DIGITAL TV

Members will have seen items on TV about the changeover to "Digital" and may have concerns about how and when this will effect you. In a letter from James Purnell M.P. Minister for Culture, Media and Sport we have been informed that:-
1) For households with at least one person over Age 75 or receiving Disability Living Allowance or Attendance Allowance the BBC has set up a Digital Switchover Help Scheme which is free. Assistance is also free for households receiving Pension Credit, Income Support, or income based Job Seekers Allowance. Other household will be eligible for assistance at a cost of £40. People eligible will be contacted in the 8 months leading upto the changeover. The help will include a "full service" (equipment, support for installation and use) for the conversion of one TV set per "qualifying benefit unit". Aftercare support is envisaged as being provided by "informal networks" involving local groups, charities and volunteers. Further information may be obtained from Digital UK who are operating a helpline during normal office hours Monday to Friday on 0845 6 50 50 50.

Public Toilets

Manchester City Council have stated that they provide 27 facilities across the City. However they also claim that people can use the facilities provided by shops, cafes and other providers. They claim that this provision provides adequate cover across the City. Do you agree ? Let us have examples of areas around the City where you think the facilities are not adequate (both in terms of numbers and quality)

Miscellaneous

a) To campaign for a statutory obligation to be placed on Local Authorities to ensure the provision of adequate Public Toilet Facilities

b) Post Office Closures: To campaign against Post Office Closure where these will handicap local communities

Finance

a. Campaign against large companies who enforce a surcharge on customers not paying by Direct Debit

b. To oppose plans by the Banks to impose surcharges of between £5-£25 on accounts which do not either receive payments of £1500 per month or maintain a balance of £1500 throughout the year

Communications

a) The provision of free technical advice to Pensioners on the changeover to Digital TV

b) To campaign for Government action against various organisations who limit Their communications to the use of mobile phones or internet web-sites. This is discriminatory against many elderly or disabled people who do not have access to these systems or are not conversant with their use

Travel

a) Whilst recognising that free bus travel is becoming available for OAP’s and that some Local Authorities give tokens for people who cannot use a bus. This provision varies between Local Authorities. To campaign for the provision of tokens to be universal.

b).To extent the “Blue Badge Scheme” to all people over the age of 80.

Health

a) Personal Expenses Allowance
For the immediate increase of the Personal Expenses Allowance paid to people living in Care Homes from the current £19-60 to at least £40 per week

b) An increase in the funding of Hospices to level at least equal to the costs of the work done by the hospices on behalf of the NHS

c) A fundamental review of the “out-of-hours” medical care system

d) A review of the waste of NHS Resources by keeping patients in hospital simple diagnostic tests/operations when they are otherwise fit to go home.