Page 10 - Phonebox Magazine October 2016

Readers’ Letters
Putting Pen to Paper
MK Pensioners Association
Dear Editor, I write on behalf of MK Pensioners Association regarding bus fares for pensioners travelling before 9.30am. The fare has gone up from £0.50 pence to £1. This may seem a trivial amount but to an older person living on the basic pension of £119.30 per week it can be onerous for those who have to get to a hospital appointment or those doing charity work who need to travel early in the morning. Travel can often mean using two buses and the cost becomes £2. Tickets are not transferable. Our Association will be pressing for tickets to be made transferable in cases like these.
Contrary to some media commentary the vast majority of pensioners have not escaped the effects of austerity. Some of the poorest members of society are pensioners. Over 10,000 old people live on less than £10,000 per annum. One in ve retirees live below the of cial poverty level. At the same time older people contribute £40 billion to the economy by providing voluntary care and charity work. The Bank of Mum and Dad contributed an estimated £5 billion to the property market last year. This is old people sacri cing their retirement plans for the sake of their families.
We have been asked to comment on the increase in early morning bus fares. We have no choice but to accept it, especially in the light of the suffering of other groups such as those who need social care. The care system has actually collapsed to all intents and purposes.
Our Association is quite clear on what and who is responsible for the suffering . We are not blaming the local authority. The problems are caused by government cuts in funding – austerity. It doesn’t matter which political party controls local authorities. Be it Conservative, Labour or LibDem, they have little power to ameliorate the effects of savage cuts, local councillors are reduced to administering major economic decisions taken elsewhere. They are in of ce but not in power.
We in the MK Pensioners Association are continuing to ght for dignity and nancial security in retirement, please join us. Our AGM tales place on 11th October in the Civic Centre starting at 1.30 pm.
Yours Faithfully, Steve Mitchell, MK Pensioners Association
Oh we do like to have a bit of tol’rance...
There’s a famous old Bucks town called Olney That’s noted for Cowper and lace
And if you like walking or running
You’d think it a very nice place.
You can run round the elds in the parish Enjoying the rush of the breeze;
Or just stroll with your backpacks and children, As they learn all about birds and bees.
But what’s this at old Doff’s eld we spy now - A threat to our freedoms of yore?
“You can’t walk in THIS FIELD in this parish; If you do, you’ll be breaking the law.”
Entries invited for concluding verse(s) to this sorry state of non-affairs. Prize of £15 donated by a keen walker.
Send your answer along with your name, email address and home address to competition@phoneboxmagazine. com, or post your entry to Competitions, Phonebox
Magazine, Unit 2 Stanley Court, Olney, MK46 5NH.
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10 Phonebox Magazine | October 2016