Camden New Journal - LETTERS TO THE EDITOR Published: 13 September 2007
Women pensioners are hit even harder than the men
• KEN Savage is right to be angry on behalf of pensioners (Forum, September 6). He might be more angry if he were a woman, as women pensioners in London are our poorest group. Living in the second most expensive city in the world, what is left at the end of the month would not cover an MP’s coffee break.
London prices for everything are far higher than in other parts of Britain. Two years ago John Prescott instituted a quite extraordinary system whereby social housing rents and service charges would rise year on year to reflect the average earnings of working people in that area. Camden pensioners have been hit by this as by the council tax which reflects land prices.
I need to exercise for my bones and emotional health.
After eight weeks of prescribed free classes I shall have to pay £2.50 a session to use the equipment at the Swiss Cottage Leisure Centre. This amount is half the charge for a working adult although pensions are a fraction of that, and the time spent per visit is far less than that by a younger person.
Is the council willing to change this, and if not why? BM NEMETH, NW1
Send your letters to: The Letters Editor, Camden New Journal, 40 Camden Road, London, NW1 9DR or email to letters@camdennewjournal.co.uk. The deadline for letters is midday Tuesday. The editor regrets that anonymous letters cannot be published, although names and addresses can be withheld. Please include a full name, postal address and telephone number. Letters may be edited for reasons of space.