Pensioners rally to oppose 'unfair' scheme (From Warrington Guardian)

Pensioners rally to oppose 'unfair' scheme

WINSFORD pensioners opposed to what they see as an unfair Council Tax regime have lent their weight to a petition opposing the tax.

Harry Mooney and other members of Vale Royal Pensioners Association collected 1,000 signatures in Winsford's shopping precinct and at the association's meetings.

The Winsford-based group is one of many branches of the National Pensioners' Convention attempting to get Prime Minister Tony Blair to accept that the elderly cannot afford to keep up with increases in Council Tax.

Mr Mooney said: "I think we have done what we set out to do and I will be sending the petition off to the regional office of the National Pensioners' Convention. It will then go on to London.

"We have had nearly 1,000 signatures and I'm very happy with that.

"If you ask people whether they like paying Council Tax then there is usually only one answer."

Mr Mooney believes that crippling rises in Council Tax, coupled with the ever-increasing cost of living, are having a real effect on the ability of his association's members to afford the coach trips and days out offered by the organisation.

He added: "People of all ages, not only pensioners, should oppose it - if it carries on then people will be punished by paying for generations to come."

The town's Conservative MP, Stephen O'Brien, added his voice to the debate earlier this month, and quoted research showing that a third of the increases in pension payments since 1997 has been taken back in Council Tax.

The MP thinks that the Government has put extra burdens on the borough and county councils and effectively 'fiddled the system' of local government funding.

The pensioners' petition asked people to voice their opposition to Council Tax by signing up to the following:

l The current increases in council tax cannot be afforded by many pensioners and those on low and fixed incomes.

l Means-tested council tax rebates are not a dignified or effective alternative.

l Capping inevitably leads to cuts in essential local services.

l These must be maintained through central government grants funded by general taxation, business rates and national income tax.

l The basic state pension should therefore be substantially increased and linked to average earnings so that we can all pay our fair share.

rfraser@guardiangrp.co.uk