Glenda was pleased to
meet with some of her constituents who came to the Pensioner's
Lobby in Westminster Hall this afternoon around 2.30pm. Lead by
Phyl Eyres (picture left) and Alex Morrison, they were enquiring
about freedom passes and why they are not entitled to free travel
in Scotland. Glenda will be writing on their behalf. The issue of
post office closures came up again, as pensioners are finding it
harder to reach their nearest post office due to the recent 3
closures.
Glenda would like to re-iterate that the
government want pensioners to claim all the money they’re entitled
to – even a few pounds per week can make a big difference. We
are making the whole process more simple and more automatic soon.
From October 2008 pensioners will be able to claim Pension Credit,
Housing Benefit and Council Tax Benefit entirely over the phone
without having to fill in or sign a claim form. Around 50,000
pensioners will gain from this measure in the next few years. The
number is 0800 99 1234.
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