Paltry Increase in Pension is Totally Unacceptable - Brooke
October 16, 2003 12:00 AM
Annette Brooke, MP for North Poole and Mid Dorset, has today commented on new figures released by the Liberal Democrats which reveal that if Council Tax continues to rise at the same rate as it has this year, pensioners will be left with an increase in their pensions of only 15 pence.
When the new figures were published, Annette Brooke said,
"These figures show that the pension situation in this country is a joke. When the Government announced that inflation over the last 12 months stands at 2.8%, this is equal to a £2.20 increase in the state pension per week. If Council Tax continues to rise at the same rate as it has done, this will mean that only 15p of that will remain each week.
"I thought that the 75p previously offered by Gordon Brown was mean, but 15p is just ridiculous. It reinforces what I have been saying about the Council Tax issue. Pensioners and those who are vulnerable in society are hit the hardest by disproportionate rises in this unfair tax.
"Lib Dems have launched the Axe the Tax campaign to scrap Council Tax and replace it with a locally implemented income tax which will result in a fairer system based on the ability to pay."
Annette Brooke concluded,
"I hope that these figures show the Government what an unbearable burden they put on the most vulnerable people in the community. Even with the automatic discount of 25% on Council Tax offered to single pensioners, an extra 15p per week is an insult to our pensioners."
What would you like to do next?
-
Subscribe for updates
Follow the party's activity on...
- Twitter:
- Liberal Democrats
- Facebook:
- Liberal Democrats
- YouTube:
- Liberal Democrats