Need and greed

Press, 1 June 1977, Page 16

Need and greed

Sir,—Under this heading N. Smith (“The Press,” May 24) seems to have got his

wires crossed. People who have worked honestly all their lives have every right to a pension which they have already paid in tax; the money is theirs, riot a gift from anybody. Some people seem to have the idea that old folk should walk round, cap in hand, asking for a pot of hot soup at Christmas, while at the same time a 16-year-old girl, who has never worked or paid tax, can have a baby and live for many years at the taxpayers’ expense. For once I support Mr H. J. Walker in his effort to prevent abuse of our social security system. If such a system is used as a vehicle to destroy the country’s moral and family life we are in a bad way. — Yours, etc., KRISTIAN JENSEN. May 31, 1977. Sir, —It saddens me to read of an attack on people over 60 receiving a pension. If N. Smith (“The Press,” May 24) would reflect, a person of 60 would have been bom during the First World War; the years following were hard. Then came the Depression, a time of searching for a job that did not exist, many times not knowing where the next meal was coming from. The Second World War followed when thousands of “solo mums” did their best to live on army pay—seven shillings a day for privates, of which two shillings was retained by the soldier. The family benefit could be applied for, but was not always granted, after 1938. Universal family benefit did not come in until 1946. Immediate post-war times were not easy either. So, N. Smith, ponder these remarks and you could find the roles reversed.—Yours, etc.,

(Mrs) E. WALTERS. May 30, 1977.