Welcome

The purpose of this site which will operate in conjunction with our Newsletter (see links) is to inform our Members about what we are doing and why and MORE IMPORTANTLY TO GIVE OUR MEMBERS THE OPPORTUNITY TO COMMENT ON WHAT WE ARE DOING AND TO TELL US WHAT THEY WANT US TO DO. The site will tend to approach matters from a Manchester perspective but, since much of what we do will flow from Campaigns run by our National Organisation (often in conjunction with the National Pensioners Convention), we would welcome comments from any Member of the Civil Service Pensioners Alliance wherever you may live. Indeed, much of what we campaign about will effect all Pensioners, therefore comments from anybody who has the interests of Pensioners at heart will be welcome.

Thursday, 20 December 2007

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)

Wednesday, 31 October 2007

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.

Council Tax

a) The immediate implementation of the Lyons Report. Council Tax to be based not on the value of property but on ability to pay

State Pension

a) Immediate increase in the Basic State Pension to £119 per week (2007 figures)

b) Paid for out of the £34billion surplus in National Insurance Fund. Government has stated that they require this money to “buy Gilts to fund Capital Projects” in other words our National Insurance Contributions are being used to pay for prisons, roads, schools etc. Is this legal ? Weren’t we told our National Insurance paid for National Insurance benefits ?

c) That all pensioners receive the “extras” currently given with Means Tested Benefits (e..g. free glasses, free dental, Council Tax rebates etc).

d) That the plans to abolish the 10% Income Tax Level be abolished for pensioners aged 60-65. The new Pension Income Tax Levels to come into force next April help Pensioners over 65 but those who are forced to retire at 60 (either by employers or by ill health) will lose out badly.