one wonders what their excuse would be. It looks as though the last Government unwittingly did them a favour!

If they do renege on these promises then one can only conclude that it is the hard-up, the elderly and the disabled who will be the victims or fall guys in this scenario - as ever. Does anything change? Its always the poor that pays isn't it!

Cutting benefits appears to be the first action to be taken to remedy a situation NOT OF THE PENSIONERS MAKING NOR THAT OF THE DISABLED AND NEEDY.

THE ROYAL MAIL
There is currently a petition to try and save the Royal Mail from privatisation. From press reports, it appears to be a done deal. Nevertheless you are asked to sign any petition protecting the Royal Mail, which comes your way.

Rallies, Petitions, EDMs are the only weapons we have to shout our cause unless we get lucky and the National Press jump in. So please come, sign and/or march. In today's political climate we need you and all the support you can give.

Pensioners Conference - 6th November 2010

Now more than ever we must make our anxieties known and shared with the Trades Unions. This is the annual event held at Somers Town Community Centre when we can speak, offer advice to those Union members not yet pensioners and urge them to use their powers to protect the elderly and disabled.

We have a number of speakers and hope to have our old friends from the Unions speak to us.

Our future is not so certain now we have a Government determined to make drastic cuts and so this is a good time to remind you all that the PENSION must NEVER be referred to as a benefit. It is a right and an entitlement which cannot be treated by tinkering and reducing, or worse, means testing. As such right, it can never be lumped together with other benefits making it vulnerable to the callous cuts now contemplated for other benefits.

Benefits may be subject to these cuts but the Pension should be immune to any tricks the Government wishes to perform with it. Make sure you correct anyone who refers to our Pension as a benefit. IT IS NOT.

NPC Rally - 27th October 2010

27th October. This is the date for the NPC Rally and Lobby. MAKE YOUR VOICE HEARD!

The programme is:

• 12 noon Protest at Old Palace Yard which is opposite the House of Commons.
• 1 p.m. rally at Methodist Central Hall
• 2 p.m. Lobby of MP's so write to your MP or MPs and see them to tell them about our problems.

Especially how the threatened cuts will affect Pensioners, in particular the Fuel Allowance and any encroachment in the future to the Freedom Pass.

NOW IS THE TIME TO MAKE OURSELVES KNOWN AND LOUDLY.