RECENT letters have highlighted the disgraceful jailing of two pensioners - 73-year-old former social worker Sylvia Hardy and 71-year-old retired vicar Alfred Ridley - for rightly refusing to pay the unfair, regressive council tax.
Sympathetic readers may be interested to know Ms Hardy and Mr Ridley are being backed in their campaign by the National Pensioners Convention, who are pushing for council tax to be scrapped in favour of a system that takes some account of ability to pay.
The NPC also campaign for decent pensions for all, for restoring the earnings link for the state pension to bring it up to a decent rate, and to end the scandal of means-testing for care services which often forces older people to sell their homes to pay for care.
On Wednesday, November 16, at 6pm in Guildhall, York, the NPC and UNISON will be jointly hosting a meeting on pensions justice.
All pensioners - and anyone who wants dignity in old age for ourselves and our families - are invited and will be urged to become involved.
More information on the NPC can be found on their website: www.natpencon.org.uk
Ben Drake,
York City UNISON,
Swinegate Court East, York.
Updated: 11:37 Thursday, September 29, 2005
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