Wealthy pensioners have been urged to hand back their old age benefits by a government minister.
But some senior citizens in Sussex claim the state is trying to claw back money they have worked for all their lives.
Bill Gardner and Joe Riddle report

For many poorer pensioners the benefits system is a helping hand pulling them back from the brink of poverty.

But for wealthier people relaxing into comfortable retirement, free bus passes and winter fuel payments go almost unnoticed.

Now the issue of who should get what is causing divisions among those the payments are designed to protect.

Last week work and pensions secretary Iain Duncan Smith urged rich pensioners to voluntarily hand back their benefits to the government.

He said better-off elderly people should pay back taxpayer-funded financial support that they do not need, such as the winter fuel allowance, free bus passes and television licences.

It was an “anomaly” that all pensioners received universal benefits, no matter how rich they were, he said.

But Francis Tonks, the vice chair of Brighton and Hove Older People’s Council, criticised Mr Duncan Smith’s comments as “complete poppycock”.

'Token gesture'

He said: “As pensioners we have paid into the system all our lives.

“These are fundamental things that we fought for and struggled for – a society where people can enjoy their old age.

“If we can enjoy a few savings we shouldn’t be discriminated against. It’s not a large sum of money – it’s a token gesture from government and it should be maintained.”

Mr Tonks, an ex-Labour councillor and former city mayor, said Mr Duncan Smith “had no idea about what it is like to be a pensioner”.

Not up with inflation

He said: “His comments are just divisive. He’s completely disconnected.

"Pensions aren’t keeping up with inflation so pensioners are becoming more and more worse off. Why shouldn’t we have some savings in our old age?”

In Sussex last year pensioners were handed more than £67 million in winter fuel payments with £8.5 million paid out in Brighton and Hove.

More than 16,000 over-75s in the city enjoy a free TV licence, saving them £2.3 million a year.

And there are more than 45,000 free bus passes in circulation, costing taxpayers nearly £10 million in 2012.

Winter fuel donation

Mid Sussex MP Nicholas Soames said wealthy pensioners “need to accept that we are living in austere times”.

Revealing he donates his own winter fuel payment to Age Concern, the 65-year-old said: “I think that what Iain Duncan Smith was saying was a generality.

“But in time I think it’s likely to be the case that the system will have to be changed. I don’t think that it’s something that any government would like to do but I think it will eventually happen.

“There’s certainly a case for reviewing the benefits to see if we could do it more effectively but I don’t know exactly how it would work.”

Pensioners' benefits

The winter fuel allowance is worth £200 a year to state pensioners, or £300 to the over-80s. On reaching 60 prescriptions become free and concessionary bus travel is offered at state pension age.

At 75 pensioners receive free television licences worth £145.50 a year for colour sets.

David Cameron promised in 2010 to protect universal payment for the whole term of parliament and has so far resisted calls to change it.

The Liberal Democrats have proposed a review of the system and for the payments to be taxed.

Setting example

Sir Peter Bottomley, the MP for Worthing West, who said he donates his own winter fuel payment to the Worthing Churches Homeless Project, said handing payments back “sets a good example”.

The 68-year-old said: “In Worthing and many other parts of my constituency there are pensioners who are not well off but still regularly donate to good causes.

“I think a lot probably do send their benefits back – but they don’t necessarily like to talk about it.”

Where to send it?

But Geoffrey Theobald, leader of the Conservative group on Brighton and Hove City Council, said many older people had “no idea” where to send the money.

He said: “I think the winter fuel allowance could be handed back, although many of our well off pensioners will be paying high rates of income tax.

“But who do you send it back to? If there’s a suggestion that people should be handing back their benefits then it should be properly explained how that should happen.

“Ultimately, however, I think it’s a matter of personal choice.”

Your say

Leonard Evans, 72 “I think it should be left up to people to decide if they want to give their benefits back or not. “It’s up to them - if they can afford it then it’s on their conscience.”

Maggie Gandey, 82 “If I were to give back my bus pass there would be no way we could manage. My husband is 94 and he uses the bus too.”

Terry Deeley, 70 “Saying people should give back their benefits is disgusting. I don’t think wealthy people should be made to give theirs up, because then they will start bringing in more rules and delving into people’s private affairs.”

Ruth Smith, 77 “It’s all right if you've got money but for me it’s a godsend. If some people feel they can afford to give theirs up then they should be able to. Wealthy people probably don’t need bus passes and drive around in expensive cars or take taxis.”

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