Joan Ryan
Points of View
The State Pension
Soaring Council taxes have been making life particularly difficult for the majority of those pensioners who rely on the state pension.
New analysis has revealed that for a typical pensioner couple in the Basildon District, two-fifths of the increase in their basic state pension since 1997 has been snatched back in higher council taxes. For a typical single pensioner, as much as a half of their pension has been lost in rising council taxes alone.
This is why I welcome Conservative proposals help pensioners by re-linking the state pension with wages, and break the link with prices. Pensioners will benefit because their pension will increase faster, as wages rise faster than prices.
Under our proposals, over a 4 year period, the basic state pension will rise over and above inflation by £7 a week for a single person and by £11 a week for couples.
Under our proposals, because pensions will be increasing faster, the number of pensioners having to rely on means-tested benefits will thankfully fall by around one million.
As for Council tax, the Audit Commission, an independent body, has recently confirmed that the soaring increases in recent years has primarily been the fault of the Government which has intentionally used it to raise the burden of taxation, by diverting money away from Council's in the South of the Country to those in the North, and by loading extra burdens and bureaucracy on councils without financially compensating them for doing so.
This must be stopped so that future tax increases are far less.
The Fun walk
The presentation of cheques by EDF Energy to the 35 participating charities on Friday showed that the Walk this year raised £25,500 - bringing the total to £60,000 over the three years the Fun Walk has been going.
Although I have written to thank all concerned, certain contributions stand out. In particular EDF Energy, our lead corporate sponsor, did us proud by donating £5,000 - this meant that, together with other corporate donors, each of the charities received £200 in addition to the money they raised themselves.
Other key contributions were made by Asda, Barleylands Farm, Basildon Council, The Police, The Rising Sun Pub (Billericay), The Royal Society of St. George, Toomey Motors, the sixty marshals and my committee and their families.
Finally, a big thank you to the 35 local charities for all their hard work and the many of you who parted with your money in sponsorship - many local people will benefit.
Plans are already in place for next years Walk on 22nd May 2005, again at Barleylands Farm.
