Over 75s deserve ‘modest’ free TV licences benefit
DESPITE a Tory election promise to keep free TV Licences for the over 75s, over 6,000 Bromsgrove households will lose this modest but helpful 20-year-old benefit.
A bit like the Lib-Dem manifesto pledge to abolish student tuition fees,eh?
Now, most Bromsgrove over 75s will have to pay £157.50 to the BBC in London annually, depriving the Bromsgrove economy of a whopping £1million every year.
Even more frightening, current law allows 80 and 90-year-olds to be taken to court if they do not pay.
Is this the type of society we wish to live in?
Most European countries treat their elderly far better.
This benefit was introduced here in 2000 to reduce social isolation in the elderly, and as a small thank you to a generation which had endured a World War and rebuilt Britain in peacetime.
However, it is not so much the money, but the fact that we were not consulted or asked our opinion, as if we were unimportant and, because we are elderly, do not matter any more.
For the first time in my 77 years, this petty, mean-minded, uncharitable act makes me ashamed to be British.
Our Government spends £13billion every year in Foreign Aid, but can not afford £750million for pensioners’ TV licences.
Wartime Baby,
Bromsgrove
Councillor’s day centre claims miss the main issues
I PRESUME the day centres Coun Peter McDonald refers to (but not explicit) are for adults (letters, August 21).
Covid-19 is not going away and many of those people usually attending day centres are at a high to moderate risk of infection.
People identified as at risk include those with diabetes, cerebral palsy and multiple sclerosis.
There are equally those with ‘Intellectual Disability’ who may find difficulty in understanding the virus itself and the need for social distancing.
Further, those with a learning disability may be at a higher risk of severe respiratory disease.
Worcestershire County Council‘s website identifies a multitude of issues in reinstating services in respect of safety, complexity and diversity of services provided.
Staff consideration is also important and particularly any volunteers, invariably older people.
Coun McDonald should firstly follow the science and secondly, if genuinely concerned, establish a befriending service to support those in need.
Mike Marshall MIHM, DHSM
With £80k plus expenses does our MP need bank job?
IT IS interesting our hard-working MP needs further income, despite MPs being paid around £80,000 plus expenses to cover the costs of running an office, employing staff, having somewhere to live in London or their constituency, and travelling between the two.
Many in ‘normal’ jobs, as part of their contract of employment, have to agree to not taking secondary employment.
MPs tell us how hard a job they have, which takes up so much time and effort.
Obviously Sajid Javid is a special case as he can find the time to deal with his constituents and take a high powered job with JP Morgan.
And there was I thinking the Bromsgrove constituency was a large area to take responsibility for.
I wrote to our MP a week ago about a simple financial matter (his area of expertise) and all I have received is an automated email response saying he is busy dealing with Covid 19.
I think we the Bromsgrove voters deserve an explanation of how he, our MP has sufficient time to carry out both jobs without one being neglected.
Julian Hill
More questions need to be asked over Covid-19 statistics
MR JAVID has a great new role as adviser for JP Morgan, which should be quite lucrative, just like it was when Blair and Osborne were rewarded for ‘services rendered’.
He walked out of his role as Chancellor that he worked for ten years for just before the ‘virus scenario’ really kicked in, in the UK.
Am I wrong for being suspicious?
Will children have to wear masks in school and be made to take tests that don’t actually prove they have Covid? Instead, the test confirms they have a coronavirus (any cold or flu) of some sort in their systems, which would be normal, at any time for anyone?
Are we going to see our children expected to have vaccinations? An RNA vaccine never used before? Might our children be detained for testing positive for 14 days away from us after a test not actually proving they have the Covid-19 at all?
We MUST check the statistics for ourselves and understand the difference between the increase in cases (purely due to more testing) and hospitalisations and deaths.
We must get informed on what the tests actually confirm.
Phil Haynes
Bromsgrove
More humanity needed over Bromsgrove asylum seekers
I WRITE regarding MARIE Howard’s letter (August 21).
Firstly these people would not be making this hazardous journey,at the mercy of traffic smugglers if their country, homes and love ones were not being bombed by the western powers including Britain who are in some cases supplying the equipment and methods of destruction.
A question for Marie who quotes the Covid-19 epidemic as a reason to deny these desperate people refuge. if the pandemic improved, would her attitude to those claiming asylum also change?
Would she then show some humanity as we have done historically with the Jews and Huguenots who came here , and welcome these desperate women and children to our country?
Graham Fletcher
EDITOR’S COMMENT
JUST as students head back to school or college, reports suggest this summer’s exams could have taken place after all.
The flip-flopping from sitting exams to the teacher’s predicted grades via the doomed-to-fail algorithm was farcical and caused no end of heartache.
We can only imagine the levels of stress, upset and uncertainty those due to take A-levels and GCSEs have gone through in the past months and this is a kick in the teeth for every one of them.
We welcome your letters…..
What pressing issues do you feel need addressing in Droitwich, the surrounding villages or Bromsgrove? Send us your views to [email protected]
