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.