I had a most edifying meeting with a lady from Glasgow District Council yesterday, whose sole task was to make sure I was claiming all I was entitled to, now that I am over 60.
I pointed out to her that actually I didn't claim anything, but she said her job was to make sure I did, and also what I would be entitled to from age 65.
The point she was making was that nearly £3 billion of benefits for the elderly go unclaimed every year, and in general terms, they have paid for it through their taxes over the years. The problem was the more elderly were very averse to claiming - and apart from anything else the forms they have to fill in are so obtuse and lengthy that most of them fall asleep half way through. So her job was to contact the "younger" element and get them hooked into the system as early as possible.
She told me that her method of getting people in was to talk about Council Tax. This was the most hated element of what people spent money on. As she said, once she got them fulminating about that, she could get them to sign up to pretty much anything.
What did strike me though was that this is another example of Liebore extending its tied estate - gerrymandering in truth. After all, if you are getting a few hundred quid from someone you tend not to vote against them - or at least think twice where there's a chance the other side might take it away.
So next time you think about claiming a benefit, just remember who gave it to you - and then vote for a change from the present government.
PS
And before you ask, my own bet would be that the visit will cost me money rather than giving it back to me...
2 comments:
So can you get a council tax discount?
er no....
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