The Press of February 21 reports on ‘the Social Market Foundation. This think-tank (another one!) suggests sweeping reductions to social spending.

“Axe” free bus passes for OAPs, drastically reduce the amount of tax-free ISAs each individual can hold, removing winter fuel allowance, removing free TV licences for OAPs, means-testing child benefit payments... many of these “savings” will be, or are being, considered by the Chancellor’s “think-tank”, with many genuine objections to consider, including “moral”.

Is the harsh statement “The £1 billion estimated annual cost of OAP travel passes was one low-priority item of spending that did nothing to improve the economy and should be scrapped”, really necessary?

One might ask if these computer specialists in statistics are doing anything to improve the economy and at what cost, since it appears to be another group recycling thoughts on how to reduce the cost of social needs.

How many of these “Foundations” are needed?

J Beisly, Osprey Close, York.

• WHO are the Social Market Foundation? Who would arbitrarily make a clean sweep of the few “perks of age” pensioners get once their working lives are over?

These “perks” were paid for over and over again during working lives. These people survived the economic restrictions of the war years and scrimped and saved from meagre wages to be self-sufficient.

No on-credit buying or NHS for them; if they could not afford it, they did not get it.

We owe our present affluence to the hard work and independent spirit of our present pensioners.

These “perks” enable pensioners to enjoy the limited recreational facilities and activities available to them and make their lives worth living.

Why are pensioners always the ones targeted when cuts are voiced? Is it because these unknown quangos target those they deem to have less power of resistance to their outrageous ideas?

Who are they to begrudge tax-free ISAs already worthless due to low interest rates, but a safe haven for what little savings pensioners have?

Perhaps we should instead abolish all the quangos and use the money saved to boost the economy.

CM Ritchie Alwyne Drive, Shipton Road, York.