SIR: I requested an interview with Tom Sackville and presented myself to same. I proferred my credentials i.e. war medals, including Burma Star etc, blood transfusion card, over 100 receipts and my driver's pass for Bolton Hospice, volunteer driver over four years. I produced the letter stating that my Disability Allowance, awarded because of an industrial accident at work, had been withdrawn. The medical certificates clearly stating "For life", I requested the definition of those words. The reply was - "It was never meant to work like this", although he was a Minister in the department that clawed it back. , I was tossed adroitly across to the House of Commons and Rodger Evans, a Parliamentary Under Secretary on Peter Lilley's staff, who waffled on for a couple of pages about the reasons for these changes denying that the goal posts had been moved, but stating, and I quote - "It was necessary to adopt and use the "broad brush" approach.

I have in my possession the letters from these two who seem to think "for life" means "to the age of retirement". I say "seem to think" because, after many requests, neither of them would answer the question directly. The letters are here for anyone's perusal. Eventually they will go in the bin.

Remember the words "In the morning, we will remember". I certainly will, very soon, at the Election, and I hope many more pensioners and ex-servicemen will do likewise.

Gordon M Peake RNPS

Westhoughton

Converted for the new archive on 14 July 2000. Some images and formatting may have been lost in the conversion.