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Don’t take our perks

I see that certain grossly overpaid ministers are stating that things like free TV licences, bus passes and winter fuel payments for pensioners should be scrapped to address the imbalance between young and old people, peers have said.

Ministers have been told the balance needs to tip in the favour of young people so the bond between the generations is not put at risk.

The House of Lords Committee on Intergenerational Fairness said the pensions triple lock should also be cut, which guarantees the state pension rises by either inflation, wage growth or 2.5 per cent, whichever is highest.

Who are the rich idiots who proposed these?

I have paid 50 years of National Insurance and income tax, plus VAT at various percentages on almost everything I purchase, fuel tax, insurance tax, council tax, road tax, etc!

So the balance needs to tip in the favour of the young, most of who have a gap year because they are too lazy to seek work at the time. Yes, lots of youngsters have uni grants to pay off if they earn over a certain amount, but I feel that I have paid enough into the government coffers over the years to receive the benefits that I now have.

They have already taken £50 off of my winter fuel payment.

What does this government do with all of the money?

Give it to ministers and parasites within our society whilst receiving all of the perks they believe that are entitled to!

What a farce! I suspect the message from many like me is, ‘Don’t you dare’!

Chris Gleed, Proud Close, Purton

Remember pensioners

Before Lord True(whoever he is) tries to remove the little splinters the Government gives us old age perishers he should first look at the planks that he and his hangers-on that lounge around in Westminster receive from the same government.

No doubt all of them have riches and positions that we can only dream of.

But it does not stop them from grabbing every bit they can out of the taxes.

One day for them can equal two weeks for many a pensioner.

Many people of my age lived through the war with mum trying to be both parents as well as doing work to keep the wolf from the door, while dad served in the forces.

I never saw my father from January 1942 until Christmas 1945.

Not every pensioner has money in the bank.

It took just as much effort and going without to buy our house as it does nowadays.

One room downstairs furnished no carpets just a rug, no double glazing paper in the window frames to keep out the draught in the winter, no television, a second hand radio, no washing machine.

In the bedroom just the basics bed and again a rug on the floor.

Yes Lord True we really had a dream start to our married lives, and so did many of our friends had the same.

Now you and your ilk would like to see us in the gutter, why not advocate a pill at the same time to put us out of our misery, while you and your crowd can carry on in your little world.

John Oliver, Brooklands Avenue, Swindon

Hardly persecution

What a weird world Des Morgan (SA, April 25)l) seems to live in!

Far from being “marginalised, harassed and persecuted…” in this country, Christians wield an influence unjustified by the dwindling numbers.

Their main church is part of the state - 26 bishops in the house of Lords - we are obliged to pay taxes towards funding their religious schools, even in non-faith schools children are subjected to religion-themed assemblies.

Sure, looking ahead into the future, Des has grounds to be dismayed on the marginalisation front: demographic trends indicate that as old believers die off they are being replaced by unbelieving young people.

However, to compare this looming relegation to the dustbin of history to the persecution and mass murder of people in foreign countries is in my opinion, most inappropriate.

Martin Topping, Lyddon Way, Swindon

Not just Christians

I feel I must respond to Des Morgans letter Christians persecuted here at home (SA, April 25) in particular Des’s statement in which he refers to Foreign Secretary Jeremy Hunt and says he must be aware that Christians are harassed, marginalised etc in this country.

Let’s not overlook - and let me remind Des of - other religions that are being persecuted in the UK.

The awful, despicable attacks on the Jewish community their place of worship attacked.

Graves desecrated and daubed with disgusting vile Nazi slogans and Swastikas, and being abused and physically attacked.

Likewise the same thing within the Muslim community.

Places of worship attacked and vandalised and people physically attacked and abused.

Come on Des, highlight the fact that all faiths and those of no faith are being persecuted, not only in the UK but around the world

Mark Webb, Old Town, Swindon