I can't afford to emigrate

07/12/2007

I am 64 and my only daughter and son-in-law are hoping to emigrate to Australia next year and, as I am their only relative on either side, have asked me to go with them. I was thrilled and excited to be asked and feel that I am privileged to be having such a brilliant adventure at this time in my life.

BUT having looked into it, I realise that I cannot afford to go. The basic pension and pension credit are all I am living on at the moment and that gets cut to £87p.w. the day I emigrate - and frozen at that amount. No more additional money on my pension ever!

My daughter is distraught, as I am, and my dear son-in-law says not to worry about the money BUT why should I be in this position?

I worked almost all my life, just having a short spell off when I had Lisa and again  to nurse my dying mother. She died at home after a prolonged cancer and that must have saved the country thousands in nursing home fees.

So I face living here alone with my dear daughter in Australia worrying about me. If I am ill and need nursing, this country will have to pay!

This is making my family unhappy and depressed and all my MP, Alan Whitehead, could say was did I realise it would cost the government £440m to implement pension rises?

I do wonder how much we are paying Polish workers for Child Allowance for their children back in Poland who have never been to this country and probably never will?

Sallyanne Hurst