If peers really want to make cuts they should give up their daily attendance allowance which exceeds the yearly winter fuel allowance for pensioners. Other expenses are probably on their list, such as taxi fares, which most of the elderly can’t afford – hence the free bus pass. What exactly ails these people, many of whom must be elderly themselves? Don’t they understand that old age is too often accompanied by infirmities. Why does it agitate them that relatively poor people (as most pensioners are) can share a few of the comforts (such as warmth) they take for granted?
There are cuts that can be made, especially abroad, so why do they want to impoverish the vulnerable at home? The voices of honourable peers must be heard (and with conviction) above those who seem to think that pensioners should be punished. Lloyd George thought this ancient institution an anachronism – and one can understand why – yet it lingers on. These air-conditioned peers clearly demonstrate what has led to the present political turmoil, when they target the vulnerable while awarding themselves generous pay rises.
T. Springthorpe, Southend on Sea
