General Discussion
UK Pensioners in poverty. It all started over 30 years when Margaret Thatcher moved the goal posts on State pensions.
Cold kills 200 British pensioners a day during winter. Britain has 12 million elderly people.
“”Nine elderly people died every hour from cold-related illnesses last winter against a background of soaring energy bills.
Official figures show the number of deaths linked to cold over the four-month period reached
25,400 in England and Wales, plus 2,760 in Scotland.
Charities and energy company critics claim the UK has the highest winter death rate in northern Europe, even worse than much colder countries such as Finland and Sweden.
Winter worries: More than 300,000 UK pensioners have died of cold related illnesses since 1997
There are fears the toll could rise this year following a recent barrage of price rises that may frighten elderly people into not turning on their heating.
Heated issue: Pensioners see rising fuel bills and worry about whether they can afford to warm the house
While the UK death rate is high, the total was down by around 30 per cent compared with 2008/9 because there were fewer flu outbreaks, according to the Office for National Statistics.
The Coalition government has cut the last administration’s Winter Fuel Allowance payments of £250 for pensioners and £400 for those over 80, by £50.
ENERGY BILL RISES
Energy providers have announced big rises in prices this winter.
• Scottish Power is increasing electricity bills by 8.9 per cent.
• Scottish & Southern Electricity is putting up gas by almost 10 per cent.
• British Gas announced a 7 per cent rise on gas and electricity
Michelle Mitchell, director of the charity Age UK, said:'It’s still unacceptable that in this day and age tens of thousands more older people die in this country every winter from the effects of the cold weather.
'As another winter sets in, plummeting temperatures will once again spell misery, ill-health and, in some cases, even death for too many people in later life across the country.
'The simple fact that the UK has one of the highest winter mortality rates in Europe – higher than even Sweden or Finland – makes it clear this is very much a home-grown problem.
The fact is the UK’s elderly have seen their living standards plummet since the 80’s, and as a result millions of pensioners have and are living in poverty, after paying taxes and N.I. Contributions into the system all their working lives, ie for 30, 40, and 50 years.
And the same thing is going to happen to young people also, if things don’t change for the betters, soon.
My posting has 31 views, but not one response. I'm guessing this is because it's Dawlish in Devon, a very rich area if my ifo' is correct. Probably all rich Tory's as well. Am I going to be provided, right, or proved wrong ?
well Im not a rich person or a tory, but the trouble with this area is a lot of retired people from outside of Dawlish with generous pensions, thats why house prices are so high. I live on a council(social) estate and care what goes on, but not many do
Do you think people are getting a tad tired of so many political posts. Its obvious everyone is anti this and any government currently in power.. so the point has been made.
How about bang the drum for Dawlish a bit as a touruts place ..rather than push people away.
I work in social housing for older people.
You made statements - you didn't ask questions which required a response.
I don't agree with your statements but feel that a debate with you is pointless.
I therefore did not respond previously.
How about somebody reading my post in full, understanding what it says and then responding accordingly.
Oh. Harold Wilson - Nationalisation and strikes.
Every budget - beer up, cigs up. whisky up.
Interest rates heading towards 15% ..wonder you would like that today on their mortage.
Not long now before we go back to the days of Labour and spend spend ...
@michaelthompson. Reading your post above timed at 16:44. It sounds like you aren't local the way you speak of Devon "if my info is correct"
do you actually live in Dawlish?
So why are you posting so many items on a local discussion site?
This is set up for local people to talk to one another, not to be a debating room for national politics. Wouldn't it be better to take up your causes, which clearly matter greatly to you, on a more appropriate site where more people will join in?
cant help thinking that would be a better option for you, and would return this site to its intended function.
The answer to this is no longer a goverment issue. The fault lies squarely with the foriegn owned energy companies who took advantage of privatization, formed cartells and have ripped of British consumers ever since. The only way to solve the problem of rising energy costs is to boycott the likes of EDF energy and Eon.
Age UK need to negotiate a special pensioner price with a British generating and supply company and the national grid and help all pensioers to switch to this.
As for Dawlish being populated by rich tory pensioners I think thats irrelevant and is certainly nothing to do with someone who dosent live here
michaelclayson, Why cant you all discusss the topic I have raised ?. Its a topic that is never aired on the BBC because they like to keep people in the dark.
Fred Bassett, I dont need to live in Dawlish, to know that since Thatcher in the 80's, people in every town and city in the UK is effected somehow by right wing Tory rule this past 30 odd years. Most of all the elderly.
Kenny, "others" havent suggsted anything. Just one person. I guess your onother one who doesnt like the truth!
I wonder how many other local sites you are using for your own ends. As has already been pointed out, there are plenty of politicial discussion forums out there on which you can vent your spleen.
Michael Thompson - your views are extreme and shouldn't be aired here which is a forum for Dawlish.
You are a 'political' campaigner (if political encapsulates your views!) and you should be banned by the Admin of this site.
What you are doing does not contribute in any meaningful way to our debates. In fact I think you have issues which need to be sorted in places other then here.
Can't find anything in the terms and conditions of use re posting on this website that says:
1. The poster must live locally
2. That discussion of national politics is not allowed (and as I have pointed out on other threads before, Dawlish does not live in a vacuum so what is decided nationally does impact on Dawlish locally).
I think its an issue of balance Lynne, and I suspect Mr Thompson would also get a greater variety of views if he concentrated on national sites
So he might. But my point is he hasn't done anything, as far as I can see, that contravenes the ts&cs of posting on this website.
If people don't like his posts then
a) don't read 'em
and/or
b) don't respond to 'em.
MichaelClayson, What do you think of this ?
Cold kills 200 British pensioners a day during winter. Britain has 12 million elderly people.
I think the Webmaster tried a section for Council topics, but dropped it.
If there was a section for 'Politics' people could then choose to look or not...so MT could then rattle away in there to his hearts content!
MT .you may as well say ..so many numbered people that sit in the sun and get sunburn and skin cancer die.
That of course would not be polotical would it,
@MT -
your right mate we in Dawlish are all wealthy pensioners, some Lib Dem and some Tory we all did OK under Maggie and thats how we come to live a such a lovely part of the country. We have no intrest in your Labour spouting politics, and couldnt care less. So jog on pal
@ MT
No not one bit, worked hard all my life up north, paid my taxes, saved for the future. Not my problem. Everyone dies eventually even with a Labour goverment. Just remember the party you support caused this country's biggest problem i.e over population of immigrants.
Old enough to care about whats important in life and what past generations fought and gave their lives for. Not the childish games played in the name of politics these days. You sound like one of those charity adverts on the telly, going on about starving Africans. Its nothing new it happens every year and like you its becoming boring. Go away and play with the fairy's
FredBassett, did you service in the forces in World War 2 ?. I have always had the utmost respect for our World War 2 service men and woman.
I also think MT is entitled to his views, whether you like them or not. I think he said he withdrew his membership of the Labour Party when Tony Blair came in spouting. I also used to support labour but Tony Blair also killed it for me. All the politians are the same now ukip no better, dont know who to vote for thats if I can be bothered
Labour did always support the working class but that has long since gone
Brazilnut, Absolutely bang on. The Tory gut instinct is arrogance, there's some of that on here.
