Brent Pensioners Deserve Dignity - Teather

12.00.00am BST (GMT +0100) Wed 2nd Jul 2008

Local MP Sarah Teather is campaigning for older people in Brent

Brent's local Liberal Democrat MP Sarah Teather has called on the Government to do much more to support pensioners in Brent.

Sarah was speaking at the Annual General Meeting of the Brent Pensioners Forum, at Brent Town Hall last week, joining their discussion on retirement with dignity.

Pensioners in Brent have increasingly suffered a hard deal under the Labour Government, with post office closures, NHS cuts, the abolition of the 10p tax rate and rising fuel and food costs all hitting older people particularly hard.

Local Liberal Democrat MP for Brent East Sarah Teather said:

"It's great to see the Brent Pensioners Forum standing up for older people, and I was so pleased to join them and to congratulate the group on all they have achieved.

"I believe that society should appreciate the elderly far more. All too often, older people in Brent have born the brunt of the Labour Government's unpopular policies, such as abolishing the 10p tax rate but refusing to axe council tax, closing more than a third of Brent's post offices, and imposing massive cuts to Brent healthcare.

"As the economy takes a turn for the worse things will only get harder for local pensioners, particularly as the Winter Fuel Allowance just hasn't been able to keep up with the rising costs of gas and electricity.

"Brent pensioners deserve to retire with dignity, with decent pensions, and proper access to public services. The Government must do much more to support pensioners in Brent."

Related Link:

Brent Pensioners Forum.