Chairman of Devon Pensioners’ Action forum speaks out.

Employment stamps (National Insurance contribution), including employer’s contribution, is paid into the National Insurance Fund to provide the money for state pensions, nursing care and other allied benefits. Money paid in good faith. Many people are unaware that governments have removed the original legal protection this fund had and now uses the billions of pounds surplus to, in their own words, reduce their borrowing requirements and keep income tax from going even higher.

This may explain the current tragedy of providing long term care in this country and why our materialistic leaders treat vulnerable old people as commodities. Local councils and governments are only too happy to off-load their responsibilities of caring for old people, their claim of getting better value for money to justify reneging on their social duties is wearing very thin.

Considering care homes costs, we accept weekly figures of anything up to �900 per week per person, more than the daily rate of cruising on a luxury liner to America, with travel and entertainment included. This government is considering ways for pensioners to pay for this care with suggestions of lump sums / insurance schemes etc, happily ignoring the fact that we have already paid for this care through our employment stamps.

As we have already paid for the nursing care element, the only cost we should pay is for bed and board based on the state pension, so on the current State Pension of �100 per week, perhaps �75 would be more than generous. This should apply to all care and residential homes, hospitals etc.

Tom Williams

Chairman

Devon Pensioners’ Action Forum